Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1881-07-13
CELEBRATIONA NATLAKE MILLS

The celebration at Lake Mills on the
Fourth was a success. The attendance
was large and the order of exercises were
of an entertaining character. The ora
ton was delivered by Hon. E. w. Keyes
of Madison, and as it largely refers to
early times we quote quite extensively
from it, as follows:
Forty-two years ago, this day and
hour, but few steps from this delightful
spot, where you now are,circled with all
that exalts and embelishes civilized life,
little band of Of pilgrims, pioneers, to
these scenes met together. The bright
sun shone upon them, in unclouded
splendor. The smiles of heaven well
coined them. With hearts, full of graft
tude to God, they entered upon the du-
ties of that day. Fathers and mothers,
sons and daughters, gathered in from
that stretch of beautiful land, between
this lake set here in the gentle hills,
and the Crawfish river, a few miles aw ay.
They came from their log cabins
sparseiy dotted the rich landscape of those
ons, some in carts drawn by faithful oxen
and some on foot The lad and lassie
could have been seen, emerging from the
bright, green foliage of the oaks, the sun
beams dancing in their pathway, both
riding upon the same horse From out
of the wilds they came, following the
footprints of the wild deer, and the trails
of the Indian hunter.
What grand inspiration moved with
one accord those few settlers of that year
so long ago? 1t was high and holy pa
triotisln. Love of country, desire to do
honor to the nations birthday, in a man
ner beftting their means and numbers.
They were noble types of American citi-
zenship. From their homes in old New
ENGLAND, and the East, they had brought
with them the principals of undying lib
erty. Their mission was to found an
empire in the rich places of the distant
west, to be forever consecrated to free
dom. The same spirit which animates
your breast to-day, prevailed that little
band of patriot pioneers. There was no
ringing of bells, no booming of cannon,
no strains of soul stirring music to enliv-
en- that scene, but yet many of the form
alities of later years were carefully obser-
we'd. There was an invocation of the
Most High, by the chaplain, the reading
of the Declaration of independence, the
delivery of the Grafton, the march and
procession, and last, though not least, the
dinner in the grove, beneath the over
hanging branches of the trees.
Though boy of less than dozen
summers, the events of that day are as
indelibly impressed on the tablets of my
memory, as if they occurred but yester-
day. It cannot fail to highly interest
you on this anniversary, for me to give
some few particulars of that occasion,
which I will proceed to do.
The officers of the day were as follows:
President Capt. Jos. Keyes: Chaplain,
Rev. Mr.. Pillsbury; Reader of the Dec
claration, Nathaniel F. Hyer; Orator, J,
F. Ostrander; Committee of arrange
ments, Capt. Jos. Keyes, James Payne
and John Starkweather; Committee oi
ordinance, Nelson P. Hawks; on music,
James Babcock and James Williams.
The music of the occasion was fife
and fiddle, which led the procession IL
its line of march. Mr.. James Williams
piped the shrill notes of the fife, and Mr.
| James Babcock manipulated the fiddle t.