Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-07-10
Reetown Notes.

through the same, and recapitulating
afterward, have occupied all our latent
and reserved energies for the past week.
As foretold in my last, everybody went
to Cassville, excepting one lonely pair.
who started for Prairie du Chen early
In the morning, but the allurements of
the city of Bloomington were too many
Tor them, and they never got any further.
A celebration at Cassville has hereto
fore implied big rain and good duck
ing before night, but although we had
that past experience impressed on us,
still, although the skies were not prom
ising in the morning, people from this
village, nearly unanimously took their
covered buggies, their umbrellas and
their rubber coats, and hitched up for
Cassville. Your correspondent caught
the fever early in the morning and joined
the grand procession westward to the
river. As be passed through the village
he saw that all the business places were
closed from store to post office, only
one lonely saloon being open.
Proceeding on the road he looked
sharply for that nest in the oats; not
seeing it, he concluded that it must
have been rust and let it 90 at that.
The next thing that struck him was
the improvement in the condition of the
roads and bridges, as soon as the terri
tory of CassvilIe was driven upon.
Driving down the hollow from the old
Mccartney place to the river, / could
net but contrast the road with that of
twenty-nine years ago, when l first
drove down that winding hollow with
an OK team, not able 10 see ten rods
ahead. Emerging from the mouth of
the hollow. the bright and placid wat
ers OF the Mississippi were seen, then
the spacious school building on the left,
then the neat church, with the martin
house of a steeple, then the crowds lin
ing the streets, then the hotel and we
ware really in the midst of q Fourth of
July celebration away from home, the
first time for over half score of years.
And right here let me ay that have
told that the good roads and the capa-
cious school house that have before
mentioned, can, in great measure, be
attributed to the efforts of Nelson
Dewey, sustained by such men as H.
Grimm, j. Ii. G. Sneclode, ID. B. Stew
ems and others who unite in encourage
ing such Improvements, as the main
factors in the growth and prosperity
of community. But to the procession
First the soldierly flag bearer, then
the band discoursing good music, then
the Goddess surrounded by her thirty
eight supporters, and everything else
exactly as in the programme, and we
are at the grove, where we listened to
excellent music particularly that rem
dered by the choir. Mr. G. Prior pre-
sided and Hon ID. b. Stevens read the
Declaration of Independence in loud
clear voice and then an eloquent Grafton
by X. A. Watkins, something different
altogether from the usual sterotyped
speeches gotten up for the occasion.
j. Rockefeller gave us the toasts in his
inimitable, happy mannsr: "toasts &c. y
being his chest hold always, Then
come the picnic part of the perform
| ance, in which all were soon engaged
| struck good Methodist lady, who in
vited me to dinner, and observing
that it was a real ''chicken" dinner |
waded in and rose from that well spread
cloth refreshed and ready for the Cass-
vile militia, who gave us an excellent
exhibition of their skill in military drill,
which was more than good, considering
the short time they have been organ
lied. This without any 'prior bias. "
The next feature was the drill of the
broom brigade" about which l can
| hardly even yet express myself as
| ought. | could not but admire their
beauty and their activity, the accurra-
cy of their step and drill with their fav-
orite weapons, but serious reflections
were forced upon my mind. Now ''just
supposing" all the women, armed with
those fearful brooms, with rolling
pins by their sides, and forty rounds of
washing day dinner in their haversacks,
and three days rations of fiat-irons in
their cartridge boxes, marshaled by
Susan b. Anthony, Mrs. Stanton and
Miss Willard, should ever start out tc
obtain the right of suffrage where
would the mascullnes be. The thought
appals me; no more broom brigade
drills for me. Well, after | had goi
over the shock of that prospect, | saw
some boys climbing up one side of q
ladder and down the other side. and
understood that Cassville was safe from
! fire.
| inquired for the Horse Marines and
was informed that they were immersed
: in beer: that the sack race was ready
but there were no occupants of the
sacks to make start Coming in con-
tact with an exhausted orator in COM
pany with the financial man of the'Deal
HERALD" the1said financial man with
his hand to his ear and his eyes on that
broom brigade, or Grimm's refreshment
i stand, q could hardly decide which
suggested that | write up the celebra-
ton, which | now proceed to do in a
summary manner,as follows: 1t was a
success; the whole programme wa. car
ried out as published; there was nc
his fire crackers was kept at respect
full distance; every native or natural
lied citizen was hospltable and cordial,
and earnest in their efforts to make their
visitors happy; politics was not men
| toned; no accidents occurred to mar the
success of the day, and everyone APP
peared to be having a good old fashion
ed sociable .'Fourth.
With that impression we left the
town arrived home in good season, glad
that our sister town had, for once, at
least escaped a rainy drenching
Fourth
And we will close by saying that
they have the most extensive and
beautiful grove for such occasions in
Grant county, and with the prophecy
that their now prospective railway,
will become a fact with another from
the east; that they will outnumbe
in population and outvie in business
any other town in the county within
ten years; for Rip Van Wrinkle has
awoke at last.
Further your deponent saith not.
Your correspondent was informed
yesterday that it was dangerous to
mention ''shaved heads" in the papers
so will say mix
We note visit of Miss Roberts and
daughter from Greeley Iowa.
Miss Maggie Hayden was thrown
from buggy on her return from Cass-
vile, on the 18th and pretty well
shaken up but not seriously injured.
Mr.. Benz Gurny an old resident