Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1885-07-09
The Farmers Picnic.

A more lovely day and d more enjoya-
BILE picnic than that given under the au-
spices of the Practical Farmers Club,
on the Fourth, could not we'll be imag>
fhed. The place selected for the second
annual gathering of this club, and their
friends, was in MOore's beautiful grove
of native oaks, about half a mile south
of Louisville, and adjoining the grounds
of Plainfeld church. The grove was
large and there was ample shade for
man and beast. A rough platform
was erected for the accommodation of
members of the club and speakers, while
seating arrangements for quite large
number was provided in front ofit. At
an early hour on Saturday many substan-
tial people for miles around turned their
steps ia that direction, so that by II
o'clock several hundred persons old
men and their wives. young men and
maidens. all bent on enjoying the "glori-
Gus Fourth" were upon the grounds, and
the crowd was greatly augmented in the
afternoon. The Louisville Cornet band
at IL o'clock, struck up lively air,
which was signal for the people to
gather al the stand for the opening of
the exercises. John Shepherd, ST., pre-
sided, and called the crowd to order.
Mrs. Calvin Pollock, the Secretary of the
Club, read the minutes of the last regu-
lar meeting. After a few preliminary
remarks. Sample Clark, ESQ.,, one Of the
speakers invited for the occasion, made
the opening address, and entertained the
farmers by talk about good old times
of our ancestors, branching off somes
what into speech which, had it emana'
ted from the hustings, would have been
considered an argument in favor OF free
trade. Mr.. Clark's speech, aside from
its political tendency, was appropriate
and was listened to attentively. After
more music, Miss Mary Lib. HOgue, a
member of the Club, read very inter,
esting paper on the Reality of Farm
Life" Miss Hogue is an easy writer
and has the knack of saying something
in each sentence.
A recess of an hour and half follow
ed, during which time families, friends
and happy groups of young people scat+
tered over the grove and spread here and
there picnic dinners fit for royalty, and
right heartily were sardines and spring
chickens, and cake, and crackers, and
cheese, and pickles, and preserves, dis.
cussed until everybody was absolutely
full. This very important part of the
business over, the remaining time up to
the hour of meeting was spent in greet
ing old friends, and in the full enjoy
ment of the social features of the Occa
sion.
After dinner an exceedingly enter
tanning paper, entitled the Work OF
Farmers Wives" was read by Mrs. Re-
becca Shepherd, of Morristown, and
speeches were made by A. L. McKelvey,
Esq, of st. Clairsvile; Prof. Isaac N.
Vail, of Barnesville; DR.. A. j. Hogue, of
Morristown, and by the editor of this
paper. We hope to publish next week
the papers read by the lady members of
the club.
The literary portion of the program
wound up about o'clock, but many lin
gered as if reluctant to leave spot
where so much pleasure had been crowd
ed into short space, and the evening
shadows had greatly elongated before
the last tired picnicker left the grounds.
The occasion, as social affair, and in
all other respects, was Il decided success,
and the Practical Club, have reason to
congratulate themselves upon being the
cause of the assembling of so happy and
cultivated a company upon the glorious
Fourth in the year 1886.