The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1885-09-05
nulU LANG SyNE.
An Unusually Large Gathering Mt the Old
Settlers Picnic.
FULLY 5000 PRESENT.

Of nature as though in welcome of the day
set for the Old Settlers picnic. Early in
the day, and long before the forenoon exer-
cises began, farmers from many miles around
drove into the city with their families, and
there were about 5000 people present at the
time President of the Day Allen called the
assembly to order. 1t was the 18th annual
reunion of the association since its perma-
nent establishment, May %, 1863, and the
following, taken from Secretary Ebersols
books, may be of interest to the reader: On
the date above mentioned a few Of the old
settlers met at the court house in this city,
and Josiah Shaw was elected chairman and
A. NJ. Ebersol secretary. On motion of
Jesse Green, to be eligible to membership, a
residence in the state or county of 30 years
was required. The first picnic Of the society
was held at Caton's park, August 10, 1869,
the committee of arrangements being d. F..
Hit, Jesse Green, J. 4. Mitchell and Will
liam Palmer. There was an attendance of
sided over by Louis Howard, had provided a
splendid bill of fare, but as nearly all came
provided with luncheon, only 100 sat down
to the feast at the hotel After dinner Hon.
John C. Champlin delivered the address, and
Judge Cavalry was also one Of the speakers.
An address on "Selfmade Men, an able
and original essay, was also delivered, so
says the secretary's record, by Young
Cation Lucien Delano recounted some
laughable stories of pioneer life. Sam
Lewis introduced Mrs. W. Munson as
Rachel Hall, the girl who had been stolen
by the Indians, and who was n prisoner Of
the Sacs and Foxes for about two weeks.
Such was the first meeting of this society in
brief outline. Since then there have been
meetings regularly each year. The second
meeting was held at the same place, Aug. Is,
1870, at which Judge Cation delivered an adj
dress. At the meeting, Aug. "A, 1871, Ell
der W. Bachelor was president. Judge
Dickey was one of the speakers. The fourth
meeting was held as above, at which speech
es were made by Geo. L. Walker, John Mil
Ter, Elmer Baldwin and Judge Dickey. The
fifth meeting was held at the Fair Grounds,
Aug. q, 1873 the address of the day being
made by Washington Bushnell. Aug. 20,
1874, was the time of the sixth meeting,
Judge Gilman delivering the annual address.
John Miller was elected president of the
seventh meeting, and the picnic was held at
Hoes grove, Judge Blanchard being the ora
tor of the day. Since then the annual
gatherings of the society have been held at
the same grove, the eighth being given
Aug oath, the same officers having been
chosen as at the meeting previous. David
Green was elected president of the society
for the next year, and the ninth gathering
of the society was held Aug 10th, no formal
address being made. At the tenth meeting,
Aug. Is, 1878, Elmer Baldwin read an orig
inal poem, and the annual address was de
hv,red by Col. Fort, of Marshall county.
Cyrus Shaver was presiden of the eleventh
gathering, which was held Aug. l4th, at
which John Wentworth, of Chicago, and L.
| G. Hayes, of Norris, were the speakers.
The twelfth annual meeting was presided
over by President John Armstrong, and the
picnic was held Aug. 18th. Col. Taylor, q.
NJ Bane, of Lacon, j. D. Cation, John Arm
strong, Judge Dickey and others were
among the speakers. Mrs. Steinmeyer, Of
South Ottawa, delivered an original poem.
AT the thirteenth meeting Wash Armstrong
was president. The picnic was given Aug.
| llth The fourteenth meeting had the same
officers, and the picnic was given Aug 24th.
| j. W. Ebersol was elected seer etary and
treasurer of the fifteenth meeting, which Of
fee he has since continued to hold. The
picnic was given Aug 23d Last year the
old officers were re elected, and the gather
ing was held Aug. Dist. At the regular
election for officers, held in May Isaac
Abrams, of Peru was elected pres dent but
on account of the infrmities of age declined
TO serve, and Col. d, +. Hit was appointed.
Az stated at the beginning, the seventeenth
annual meeting, held Thursday, Sept. Sd,
was day for which all were indeed grateful
10 Him who presdes over the destinies of
all things. After singing "America' by the
assembly, prayer was delivered by Rev. NJ.
X. Whittlesey, and then came a brief adj
dress of welcome by the president of the
day, Mayor Z. c. Allen, which was respond
ed to by Elmer Baldwin, in the absence of
John Miller, who did not arrive until late in
the afternoon. The Prairie Center band, an
amatuer organization, which had generously
offered its services, enlivened the occasion
by some very fine music, and the exercises
for the forenoon were endei. Many of
those from a distance had brought their din
ner along, and they then par,ook of the
MONDAY meal unler the shade of the beau
tiful trees, where so many of the old settlers
had met. and made merry. And there is
something very touching in all this.
Brought together from the distant ends of