Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1886-08-19

would soon be laid on the table. All
eyes were then directed to Shelled Corn
Patterson, who sat bumped up in one
corner OF the room, smoking clay pipe
and figuring on the aggregate loss on
his last shipment of Ipswich corn. He
did not catch the drift of Flour & Feed
Eastman's remarks exactly, and there
for did not Immediately respond; but
wi'"n they all lifted up their voices and
shouted speech, Pattersonl' be. in the
elegant langaa of the day, "caught
on Accordingly he rose up. He did
not rise up suddenly or all at once, for
as before stated. he was the most ven-
cradle man present. However, he stood
up. wiped the cobwebs from his spec
tacies. drew long -drawn-out Whit of
inspiration from the clay pipe, and be-
gan amidst the wild enthusiasm of the
brethren. Said he: my friends and
confederates: IL is with fast fleeing cour-
age and trembling underpinnings, in
duced by my excessive modesty, and
the solemnity of the occasion, that |
have risen to address you on this aus.
picious occasion. The occasion. pleas-
ant in itself. is rendered doubly so by
the fact that all of our brethren are
present. Applause When | look
around me see not chair vacant.
verify, l say, unity and peace have met
together. mercy and truth have kissed
each other. Hear! Heart Brethren,
we have met together here this evening
for great purpose. We have met with
great object in view. You remember
that the great tooth doctor told us not
long ago. that every man should have
some great aim in life. A great object
in view. That man without great
aim in life was like ship without a
rudder. that was being continually
tossed hither and thither. As with in
dividuals SO it is with societies or ORGAN
lied bodies. Without great object or
mission before them they are as a frail
bark tossed back and forth on a tenn
pestuous sea. The words of the great
molar-snatcher sank deep into my heart,
my brethren, for felt that they were
true. Happily for us, yea, happily for
the world, will say, we have met with
a great object in view. We have long
felt that something was lacking; that
wise and long-headed as our forefath-
ers were in laying the foundation upon
which our magnificent structure of lib
erty rests, that after all they did not
take in the whole situation; hat in set
ting up the pins for our glorious gov
eminent they exercised quite a good
deal of wisdom and poll tical shrewd-
ness, but that they did not canvass the
matter quite as thoroughly as they
ought. We will concede that they
showed good deal of natural tact and
some little patriotism, but then when
we consider that they never any of them
served on Fourth of July committee,
we cannot fail to look over some of their
shortcomings. When we realize that
they never had charge of Fourth of
July celebration in Platteville we are
compelled to excuse them for not pro-
viding for emergencies and contingent
ces that we see have arose, and have
met tonight TO provide for. In all their
deliberations they did not see that it
was necessary to have Lord High
commission, composed of men of great
ability, to whom should be referred all
the great questions of domestic, nation
al and international Importance, for de-
cision. 1t did not occur to them that
it was necessary to have such COM
mission to look after the weather and
other matters of minor Importance which
are likely to arise once in a while.
However, let us not feel hard toward
the old boys, but try to make the best
of it now. What they failed to do for
their posterity we will now attempt.
We come here tonight to organize a
society that will fill that long-felt want.
We meet to organize at a most FORUM
ate time. We have just closed our
labors as members of the Fourth of
July committee and thus bring with us
besides great ability, ripe experience.
Grave dangers are now threatening the
country. There is a large absence of
rain. In more common language, we
are threatened with spasmodic attack
OF the drouth. That will be one of the
first questions that we will be called
upon to deliberate upon. With our
deep understanding of the practical
workings of irrigation. does any brother
doubt our ability to grapple with the
subject and to dispose of it success
fully? mol That disposed of, we
may take up the fishery question, the
Mexican trouble aud 50 on. will not
go further in proposing questions that
we shall decide. for they will pour in
upon us in due time. Let us Mt once
proceed to elect officers to govern our
society" Here Gee Henry Gratiot arose
and SAID that Shelled Corn Patterson
was rushing things too much. That
before they proceeded to elect officers
they would better fluid out whether or
not they had any need for them. He
had not even heard of the name of the
society and did not know whether it
was TO be ladies' sewing circle or a
society for the prevention of cruelty to
animals. lie proposed that they take
things up in the right order. He had
served on the printing committee and
knew where the eagle should be put on
the bill.
Quill Driver Peck said the first thing
they wanted was temporary chairman.
lie proposed the name of Salvation |
Murphy, for that brother said he ex-
pected to be mayor one time, and stud
led up well on the rules on how to |
govern in case of riots, etc. Salvation
Murphy was accordingly chosen chair
man. Railroad Smith was made secre-
tary, and Salvation Murphy announced |
that the meeting was then ready for |
business. Bulls Eye Henry said that he |