The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-08-10
REPUBLICAN RALLY
Over Three Thousand People Pre-.
sent-Eight Bands of
Music.
Col. G. w. Plummer-The Old Man
Eloquent-Five Hundred
from Grand Forks.

The biggest political meeting ever seen
III these parts was ut Grafton on Tuesday
evening. Pembim sent down a delega-
ton ofabout thirty accompanied by the
Cornct band. At Dayton about the
same number, with the Drayton band,
came on board the train. After arriving
at Grafton and marching to the hotel to
the music of the bands, dinner was in
order. After dinner many repaired TO
the fair grounds to witness q baseball
match of Drayton VS.. Grafton. Drayton
has fine club, but some of their best
players were absent, luck was against
them and the day was coll-for Dray-
ton. Score, to IS i'll seven innings.
After supper, four bands and n drum
corps took stations along the main stree,
and rendered melody TO the gathering
crowds.
About nine o'clock train, containing
over 800 people from Grand Forks and
intermediate towns, with three more
bands, came up TO the Manitoba depot,
and forming into procession with t.ans-
parencies, banners and torclllights came
marching up the street; following after,
joined i'll the st. Thomas, Park River,
Pembina and Drayton bands leading
their respective delegations, making a
beautiful sight as the long line Of torch
lights, waving flags and transparencles
wound their way around the square to
the Opera House. The Opera House
was formerly skating rink, and is pro-
badly the largest single room in the
Northwest, will easily scat 1000, and !,
steady stream of people filed through the
doors until it was full.
q. a. NJ. Spencer, ESQ, occupied the
chair, and various notables occupied
seats on the platform. Judge Guptil, Of
Fargo, made Il little opening speech
about the importance Of organizing clubs
and dnfted into some dry details on the
tariff question, while the people waited
to hear the orator little impatiently.
Gupti! is Il No. organizer and worker,
but it takes Plummcr to make campaign
speeches. The latter held the attention
Of his audience for over an hour while lie
Numbered republican doctrines ut them
in his best style, of which none has a
better.
The Grand Forks delegations returned
home by their special train and others
sought beds and cots while an occasional
fellow found neither but took what rest
he could on arm chairs, etc. The Red
River delegations came home by the
regular morning train, all declaring that
the trip had been pleasure.
NOTES.
y large number of Drayton ladies'
added elegance TO the delegation.
The Drayton band is good one con.
sidcring its aye. 1t was hard. however
for democrat +. NJ. TO keep time with
his bass horn to republican music, and
only that his musical ear is more correct
than his political one, kept him from
discord.
A box of good cigars, the gift of D.
Graham, of Drayton, made the air blue
on the road home.
The Juvenile spirits Of some of Penn.
bina's gray-laired delegates were exceed.
ingly volatile.
Moorhcad can make dandy cam
palgn speech. Ills gestures are i'm
mcnse.
The occupants of room No. 5 have
their opinion of !. man who wakes every
body up ut five o'clock to take Il trail
that starts at nine.
Everybody came home as sober as
when they started. "surc {"
Conductor Cummings and Express
Messenger Irish lave thanks for courtcs
les and water lilies.