The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-08-22
Spargur Reunion 4 Ralnsboro.

The fifteenth annual reunion was held
on Saturday, August 17th, In John Red
keys beautiful grove just at the eas,
end Of Main street, and like. its prede.
cessors was large, interesting gathering
It is difficult to place an estim9te on q
crowd 80 vast, or even TO compare II
with similar gatherings on the same
grounds in other years, but we think
we could safely say there were thous.
ands present.
The people began to arrive before 8
o'clock, and continued to come until the
10 acre grove was literally filed with
the people and their horses and vehicles.
The best Of order prevailed through.
out the day, and nothing occurred 80
far as we know TO interfere with the
harmony Of the occasion. The dust
was slightly annoying to perons coming
and going, but favorable wind bore it
away from the grounds. Uncle Joe,
now in his eighty.Arst year, was on
hands and in his happiest mood. About
1890 a. m. he called the crowd together,
and began the public exercises Of the
day, which consisted in music, prayer
and addresses. The Greenfield band
was present and played we'll, as they
always do. Miss Stella Sparsur presided
at the organ, and the choir sang splen.
didly. A song or two from the little
folks greatly delighted the audience also.
Uncle Joe delivered the address Of
welcome, and with his usual character
istic generosity proposed to enlarge the
circle 80 as to take the entire audience
into the Spargur family. Revs. Henry
Wright, G. L. Winget and J. H. Davis
each made short, interesting addresses.
There was lees speaking than usual, and
consequently more time for social inter-
course. The dinner hour was improved
in regular picnic style. Families and
neighbors spread their dinner together
or separately, according to taste or
preference, and their hospitality to all
that would accept it, and after thousands
were fed enough remained to have fed
as many more. When these reunions
were first inaugurated none but the
Spargurs and their relatives were ex-
pected to attend them, but they alone
made large and interesting gathering.
Soon however they felt constrained to
extend the privilege to their friends and
neighbors, and cordial invitation was
extended to all who desired to spend q
day in the leafy grove to come and en-.
Joy the social feast.
The first reunion, we believe was on
the 10th day of August, and from thence
forward it has been generally under.
stood that the Saturday nearest the 10th
would be the reunion, and hence many
persons living in various parts Of this
and other States, who went outo from
this region or have friends living lin it,
plan their visits 80 as to be here at that
time. This in part will account for the
vast multitudes that attend from year to
year. Excursion trains have sometimes
brought scores of the Spargur connect
ions from Iowa. This year there were
no excursion secured, and not so many
from a distance, and yet to our know.
ledge Iowa and West Virginia were rep.
resented, and nearly every town and
vicinity within radius OF thirty miles
from this place.
The Spargurs were among the pio.
neers OF this part of Highland county.
They were natives OF North Carolina
Joseph, the father of Uncle Joe, came
in 1904. He was the father of lS children,
all of whom were living at the time OF
his death, which occurred at the age of
81 years. At that time the children
were all settled within few miles OF
the parental home and were all present
at the sale of the personal property that
took place soon after their fathers death.
There are still 15 OF them living, the
youngest now in his forty fifth and the
eldest in his eighty first year. Uncle
Joe was the happy father Of IA children,
several OF whom have been blest with
large families also. Other branches of
the Spargur family have obeyed the in.
junction "To multiply and replenish the
earth," but none we believe have so
numerous progeny as those already
mentioned.
1t is generally believed that only the
illiterate and the unlearned are those
who are carried off by delusions, but from
the excitement and craze caused by the
announcement that the Brown-Sequard
Elixir renews old age to vigorous youth
it would be supposed that professional
men who understand the growth of the
human body, the laws that govern it,
its ripening and decay, so to speak,
would hardly entertain for moment
the thought of making an old man
young again. But they do exist. And
the fact OF their existance proves that
delusions may be and are entertained by
those who teach and practice the oppo.