Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-08-21
THE PICNIC YosTs GROVE.


The Farmers Alliances of Harrisville
Maynard and Pleasant Grove held pic
mic in Yost's Grove, near Harrisville, oil
last Saturday. The day was an ideal On'
for such a gathering, and the people Of
the neighborhOOd took advantage of the
benignant skies and turned out to the
number of probably six or eight hundred
The crowd was a well clothed. well fed
and well behaved one, betokening a cul
tured and prosperous community. One
of the most enjoyable features of such
occasions was that of partaking of well
prepared dinner, in which the writer en-
gagged as the guest of the family of A. Y.
Henderson, Esq, and party. Dinner over
at o'clock, the presiding officer of the
day, Mr.. J. &. Dysert, introduced Mr.. W.
\. Holmes, who in brief address vel
coined the people and bade them enjoy to
the utmost the festivities of the hour
Mr.. J. II. Denham, the organizer for the
Alliance in Belmont county, was next
introduced, and spoke to the question:
"What should the farmer do to better
his condition? ?"-urging that OrganiZa-
ton would go far to remedy existing
evils harmful to farm interests. Mr.
Denham's remarks were well received.
A quartet of male voices rendered we'll
chosen selection, after which Hon. A T.
McKelvey spoke on the topic: Farmers
interest in Legislation" Mr.. NJ, who al
ways talks entertainingly, endeavOred to
impress upon the farmers the Importance
of taking an intelligent interest in public
questions, and especially in those ques-
ton which most concern them as class,
taxation, the management of county and
local affairs, etc. He urged economy in
living, and general reduction of expen
ditures in all directions. His remarks
were greeted with hearty applause at
their conclusion. The regular program
being exhausted, the Chairman took the
liberty of calling upon some of those in
the audience for speeches, and under the
call brief talks were made by the Editor
of THE CHRONICLE, Hon. D. A Hollings-
worth, W. B. Hearn, Esq, of the Cadiz
Republican and Hiram Cope, Esq, in
order named, after which a vote of
thanks was rendered the speakers by the
Alliances. The Harrisville Silver COrnet
Band enlivened the occasion with appro-
pirate selections at intervals during the
day The occasion was doubtless pro-
fitable and pleasant one to all in atten
dance, and was especially so to the writer,
who had opportunity to meet number
of old-time friends.
On Monday evening number of small
boys were shooting with tlObert rifle on
a lot on Marietta street when ball from
a shot fired at random went through an
open window in the residence of Deputy
Auditor Henderson, passed through a
paper which little girl was reading and
narrowly missing the head Of baby
which was sleeping propped up in car
riage, struck the wall The ball was of
such size that had the head of the baby
been directly in its path, as it came so
nearly being, the shot would doubtless
have inflicted fatal wound. The custom
of small boys handling these guns and
shooting carelesSly and in almost any
direction has become quite prevalent in
this place. Several fatal accidents in
towns resulting from the
same carelessness and the narrow escape
from one here should at once stop this
practice. The statutes of Ohio provide
that any person under fourteen years of
age who handles a firearm of any kind,
or any other person who permits minor
under this limit to use irearm of any
kind, shall be subject to fine of not ex
ceeding 500 or not exceeding 30 days in
Jail or both. These boys whose ages range
from perhaps ten to fourteen years should
be made to feel the gravity of their care
lessness, and such an act would produce
a salutary effect on others engaged in the
same pastime. 1t had been the custom
of these same boys to procure gun each
day ostensibly to shoot English sparrows,
but in fact to blaze away at anything
they could see. A tragedy may be avoided
by carefulneSs of parents and Others in
the future, and firearms of every de-
scription should be placed beyond the
reach of boys.