The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1895-06-07
VAN buren, PIONEERS.
COUNTY ASSOCIATION MEETS AT
DECATUR
BIG CROWD CELEBRATES WITH THE OLD
SETTLERS MUSIC AND SPEECHES
NEXT MEETING AT HARTFORD.


at Decatur last Wednesday, was sue
cess in every respect. The rain of the
previous day had cooled the atmos
phere and laid the dust, SO that driving
| was truly a pleasure. and a very large
number of the members of the associa-
ton and their friends made haste to
enjoy the occasion.
The morning session was called to
order by President WoOdman at the
appointed hour, in the capacious town
hall and opened with prayer by Rev.
|. Il. Bates. The minutes of the last
annual session were read by the secre-
tary and approved. The treasurer pre-
sented his annual report, showing a
balance in the treasury of $l5.6S.
After music by the Decatur cornet
band the roll of townships was called
for reports from township vice-presi-
dents. Several townships did not re-
spond, but the reports presented show
ed the death of SO pioneers during the
year, and an addition of 40 new mem
bers to the ranks of the society.
Following is IA list of the newly-elected
officers of the association: President,
Hon. j. j Woodman: vice-pres't, Hon.
A. Is. Copley; secretary, Rev Bates;
treasurer, Dr. A. 5. HaSkin. Township
vice presidentS-J. &. McFeliin. Pine
Grove; Decatur Downing, Almena; c..
ID. Lawton, Antwerp; n Atwell, Por
ter; w. X. Van Hise, Decatur; David
WOOdman, Paw Paw; j b. Shered, Wa
verify; ii. IL. Howard, Bloomingdale;
W. W. Smith, Columbia; {. .. Nash,
Arlington; A S. Haskin, Lawrence
Erastus Osborn, Hamilton; o. NJ. Skies,
Keller; j. b. Robinson, Hartford; +. p.
Harvey, Bangor; \. 5 Taylor, Geneva;
G.. j. Monroe, South Haven; E.A Rood,
Covert. Executive cOmmittee-David
Woodman, w. w. Smith, III Ii. Howard.
A recess was then taken for dinner,
which WAS served in Stewards dining
hall, where ample table room was pre-
pared for all who had brought baskets
with them, and for those who had not
an elegant repast had been prepared
by the citizens of the place, which
was served free of charge by some of
Decatur's fairest
At the afternoon meeting, the hall
was packed to its fullest capacity. The
session WAS opened with music by the
band which SO pleased the audience
that they were compelled To respond TO
an encore.
This was followed by brief but ap.
propriate address of welcome delivered
by Marvin Hinkley, president of Deca-
tur village.
Mr.. w. W. Smith then read an orig.
inal poem entitled pioneer Life" pre-
pared expressly for the occasion by
Mrs. 3 ID. Townsend of Breedsville.
This was followed by paper entitled
pioneers" read by Elias Morris, whose
father, Dolphin Morris, was the first
white settler within the boundaries of
Van Buren, county. Mr. Morris paper
was an interesting resume of the con
dition of the country when in It's prim.
tive state, OF the customs OF the red
natives, and of the circumstances that
surrounded pioneer life. 1t was filled
with interesting "reminiscences and his
tOrical facts concerning those early
days. MIR. Morris himself is the last
living representative of his fathers
family of eleven children.
The reading of Mr.. Morris excellent
paper was followed by "a vocal solo,
beautifully rendered by Mrs. +. l. Price,
sung to violin and organ accOmrani-
ment.
Hon. &. j. Monroe, who was little
tardy in arriving, responded to the adj
dress of welcome, and, although late on
the program, was brief, but appropriate.
Mr. A. w. Hayden, being next on the
program, responded with an address on
pioneer life Mr.. Hayden is the son of
PhilotuS Hayden, one OF the early and
honOred pioneers of This county. He
said that, while pioneer life had its
trials and its hardships, like every other
condition in life, it had its compensa-
tions ami its advantages While the
speaker did not rank himself as one OF
the old pioneers, yet, in certain sense,
we are all pioneers, as each generation
is the pioneer of the generation to fol
low. Mr.. Haydon's address was both
interesting and instructive.
The next number ON the program
was fine vocal solo by Mrs + Thomas
Milton j. Gard, president of the Cass
county pioneer society, son Of Jonathan
Gard, one of Cass cOunty's early pio
neers, who settled on Little Prairie
siXty-siX years ago, was next introduced
to the audience and read an entertain
ing paper relative to the incidents oi
pioneer life. The speaker himself was
at the time his parents came to Cas-,
county, lad of seven years of age.
Mesdames Price and Thomas mex
favored the audience with "a pleasing
duet.
Volunteer speeches, limited to five
minutes each, were next i'm order. MIR
! David Woodman was first TO respOnC
under this call Speaking of the pecu
liar flavor of the Indian maple sugar
he said it was caused by the fact tina
the Indians boiled their woodchucks il
the sap when making sugar.
Hon. A. Il. Copley followed with al
interesting Indian story, as a sequel Il
/ the one related 10y Mr.. Woodman.
There was some disagreement be
tween Messrs. Gard, Woodman anC
Copley as to what became of the baC
old Indian, Shavehead, but there APP
peared to be n consensus of opinion
that he was certainly dead.
Hon. ). III. BlacKman related some in
teresting "reminiscences. His first visi
to Decatur was when in the employ o
the railroad company, before the roaC
was built.
Rev. I. II. Bates offered a few re