The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-02-23
WAS YOUNG AGAIN
OLD SETTLERS LIVE OVER THE
FRONTIER LIFE AGAIN.


Feast of Beans and Pork Was Displaced by
BANQUET of Brains--Judge Wall Makes
a Great Speech to Old Timers--Ihe
Ladies Charmed with Recitation and
Music--It Was a Great Social Event
Settlers Ball in the Evening Was
Great Success--Peopie Attended With
out Regard to Time of Settlement
Yesterday was Old Settlers day
and a great day it was. It was also
Washington's birthday. but with many
of the ole timers the settlement Of the
Arkansas valley was a greater event
than saving a country. The old set
tiers annual meeting has become
fixed anniversary that is always look
ed forward to with a large degree of
pleasure because a good time is al
ways confidently expected and there
was no disappointment on this par
ticular occasion.
The day was everything that could
De wished for. 1t was a typical Kan
sas day. The sun shine seemed to
ildNC dAIStiSQ tiic 1881 SCStdSc VI W
ter storms from the land and there was
just faint breath of southern, zephyr
which permitted Old Glory to hang III
= very unmajestic way down the side
Of the flagstaff on the court house, but
IL was a Kansas day for all that. It
was a day that invited people out of
doors and the old settler with his wife
and sons and daughters came out to
have good time, and they had it.
The officers of the organiZa ton this
year are: ]. ". Wingard, president:
Charles Phillips, secretary, and 1. 5.
Auit, treasurer, while J. c. Williams,
Mrs. John Martin, Mrs. Reed, Fred
Sewers and c. NJ. Garrison compose
the executive board.
CHANGE OF PROGRAM
The officers deserve a good deal of
credit for their management this year.
They made some changes that added
greatly to the pleasure of the meeting.
Instead Of the usual public dinner
which made a vast and laborious work
for the old settlers wives and daugh-
tiers, a mental feast was prepared in
stead.
The dinner was eaten at home and
the cid settlers wives who were such
an important factor in the settlement,
came out with their Sunday garments
and the girls with their new hats and
the reputation Of southern Kansas for
bright pretty women.
People came out for enjoyment and
when the announcement was made
that the old settlers would hold a
picnic at River Side park on the 18th
day of next June, there was a gener-
al exclamation of good good
1T was the best old settlers meeting
we have ever had was frequently
heard when the crowd filed out of the
Garfield hall when the meeting closed,
and the faces Of the people told plain
er than words that they had enjoyed
the proceedings.
DOWN TO BUSINESS.
Garfield hail was well filled, all the
seats being taken, and few stood in
the space next the door. When Mr..
Wingard called the house to order
there We're on the platform with him
Fred Sewers, W. H. Newton, n. Z.
Harmon, Judge Wall, w. Is. Jewett
and Miss Dora Martin was seated at
the piano, and by her side was Miss
Jessie Tucker.
N E. Harmon was announced for the
opening prayer. When he advanced to
the front of the stage Mr.. Harmon
asked the audience to join him in
singing: My Country IT'S of Thee"
and it was sung with great effect,
after which Mr.. Harmon made a very
pathetic prayer.
Mrs. DR.. Furley was announced for
a piano solo, but not having arrived,
Judge T. 3. Wall was introduced as
the orator of the day.
Judge Wall was at his best and by
his eloquence the crowd was charmed
and there was a profound silence dur
ing the one hour that he spoke. hut
when he finished the old settlers show ed
their appreciation of his speech by
burst of continued applause.
The following is the address:
Ladies and Gentlemen-Again / glad
ly respond to your invitation to ad-
dress you on this occasion. For the old
men and gray haired matrons who
came over the hills and rolling prairies
down into the beautiful valley of tine
Arkansas and settled here, j have the
greatest veneration and respect. They
came not in Pullman palace cars, but
came in the old ways of the pioneer, in
covered wagons; which. it is said,
when they arrived they "hitched to the
stars" Winding slowly, but with de-
termination, these covered wagons
came from out the east never pausing
save for rest in the settled part Of the
state, but on and on, over the flint hills
down into the valley of the Walnut
and up and over the highlands and
then down into the rich and virgin val
ley of the Arkansas. there to found
homes and contribute TO the building
of a beautiful city and settle up" the
best part Of Kansas. With these wa
sons there came sturdy husbands.
faithful anr courageous wives, and
often on close inspection there could be
seen numerous, little ones -peeping out
beneath the protecting folds of white
which covered these wagons. In one
there was a little fair haired, blue
eyed girl: she is vet fair, but not little;
/ see her every day and call her wife.
Now. do you understand one Of the
many reasons why love the .'old set
tiers
NO DUDES THEN
''Oid settlers" did i say; a good strong
term, significant in this. that it implies
that thoes TO whom il implies were. no
weaklings nor dudes but were rugged,
hardy characters. strong physically.
mentally and in moral worth. The Pill
gfims who left the mother country and
came TO the then inhospitable shores of
New England and found a landing at
Plymouth Rock, were courageous and
brave, possessing the elements of char
acter which mark true manhood Later
the descendants of these pushed out.
crossed the Alleghaney mountains and
pitched their tents Of civilization and
with indomitable will and high born
courage Transformed the wilderness
into a veritable garden; they made
states and great cities.
Westward. and still westward. came
the pioneer descendants of a long line OF
pioneers New England sent 10 Kan
sas, but little more than a decade be-
fore those came here. who are eligible
tc this organization, 4 band OF emf
grants who bore upon their banners
I'VE 20 TO establish civil and religious
liberty in Kansas