The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1896-07-02
OLD SETTLERS.
Shutdown and Willow Lake Settlers
Have a Picnic.

held at Pat Callaghan's grove on the
Shutdown town line last Thursday
There was an immense crowd present
throughout the entire day.
The old settlers of those two towns
have regular organization, the pres
ent officers being G. w. Whelan pres
ident, Jacob Torrents vice-president,
N. w. Cobleigh secretary and Pat
CaIlaghan treasurer. The annual
business meeting is held the Thurs
day before Thanksgiving. The asso-
citation has blue book, which is, in a
large measure, the history OF those
two towns.
Nearly all of the old settlers were
present on the occasion mentioned. A
good many of the young men, born or
raised in those townships, were pres
ent, and were given the places of hon
or SO far as the amusements of the
day we're concerned. Arrivals COM
menced as early as nine o'clock, some
of them coming from Springfield, and
they kept up continual stream until
after dinner. In the evening the
young people commenced assembling
and later danced to the health of the
sturdy old settlers.
No regular programme had been
arranged for the occasion. AS soon
as the noon hour came the crowd di-
vided into groups and INDUCED in a
basket picnic, and after dinner there
were addresses by S. j. Race, }. j,
Ray and G.. w. Whelan, the former
from Redwood Falls, the second from
Springfield and the latter president Of
the association.
Mr.. Race commenced by calling attention
to the fact that the age was one of humani-
ties. In Chicago, at the 1898 Worlds Fair,
he saw a card on large water fountain
which was merciful act on the part of man
to give fresh water to thirsty animals
These words, religious liberation, the fruit
of four centuries, don't need to say to you
what that means.
drinking fountains in all cities show that
man is becoming more merCiful. There is a
general disposition everywhere, manifestine
the softening and tenderer side of his
nature. We often hear it said that we wish
we were living in the olden times: that the
age of Abraham and of Washington and OF
Lincoln was much better than this You
don't believe that that is true. Even in
Washington's time no parks, no asylums. OF
drinking fountains were built for the con.
venience of man or beast There was nc
prison reform. There were no Y. M. c. A
buildings There were no such things built
to make better the condition of the poor
You say that this age is one of degeneracy
because the newspapers reflect the doings Of
| men and women. Newspapers. then, after
all, are looking glasses, We look therein
| and see how really bad we are. They may
| color, at times, and 1 think they do too
| much, but after all they give US the essentia
! OF what really happens
| This age, 1 believe to be better than al
and even Minnesota. is man so happy, Sc
prosperous and SO surrounded with all tha
| makes the age great. This is the age OF
| much comforting. Recently noticed the re
port of the convention that represented {
membership of eleven million children be-
tween the ages of five and fourteen years
VINO were receiving instruction in arts
sciences and moral education. In our State
of Minnesota, we have 5000 teachers in the
State schools, $50 900 in the United States
These teachers are teaching 10000 600 OF
children between the ages of five and q
years. They are teaching them, above al
things, reverence, not from any seCtariar
standpoint. however, but reverence which
comes from the observation of the pure and
delicate flower whose beauty is unfolded by
the teacher, which teaches the child the
eternal grandeur of an overruling Provi-
denCe. These teachers are teaching these
boys and girls love of father, mother, home
and country and reverence for God and the
eternal flag of this Union.
Il want to invite your special attention to-
day to the Importance of this old settlers
organization L want to ask you to organize
it more permanently. | have been told by
SOlllS Vi Lie uuOLe dSeu Ul6In De1S tndt some
of you were disinterested. The old settlers
organization of Willow Lake Shutdown and
Charlestown. and Lamberton townships
ought to be permanently organized. A
record of your meetings, monthly and
annual, ought to be kept and read and
especially the record of your annual meet
ing. The death of a brother or sister
should be recorded and should on an oc-
casion of this kind be mentioned and respect
paid to the dead. You can't afford to make
better investment than to set aside a,
least one day in the year in the beautiful
month of June for the purpose of your
annual picnic bring your wives, daughters
and other interested friends and gather to-
gether in some suitable place for the pur-
pose of looking into each others faces
gathering inspiration, hope and encourage
ment The old settlers organization should
stand for personal friendship, encourage
ment and mutual sympathy for each other =
Mr. Race requested immediate permanent
organization and advised the settlers not to
neglect their wives. He told a number OF
good stories illustrative of the latter and
they all produced laughter.
The address of Mr.. Ray was on the
ttlomont of tho M;nno,oto ro11or