Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-07-15
A FEW PATRIOTIC SOULS.
The Ninth Annual Celebration of the
Fourth Down on the AuIvasse-
Speech by Butler Guthrie.
From the Galloway Gazette.

oA IN &AA0 SS5oS 49, w
tween the railroad bridge and CaIwood
is a beautiful valley at the mouth of a
ravine. A delightful grove of trees
with a beautiful grass lawn and a fine
bathing place makes it a very desira-
BILE place for q barbecue. The scenery
is impressive and the thfc K foliage of
the large naples, burr oaks and syca-
more make an arbor a useless thing.
This is the same ground on which, in
early days, the Usage Indians roasted
muscles and burr oak acorn and plan
ned their hunting excursions after the
elk and buffalo. Many Indian f1ints and
muscle shells r yet to be found in
the vicinity. 1t is near this place
that the old hunting camp of Daniel
Boone is located, and this was the
favorite camp and bathing place of
those old pioneers, among whom were
the Boones, Callaways, sallees and
Vanbibbers.
This historic cove had been selected
as an appropriate place by about forty
congenial spirits to thecelebrate, in
most impressive manner, the greatest
day in this country's history. 1t is
here that those patriots have been
holding barbecues for the past eight
years. 1t is here that the ninth annual
celebration was held last Saturday.
No ladies nor children ever attend
only full grown men and three colored
caterers with not over fifty guests are
ever permitted to be present. Every
thing is free. There are stands for
lemonade, soda, ice water, etc., but nc
man is allowed under airy circum-
stances to pay for anything.
Col. WY. Palmer always has charge
of the cuisine, and on this occasion he
had six of the finest South Down
lambs in the neighborhood barhecued
to a finish with French coffee, fine
clover honey, frozen butter, rye and
wheat bread. The entire bottom was
most luxuriously scented with roasted
mutton.
The meeting a called to order
about II O'Clock and after the crowd
had been watered and Iemonaded by
Ed. Green and Harry Branham, the
caterers, Ed. Buckner, OF Auxvasse,
read the Declaration of Independence
in a very impressive manner, after
which Col. J. Sam Watson introduced
George Hardin to the audience. From
a white oak stump under the umbrag-
eous branches of the shade of the sugar
naples, MI. Hardin made the welkin
ring. He called on Mr.. Sam Paisley, a
patriot of nearly 80 years, to bear wit
ness to the fact of the great and rapid
strides that have been made in this
country in all that it takes to increase
human comfort and happiness. He
cited his enthusiastic hearers to the
time when we rel only thirteen weak
and pitiful colonies, struggling for
something to eat and religious and civil
liberty-when the bear, ella, buffalo and
Usage Indian roamed on the ground
where he stood surrounded by spring
wagons and the scent of roast mutton.
"The change, nsaid he, twas enough to
make a man dizzy. What would an
Usage Indian do if he had smelled THE
mutton cooking? Fellow patriots, he
would have forever more went back on
his muscle shell and polecat diet. We
now enjoy comforts and privileges
never dreamed of in the days of the
Boones and the Vanbibbers."
Col. Hardin closed with an eloquent
appeal to all to stand by the old flag
and predicted that 1t would soon float
over Hawaii, Cuba, Mexico and Gem
trail America.
Col. Martin Butler Guthrie, OF Mex
leo, Mo-, followed Col. Hardin with one
of the finest addresses your reporter
sver had the pleasure of hearing on
modern improvements in farming and
stock raising and closed by contrasting
this country with the European Gov
ernments and demonstrating the fact
that we were the greatest nation and
people on earth and should be the
happiest. He closed his remarks amid
great applause. Col. W. Y. Palmer
announced the fact that dinner was
ready and the meeting was closed by
singing "Nearer My God to Thee" led
by Col. John Terrell and Col. Mason
Wise. After one hour ard a half spent
in discussing the barbecued lambs, fine
coffee, honey, butter, various ices,