The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-07-23
Actions GLORIOUS SHADE
WHERE RUSTLING TREE Tors AND
COOLING BREEZES PREVAIL.
Busy Day at the "Chautauqua- of
the INSTRUMENTATION Holds
Business Session.

A stiff breeze and rustling treetops,
warm sun and hazy sky-these We're the
things that Acton people reveled in yester-
day. The park never appeared to better
advantage nor life in summer woods more
enticing. The hotel was full of guests and
the grounds indicated a fair attendance
of visitors.
During the day several photographers
circulated among the cottagers and
cured a number of interesting groups, one
galaxy of beauty thus reduced to card
board being the dozen or more Shelbyville
bellies at the Dew-drop Inn. a tavern that
is more popular with some of the young
people than Mr. Gipe's hostelry can ever
hope to be. Another interesting group was
made by the w. C. T. u. Iadies-some fifty
OF them banked in rows beneath an over
hanging maple. What with the ladies get
ting their pictures took" and the boys
going swimming to Rockaway beach, which
is reached via q lane named in honor of
Coxey, the day passed off pleasantly
enough without a thing to mar it's beauty.
In the way of meetings there were a
number, but this is to be taken as a mat
ter Of course. Acton camp meeting grounds
Is now called by the railroad circulars 1.-The
Chautauqua Of the West" and a Chautau-
qua without meetings would be utterly in
conceivable. The days meetings began
with the regular children's praise service
led by Mrs. Ida V. Steeg, then came the
w. c. t. L. superintendent meeting the
gold medal oratorical contest, the camp
meeting associations annual meeting and
finally the matrons oratorcal contest OF
all these meetings the most important to
the cottagers was the association meeting
1t began in the middle of the afternoon
and lasted until supper time and was in
teresting to everyone interested in the fu-
ture welfare Of Acton. 1t decided to expend
a moderate sum on improvements-about
$1,00O-but it did not reach this conclusion
until several ladies impressed the urgent
need of Improvements upon the managers
OF the camp and forced immediate action.
Dr. j. w. Dashiell, president of the as
Soclaton, called the meeting to order. A
large attendance of cottagers were present,
ana all the officials. Secretary c. w. Gadd
read the minutes of the May meeting, dis
closing the fact that the association had
paid off 500 of its large Indebtedness. This
was the first payment made in years on the
principal of the debt which is some
tnlng over $4,000. A committee, consisting
OF Messrs. Gadd, Roberts and Wright made
a report on improvements, recommending
the sinking of an artesian well that would
furnish 1900 or 5000 gallons of water an
hour, the purchase of a gasoline engine to
pump the water to fill the bed of the lake
anu tLO pC4ulllS VI d QdlIs suitable bridges
these various improvements would cost
about $1,000, and il order to raise he money
1t was turther recommended that
sessment of s. against each tent owner be
made. After protracted debate, in which
the officials generally favored slow and
cautious action and the women immediate
action the committees recommendations
We're adopted and the trustees directed to
carry them out Mrs. McKeen in the course
of the debate said that something had to
be done or Acton was gone" Mrs. Dunn,
OF Shelbyvile declared that the time had
passed TO 90 nothing but talk that Acton
had the name OF being an old foggy place
and that as she loved the place she wanted
it's past prestige retrieved Mrs Ida v
Steeg considered the improvements as alb
solutely essential, saying that many people
refused to come TO the park now because
Roberts suggested that the proposed lake
might generate mosquitoes and frogs, but
he nevertheless stood for the Improvement.
1t Is intended to have the improvements
made by next season. and it is thought that
when the railroad company and others see
that something is actually going to be done
they will come to the associations assist
ance. Secretary Gadd during the discussion
took occasion to speak a word for the Big
Four Railroad. He said the company was
treating the association pretty near right.
No other camp meeting in the State or else
where" he declared, obtains the favors
from railroad company that Acton does.
The company was treated most Shamefully
by the tenters and association last year
in the matter of passes and if it has now
sought to restrict the abuse it was only
Justice" Mr. Gadd also turned his atten-
ton 10 the Methodist ministers, saying that
many of them were hostile to the camp
meeting because it interferred with their
congregations. He thought that they
needed some attention.
The new officers elected for the ensuing
year were: President, ]. w. Dashiell,
Greensburg; vice president d. A Robert
son, Southport; secretary, G. w. Gaad, In
dianapolis; treasurer, George Hodell, Shell
byvlle; new members of the board of trus-
tees, John T. F. Steeg, Indianapolis, and
I'll, A l,oIh vrxyillr Nl,o
ton adjourned subject to the call of the
The w. c. II. U. work of the day began
with praise service in the morning led
by Mrs. Matte O. Cammack, of Marion.
Then followed addresses by various state
superintendent of the different lines of
work of the society. Miss Mary Hadley, of
Bloomingdale spoke on Schools of Meth
DDS meaning thereby the different meth
accomplish its reform missions The dis
cussion lasted half hour and was very
interesting Mrs. Addah w. White of Ok
ford, spoke on Scientific Temperance In
struction," in which she proposed methods
of rousing the public school teachers to a
full compliance with the law recurring oral
instruction on the subject Of liquor drink
ing Household Economies was the title
of paper by Mary Moody. of indianapolis,
covering that field of w. c. #. u. work
which seeks to teach the effects of good
food, sensible dress and proper ventilation
Three young men. each of whom wore
silver badge, won in former contests, COM
peted in the afternoon Tor the gOlu Iueudl
offered by the assembly union James
Gipe, the son of G. NJ. Gipe. who has the
hotel, was the successful orator. His sub
ject was the World on Fire" Among
other things he said that the enormity ia
tality and power Of the drink curse was
appalling, but what was still more Won
derful was the apathy, deafness and spirit
ual Indifference of the church to TIE infa-
nous traffic. Robert Tomlinson, whose sub
iect was THE Boys of America wass adj
judged second place. lie made strong
plea for the Prohibition party. Carl Cam
mack was given third place; His subject
was "A Vivid illustration" which consisted
in comparing the liquor curse to boa
constructor. which, after being exhibited
twenty-five years, finally brushes its keep
err Baby Squire, of Martnsville. d little
marvel in white, recited several long poems
with perfect grace and abandon. She was
rightly denominated in the programme as
a prodigy. Her mother, Mrs. Ada L. Squire,
also reclted
In the evening a matrons' contest was
had in which Mrs. Ella b. Wright. Of
Greensburg; Mrs. Matte o.. Cammack, of
Marion: Mrs. Cora Frejs, of Indianapolis
Mrs. Hattie Morrison. Of West Indianapolis;
Mrs. w. o. 3. Cook and Mrs. Rebecca Hes
sing of Broad Ripple participated.