Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-07-29
The 5Oth Anniversary.


For several weeks the P. e. clubs plan
ned for the 50th anniversary of the cause
July 10th the local club of Cresco accep.
ted one of the gracious offers, SO FREE
quently proffered by the host and hos
tess, OF Oak Lodge and decided upon a
"two.story picnic" the first floor ply
steal feast, and the second mental feast.
1t proved to be Ia. story picnic for gem
uine enjoyment, enlightenment, hospital
ity and improvement socially, mentally
and morally.
The suffrage canse has risen above the
clouds and miasma of doubts and breads
and death, and is marching in advance
of the human column instead of weakly
and lamely poking around the corner
and creeping along in the rear. Even
the weather man accepts the inevitable
upward move the cause has taken and
graciously wedges the levers and signals
a notch or two and left off tho intense
heat and suffocating dust battles and be-
gan the day before to predare for us the
most perfect day and delightful roads.
Early morning, with Its freshness, songs
of birds, the glisten of glossy leaves, the
chirp of humble insects and perfume of
grains and flowers, found thankful,
prosperous people.
1t may have been designated strong
minded company that SO blithly and
earnestly wendell their way by river,
grove and field. 1t was happy one; a
a sensible, hopeful, thankful happiness,
a happiness that was the result of mature
consideration of the joys and the trials
of this life; calm contemplation of the
steady advancement of the human family
and constant, determined progress of hui
mainly; the devout thankfuldess of wo
men who appreciate the blessings of our
time and the trials and denlals of those
who, living away down the line, made
possible the privileges we now enjoy. A
grand thankfulness and appreciation
sent down the long list of years to the
grand danes, great and great great grand
danes and sires, who by word and deed,
balzed the trees and hewed the timber
for the substantial roadways and pavil.
ions on which the present generation
Of women travel and are banqueted.
The tables were monumental refruta
lions of the long expounded assertion,
"StroDg minded women amt no cooke.'
Well, it would take strong minded man,
with great practical self denial, to have
refrained from tarrying long by the side
thereof.
One fact is clearly demonstrated that
the club does not annihilate the cook
element from its members. After din.
ner the program was taken up with as
much gust as had the dinner been
partaken of. Miss Whitney lead the
singing, and the good old tunes. "Am-
erica and "Nearer my God to Thee"
took on new and holier meaning to the
women beneath the shadows of Gods
trees growing in our America. 1t was
not throat singing, but hearts to the God
above. Mrs. Moon presided in her hap
py aud prompt manner, and kept the
programs smoothly moving along. A
lengthy paper by Mrs. Henry seemed al
together too short, as we listened to the
facts of achievements and attachments of
our sisters all over our America within
the past fifty years, and we could but
wonder how the thoughtful mother, busy
house wife and temperance president
found time to CLEAN SO many and valuable
facts and compile them in SO pleasing a
manner. All, but they are not the idlers
of our busy world who join the P. e.
club, but the busy, thinking, doing wo-
men.
Mrs. Booth surprised the audience (and
perhaps herself) by the breezy remarks
upon the subject given her. she took US
all back to the good old bible days,
showing how the ideas of then do not
differ much from now, and how the
grandeur of woman was acknowledged
then and respected, while the disdan Of
vain men was equal to the same of our
own day.
Owing to some members being absent
from the state, our president very
thoughtfully prepared paper, Every
day mathematics 1t was beautiful and
profitable, showing culture thought, and
a practical application of both. Such
papers lift the workers from the ruts of
every day life and then teach him to ap.
ply it and learn to smooth many hard
places there. Miss Whitney was some-
what coy about her receipt for making,
but her toast was crisp, tender and deli