The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-09-01
A TRUE PEN PICTURE.
OLD SETTLERS MEETING AS VIEWED BY
AN OLD SETTLER.
WE'LL KNOWN PEOPLE PRESENT
z. G. simmons Gift and How it was Sc
cured.-The Best Picnic in the
History of the Associa-
tiOn.

j
er was the finest that could be mag
ined. The earliest dawn of Thursday
was prophetic of lovely day. The
fierce heat of the sun was moderated
by the clouds. The sun took few
thousand acres of beautiful pearl
tinted clouds. and hung them about
his face, and half concealed his rays as
our fair ladies do piece of delicate
yelling about their beautiful faces.
The event called out a larger gather
ing of people than ever occurred before
in the history of the club. A railway
coach full Of guests came from the city
of Racine, and hundreds came with
their own cOnYeyances from different
parts of Racine county. The number
of horses and vehicles gathered there
was striking and surprising. There
was more than would cover a forty
acre lot. Never before was there so
much of the beauty and chivalry of
Kenosha county gathered together in
one place.
The pioneers of KenOsha county are
being lessened in number year by year
as the angel of death is calling them
home. But their descendants, born in
pioneer days, and who are being
crowned with gray heads, are numerous
and TO the front. Fewer of the early
settlers have passed away the current
year since the last annual reunion,
than during any year for the last de-
cade. Several interesting characters
among the pioneers were able to be
present and enjoyed greatly the event
Among them were Mr.. and Mrs. Cur
din Gillett, of KenOsha, both of whom
have entered their eighty eighth year.
They are bearing mp well under the
inevitable infrmities of old age, and
their native courage, which served
them so well in pioneer days, still
serves and sustains them. May they
live TO enjoy more annual reunions of
the old settlers. Mrs. j. Fl. Kimball
and Mrs. 0. S. Newell, of Kenosha;
Mrs. Mary Curtis, of Salem, and Mrs.
81. Kingman, of Bristol, staunch friends
of the Old Settlers club, encouraged US
by their presence as usual. Mr.. Lath-
rop Burgess, of Salem, ninety three
years old the 3lSt day of this present
August, was present, taking his share
of enjoyment. His looks are fully
twenty years younger than his age.
He would usually be taken for a man
of seventy years. F. W. Lyman, Geo.
D. Head and Ralph Sutherland were
familiar figures, representing the early
business men OF Kenosha, who have
always stood by the interests of Keno
sha county and promoted it's prosper
| ity with the utmost courage and fidel-
| ity. Liberty Fisk, of Burlington, one
Of the pioneers, owns paid-up share
of the Old Settlers club, and never
fails to attend our annual reunions.
He is over eighty years old. Alex.
Bailey and Bradley Stocker are famil-
lar figures and are always present and
have a deal of work to do on the
picnic day and a weight of re-
sponsibility rests upon them, and
they take their enjoyment working
and doing for others. Though past
seventy, they are comparatively young
looking men. Ashbel Upso1, another
familiar figure, easily goes back in
memory to the time when the piece Of
woods east of Salmon Upson's old
homestead, the trees of which are now
so to 60 feet high, were only slips Of
grubs then that he could easily drive
over with yoke of cattle ana the old
Connecticut cart brought to Wisconsin
in 1887, and still i'll perfect condition.
Mr.. z. G.. Simmons, in pioneer days q
very young settler, and now an old one,
came out to see how the Improvements
on the grounds progressed and enjoy
the great crowd and the picnic. Five
days before the picnic he said to the
Secretary: eff you will get a good new
roof on the dining hall before the picnic
I will give $100." 1t would take too
long to describe the work which had to
be done before the new roof could be
commenced. 1t sufices to say that a
good new roof was completed on the
Wednesday noon before the picnic.
The music by the Rawson family
cornet band was enjoyed by all. The
singing of the old songs by the large
volunteer choir was an interesting
feature and received many commenda-
tions. Mrs. Henry Tourtellotte and
Miss Bacon accompanied the singing
with their violins, and another Miss
Bacon played an accompaniment on a
Kimball piano, kindly furnished free
for the occasion by John McKune, of
Kenosha.
Rev. l. w. Corey of Kenosha, gave
the annual address, and it was a very
able and interesting effort and received
the warmest Communications and the
speaker many congratulations. One
of she most interesting points of the ad-
dress was the discussion of the respon-
sibilities the United States had assum