Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-06-02
Old Settlers Day!
The First Annual Meeting
a Great Success.
A big Crowd and a Good
Time InjOyed.
YE HAPPY OLD TIMES
LIVED OVER AGAIN.

SbLC 4AooA
were in attendance at the morning
session. The association listened
with %appreciative attention to the
address Of welcome by Mayor +. w.
Small, who being one of the first
settlers of Day County, was especial
" fitted to greet his old associates of
early days. The response by Presi-
dent L. G.. Osehenreiter was filed
with incidents. both touching and
comic, of old pioneer days, and was
given in l.. G's. own delightful
style. He explained that the object
Of the organization was to compile
history for the benefit of future gen.
erations and to preserve old time
fellowship. Aside from bis friendly
jokes and "reminiscences of the past
he paid fitting tribute to the pioneers
who had lately .'passed over the
river" r. I. Warner, of Water
town, who delivered the first Fourth
of July address in Webster, was
present, and made a few remarks.
When H.. r. Pease, of Watertown,
was introduced, he was well remem-
bered by the old settlers as his sig
nature was attached to all papers of
| the old time claimants. His remarks
regarding the progress made by
residents of Day county were high
ly appreciated.
Abe Folsom, pioneer merchant and
postmaster, was introduced, and
bowed acknowledgment. He said
he had no speech to make but emily
wished to assert that the receipts of
the postofice the first year were
thirty-six cents.
The program was interspersed
with music by Harris Columbian
Orchestra and a male quartette con-
sisting of Messrs. Mcbride, Hubbard,
Smith and Ross. The selections
were received with pleasure by the
old settlers and with gratitude by
the committee. Fred Stone re-
ceived hearty applause from the old
timers for the feeling and gusto with
which he sang "The Old Sod Shanty
on the Claim"
At one o'clock the association adj
iourned to the A. O. u. w. hall
where a bounteous dinner was served
to nearly a hundred people. The
afternoon session was devoted al
most entirely to the business of the
association. Letters were read from
two men who were closely connected
with the early history of Day county,
Mr.. K. r. Ruggles of Leslie, Mimi,
and J. w. Calendar of Chicago.
Aside from expressing his pleasure
at the fol ming of such a noble or
ganization as the new society is sure
to- become, Mr.. Ruggles SEN a val
liable account of the early history of
Day County. He gave in detail the
process CT establishing the town of
Webster and how it received its
name. He also said, "you know l..
e.. Oschenreiter is a schrewd politi-
clan and scores as many victories in
Day county when he gets at it as
anybody. When he got here he
found the postoffice running under
the name of Day and the railroad
name Webster. He saw a chance to
establish a postofice under the name
of Webster, and then the Day office
would be discontinued, which, of
course, would let me out Of office.
By the help Of his friend Maj. Strait,
NJ. c., from Minnesota, he succeeded
in getting his petition fled, and
along came blanks for establishing
the new office. / got wind of the
affair in time. however, and was ad.
vised by Senator Edgerton, of Min
~nesota, to get up a petition TO change
the name of my Office to Webster.
| did SO, the change was made, and
l.. @. was beaten. That is the last
time | ever got ahead of him.
Mr.. Calendar suggested in his
letter that a committee be appointed
to write up the incidents of the
jordan expedition on its first and
second trips to Webster.
The secretary read IA report re-
viewing the work Of the association
with the recommendation that vice.
presidents be elected from each
township to assist in cleaning infor-
nation and facts regarding the
early history of the county. The
following vice-presidents were elect
ed: Webster, John Norton. Bristol,
r. Larson; Scotland, K. X. Bjerke;
Butler, w. L. Caldwell; Nor on,
Anlick: Rusk, Joseph Giblin:
Il. Larson Homer, Abraham
Folsom; Highland, Marshal Long;
Wheatland, John Faste.
The Association decided to admit,
% membership, all settlers who
residents before Jan. /, 1888.
are invited to register their
"