The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-10-20
The Banquet Served.


The Banquet Served.
Notwithstanding the late arrival of
the train and the fact that the receipt
ion At the opera house had been post
poned it was decided to give the ban
quet to tie so!diers, although the hour
was very late. The soldiers were
taken At once to The Mitchell, fol-
lowed by . large crowd of friends,
whore some of the relatives of the
soldiers we're In waiting to greet them.
Owing to tho lateness of tho hour no
formalities wore indulged in and no
speeches we're made, these being re-
served for the reception. The soldiers
and relatives were seated at tho tables,
tho families and relatives being kept
together as near ~ possible. The
crowd hung around tho windows and
was content to stand in the drizzling
rain to get chance to see the soldiers.
The entrance doors to the dining room
we're blocked by the crowd as far back
as the eye could reach a portion Of the
dining room. While the feast was
going on Rathbun's orchestra played
number of selections, among them
being the "First South Dakota Regi-
ment Twostep," composed by the band
master of the regiment, and the music
brought back the scenes they had left
behind. The boys eat heartily, not
withstanding the banquets they had
been rendered during the day and gave
fragmentary bits of information of the
scenes they gone through with, re-
serving detailed history until they
were gathered around the freside at
home. Most of the boys wers members
of the high school and those who
served the refreshments were selected
from among their former schoolmates,
and the young ladies and gentlemen
felt themselves highly honored to wait
on their soldier friends. Despite the
late hour the scene was an animated
one.
The immense dining room OF The
Mitchell was transformed into beau
tiful patriotic scene. The ladies who
had charge of the decorating certainly
did themselves proud in the way of
tasty arrangements and beautiful of
fects. Bunting and flags were every
where, hung in festoons and draped
artistically. The tables we're rich in
their appearance. There were eight
tables spread for the banquet and the
decorations were appropriate to the oc.
casion. A handsome bouquet of cut
flowers graced each table and on each
individual plate had been placed little
boat, folded from the napkins, which
covered a biscuit, and this was sur
mounted with small flag, on which
was printed a welcome to the soldiers
These were retained by the guests al
souvenirs. Plates were laid for 81
guests and there wereEat least Is in at
tendance. The menu served was I,
splendid one and nearly everything
that would tempt the appetite of ,
soldier was placed before them IN
> quantity sufficient to appease the larg
D est appetite imaginable. The follow
!. ing soldiers and their relatives sa
8 down to the banquet: Major r. c
t Warne, Sergeant Henry Tunis, Fre
Q Tobin, Chas. Rub, Eugene William,
: Roy Perry, Frank T. McLsin, Thos. 3
r Briggs, Frank Sayles, Sam Howe, ia
. Parsons, Jos. Vermilyea and Jac
r Tobin. There were also few of tn
r Plankinton boys who mo on the sam
. train and they were invited to atten
II the banquet with their comrades.
Among the missing were Jay Smith
g who died of disease last Novembe an
g the Homecoming of the boys withol
y him was sad affair for the relative
10 Mrs. Hazleton and large number
n friends from Tobin township were di
IL appointed in the non-arrival of Fred {
n Hazleton. TIE folks came in early
Is the day to greet the young man and h
ss mother had been in town for thre
days awaiting his arrival. 1t was n,
IL known until the train arrived that tt
ID young man had decided to remain
at San Francisco for an indefinite tin
le and his absence was great disappoin
f. ment to them. Patrick Nancy, wi
g. expected to come to Mitchell with Il
as boys, was taken sick on the road hon
IN with typhoid fever and was remov,
r. from the train at Spencer and some
as Continued on Page Twelve.