Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-18
CARNIV AL
IS OPENED.
Col. w. F. Cody Formally
Opens Ottumwa Festival
sWith a Speech.
GROVE THRoNG CITY.
From 1870 E, 10000 Visitors are in
TOWN. & ng Trains are Packed
TO Overflow Trouble in Feeding
the Grove :.

aSWH-N "a n9 Trains are PdCke0
to Overflow Trouble in Feedina
the Grove
Ottumwa is today entertaining a
crowd of people variously estimated
at from $4,000 to 10000 at her street
carnival, and is having some difficulty
in feeding them, altho hereafter better
arrangements for their care will be
made. The crowd is orderly, and is
composed of people from towns within
seventy-five miles of this place, to-
gether with a large number of farm
ers who are not only enjoying the at
fractions on the streets, but are pay
ing visits to the exhibit of farm pro-
ducts at carnival headquarters on
Main street, as we'll But few calls
have been made on the police to quell
disturbances or take offenders into
custody.
Carnival Formally Opened.
The Ottumwa carnival was formerly
opened this morning at 10 o'clock, by
an address by Colonel w. T. Cody.
1t is estimated that 10000 people
were assembled on Main street and
the principal cross thorofares to wit
mes the event and the attendant pa
rade of the Wild West show which
followed Immediately afterward. Col.
Cody has been visiting Ottumwa for
q number of years, but the reception
accorded him on this occasion was far
grander than any preceding visit
The great wild west show which has
always been recognized as leader in
this class Of entertainment, is even
better this year than it has ever been.
The increased business wherever the
show has been, is proof of the asser.
tion.
Gave Him the Keys.
The exercises attendant upon the
opening of the street carnival were
conducted from the reviewing stand
at the corner of Main and Court
street. The parade of the wild west
show started from the grounds in the
East End at 10 o'clock. Col. Cody
was driven ahead of the column in his
private trap to the reviewing stand.
There he was met by Mayor T. j..
Phillips, the officers of the carnival
association and Ottumwa lodge No.
BAT, Benevolent Protective Order of
Elks, and the Wapello Chief band.
AS the Colonel stepped upon the plat
form mighty cheer went up from the
throng of people in the streets. May
or Phillips stepped to the front, and
in a few words presented the guest
of honor to the assembled throng.
closing his remarks by extending ev-
cry privilege to the Colonel and pre-
senting to him in behalf of the carni.
val association a large boquet OF
flowers.
Colonel cody's Address.
Colonel Cody, fully appreciating the
honor and mark of respect conferred
upon him, thanked the donors for the
token of respect and during his ad-
dress which followed said:
"Mr. Mayor, Officers of the Carnival
Association, Ladies and Gentlemen:-
l have ever been proud to own Iowa
as my native state. Proud of it's prog
cinnn a
it's then broad plains with my father
and mother in prairie schooners, from
Scott, my native county, westward to
and across the Missouri river, early in
the fifties, seeking home in the ter
ritory of Kansas. There during the
troublesome times preceding the war
of the rebellion my father gave his life
to the cause of human freedom and
liberty which he had imbibed in the
atmosphere of this beautiful state
which he had helped to make free
white state.
Il am proud of Iowa, because, while
it bordered on the line of slavery it
set it's face firmly for freedom, proud
that one of its pioneer judges decreed
that when human slave set his foot
on Iowa soil he was at once free
man. am proud that Iowa was once
the home of such aborigines as Black
hawk, Wapello and Keokuk, and that
the memory of each of these Red men
has been honored by city or coun-
ty being named for them.
am proud that Iowa had such men
as Carpenter and Duncan to stana be-
tween civilization and savagry; proud
that it has ever stood in the front
rank of education and Industrial prog
ress, for free speech, free schools, and
for the fullest liberty for the press
and for the people during the civil
war.
During the civil war; / was proud
when Iowa sent to the front more sol
diers per capita to defend the Union,
and uphold old Glory, than any other
state, and produced such soldiers as
General Dodge; such statesmen as Al.