Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-10-04
Democratic Nominee For Con-
gross Speaks in Davis
County.
COON HUNT Projected.
ottumwa Attorney Talks to Mingled
Crowd of Democrats and Popuists-
Some of the Arguments Set Forth
in His Speech.

A. G. Steck, the democratic nominee
for congress, spoke at Bunch last Sat
urday evening to an audience of prob
ably $50 people. Bunch, it should be
known, is the name the postoffice de-
partment has given a little hamlet
which railroad people call Paris. 1t
has four stores and as many resi-
dences, and is situated on the line of
the Rock Island railroad, in the west
ern portion of Davis county, in Fox
township, and has a population Of
about seventy-ive persons. The prin-
cipal industry is grinding corn meal
and the principal diversion is hunting
coons and foxes with a pack of
hounds.
Speaking of hounds, the residents of
Bunch and vicinity had heard that Mr..
Steck was a great hunter, and before
his arrival determined to have coon
hunt at the close of his address. Mr..
Steck had been asked to bring his
bunch of dogs and participate in the
chase, and it was confidently thought
that he would accede to the request.
Accordingly the word had gone out
that Steck and his dogs would be
there. 1t was quietly whispered that
'Doug's" hounds could outrun Steck's
and that the city man would suffer
| wild dafaat in tl,a oboea
/ About 5 o'clock in the evening Mr..
Steck arrived from Bloomfield in COM
pany with Crawford F. Davis, editor
of the Bloomfield Farmer, populist
paper. which, by the way, runs Mr..
Steck's name on the editorial page as
the populist nominee for congress. Mr.
Davis knew everybody in Bunch and
vicinity and began to introduce Mr..
Steck to the residents. About o'clock
the farmers begun to come in, many
OF them with a hound tied to the rear
axle of the buggy, until there were
about forty dogs ready to scent a coon
or run a fox. Mr.. Steck was asked
! why he did not bring his dogs with
him and said that he was not aware
that it was so intended. The people
were much disappointed, but Mr.. Dav-
is confidently asserted that Mr.. Steck
should come back before the close of
the campaign with his hounds and a
chase would be organized.
/ At o'clock the new township hall,
which is 80 by Is feet in dimension,
was filled with people, numbering
about $50, number of whom were re-
publicans. Among the latter was an
earnest seeker after information whom
his friends and neighbors Familiarity
called Mark and whose last name is
Box. Mr.. Box frequently asked the
speakers permission to ask questions
but was finally shut off by the speaker,
/ perhaps because they were too much
to the point, but it was done under the
plea that it took too much time.
A large part of Mr. Steck's time was
a good fellow he is and how close his
relations are to the common people.
MOST of the remainder of his time was
taken up by reading extracts from
newspapers and democratic campaign
literature in an attempt to prove his
assertions and in defending Democrat
ic policy. He was followed by MIR. Da-
Wis who made the rankest kind OF
populistic speech, in the course OF
which he took occasion to unmerciful-
ly roast" Mr.. Box for presuming to
ask pointed questions. Crawford"
as he is Familiarity called, is a rank
free silver, government ownership, an
ti-eXpansion man and his views were
tacitly concurred in by Mr.. Steck who
sat by and listened to statements that
would make old line democrats furi-
Gus. 1t was populist love feast with
Mr.. Steck as the center of attraction
.. and with Crawford Davis as a side is
sue to help the work along.
A. c. Steck.
After arranging his manuscripts and
documents upon the table, including a
number of newspapers, paragraphs of
which were marked by Crawford Day.
is, Mr.. Steck's populist friend and ally,
the speaker began:
Ladies and gentlemen: This is the
!. first time that have had the pleasure
of meeting the people of this township
, at this place, and assure you that it
affords me no little pleasure. / am
-. Continued on page III