The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1901-08-12
LOUDOUN BUSH MEETING.
Close Of Unique Summer Gather
ing in Virginia.
Country ToIIS From Far and Near
Attend the Annual OutinE-Ora-
tory and singing the Features.
Temperance "A Leading Tonic


Attend the Annual OutinE-Ora-
tory and singing the Features.
Temperance Leading Topic
PTRCELLVILLE. Va. Aug. I2-The
tweuty-fourth annual bush meeting has
just come To- a triumphant close There
is only one bush meeting in all the world,
so far as known. and that one is OF an
nu3l occurrence near this village II is
held iu a grove that is perfumed with the
scent of honey bees and cooled by the
breezes that sweep down from the crest
of the Blue Ridge Mountains that circle
the beautiful LOUdOun Valley i'm a horse
shoe In this region 81 IS assumed that
everybody knows what the bush meeting
is. Therefore. the casual visitor encoun-
tiers great difficulty ia trying to learn its
meaning 't
The bush meetin - rhe native replies
when asked about II, why, stranger,
where were you raised and how long have
you been in Loudotn?"l
The result Of this Unsatisfactory line Of
enquiry is hat the stranger goes 10 the
bush meeting To learn wflat IT is and why
it is. And then the stranger must att
tend the 'meeun' - every one Of the six
days Of its duration ii' order to obtain
anything like a satisfying understanding
Of its character and scope The bush
meeting is not a camp meeting. Neither
is it county fair. Still. It embo3Iss the
most interesting features of both OF these
traditional and favorite forms of huc1Uc
entertainment Perhaps this negative def
iniuau gives some idea to the Initiated
of what the bush meeting is Ii is 10 the
mountain folk IF Virginia what ocean
Grove is 10 the Methodist militant and
what the Westchester County Fair is 10
the city farmers Of New York. with the
exception, in the latter case, that fat
sh0ats and high stepping horses are not
on exhibition at the bush meeting Ii is
held every year at the same time and
there has been virtually no change of pro-
Eramme since the first meeting. twenty
four years ago. II starts as temperance
OF prohibition meeting. and ends in reIi-
glous enthusiasm.
Until few months ago there had not
been saloon in LoudoUn county for
many yoars-due. IT is asserted 10 the
bush mtetiug-and now there are only
three saloons in the county. and they
are IN lie sbUrg, fifteen miles away from
DiuOn's Grove, the birthplace and per
mauent abode OF the bush meetfag. The
grove derives its name from its former
son II the "ould sod" long ago has been
outrun by the imperishabIe glory that is
attached 10 his name as the father Of the
bush meeting. The mantle Of Dillon now
rests upon Daniel Hoge. and right worth
lily does he wear the houors of the dead
founder, according 10 the testimony Of
his admirers in the vicinage. Founder
Dillon charged . cents admission 10 the
bush meeting. Daniel Hoge has raised
the price 10 10 cents. and. though the
complaint is universal that times are
mighty hard and that farmers are get
ting nothing for their crops that histor-
ian would bear false witness who would
say that one word OF criticism was passed
upon Daniel HOge for doubling the orig
mai price OF admission to the bush meet
ing. That the increase meets popular ap-
proval is demonstrated 10y the fact that
the attendance this year was larger than
ever before The money taken iu al the
GATES is expended for the deIectation OF
the crowds During the four DAYS of the
tenn. .laGcr meeting the expenses must b,.
nearly ass heavy as those of the average
summer theatre in the cities. because the
l-Ia-5t priced temperance lecturers in the
country. headed by Col. George W Balm.
ID. SHY Ur-igueu orator Of Kentucky DO
L"-- l"Tlh upon tho platform. The tenn
H.raure speeches are iutersperSed with
VILE sn.r~- the %. rfoFIuers being brought
from the cities for This purpose.
- 'H the Two religious lsT Saturday and
sumo tA- expenses axe not So heavy.
aS tn vaudeville features are cUt 01Ir
and only The perip4t,tic' evangelist and
-'- IE.ieSsi'Eal 4uartette receive pay. Lo-
81. '-H'i -rLs, both ~ the regular and
inDr"ErfI kind. T-Tl.r abundant 4fE q.
yle r...r eaii-t, and hautzer the guar.lfta
~ Professionals starts one al the ancient
hymns The WASH CroUIsT take up the -s-
. ~ rH. |r.fTrH
down tlt Apu=larLial Rang
L.N. tl. people the costumes. quaint
. -i.N ana way. are the really interest
--+ feature ~ the hnsn meeting FOR the
most part. they are of Lue soil They sr..
..t.- sons ana daughters Of 1Iu-'...- raid
-r- DO WAS iu Louao-l county tH9t fhar
'"Ll-o rate leader r. GRATED MS faithful
and intrepid host. Hundreds OF rhez, for
-.4L -at--lssll~. now old and bent and
grey st.l. i've lu the surrounding noun
Jams ana foothills, and most OF them
manage 90 attend tho bush meeting one or
iW' days and fight their battles over
"HeIo. there. Jsss,- is the most com
mon FORM OF greeting among friends who
haven met since the last bush meeting
DO your lA down that eTwGy tDuiur-
ias'- but } didn't know whether Won had
come ia il or haI lent il out
liE is The bush meeting generic f.r
..t -... Is .1p shapes OF convtysuc.S Be
II ID .... IEnan1, Victoria. Side50ard bug
81. E-'i-- wagon. blackboard. farm wag-
ODD "T what NOT. lt becomes "a elk" I'm m.
EeFHacllar Of L'uLouu when su1k,r Of i'm
the abstract Fence -.KEEaf Li,I 80 =. .--
was Be- iut' has q radically dinersrt zie-
d. '- tN. -sH-d"un Valley from that
lA winch the term is used in any other
'Ll "l ia" COUNTRY particularly in am
lHHse h,llEEt.I parts where There have
been no bush meetings M which Tho a.
an Ids. ..r..,...r... r+ --i'H "i~Ain aH inch
.Euurhing baskets" means that two or
il.Er families pool issues at the dinner
h"HT ana eat together And such AN a~-