The Oskaloosa herald., 1901-03-28
A Remembrance of Mahaska Co.

A Remembrance of Mahaska Co.
Away back in the fifties / was res
ident of the Dutch hamlet of Pella.
Word was brought to us that huge
Methodist camp meeting was in pro-
gress near Peoria, Mahaska county.
Now if there was anything that fes-
tive young man had hankering after
it was genuine old-fashioned, double
distilled, Atwood and a-yard-wide,
Methodist camp meeting. And SO
Geo. A. Moser and myself secured the
company of two of Pella's fairest
daughters, Miss Media Crisp and Miss
Katie Woods. But to get rig to go
in was the question. There was no
livery stable, and so far as / can rec
ollect only one carriage in the city,
and that was owned by Rev. FL. p.
Scholte. But to get it vast the ques-
ton. But by good deal of persuas-
ion and with P. H. r. as mediator,
we succeeded and all hied away for
the camp meeting grounds.
We crossed the classic Skunk at
Warren's mills. AS near as can re-
member the camp ground was in a
grove south or east of the town of
Peoria. When we arrived the exer-
cises were in full blast. After tether-
ing our horses out to couple of sap
lings we were unable to secure seats
except with the "Bull PEN" With
much gallantry and flourish we
showed our girls to seats and took
our places beside them. Just right
there and then we 'put our foot in
it," For up rose some dignitary in
the preachers stand and said :"Them
two young chaps will git out o. thar
and go over thar and sit with the
men," We got, and don't you forget
it!
The sermon was loud, the singing
louder, and the shouting louder still,
until at last it seemed to die out from
sheer exhaustion. Then some man
rose up, II think he was what they
called an "extortioner'') and an
nounced that we would'now adjourn
for two hours for dinner" Now we
were in a fix. We had brought nary
basket of grub, nor did we know a
single soul on the ground of whom we
could sponge hind quarter of chick
en- or piece of pumpkin pie.
Upon inquiry we learned there was
hotel up in the city, SO we wendell
our way thither. We hunted up the
landlord and asked him how it was
about some dinner. "Wall ,''said he,
there is heap of things around the
house to eat if it was cooked. But
the old woman got mad this morning
and put off somewhere, and there is
nobody to cook" We told him that
we had couple of good cooks aboard
and if he would allow it, they would
get dinner. GAN right" he said;
there are dressed chickens and pies
and cakes, &c, in the cellar, so sail
in And they sailed! Two other
couples came in by this time and the
girls were induced to join in prepar-
ing dinner. How those four girls did
make things hum We (the young
men) acted as landlord, clerk, por-
ter, &c.
Before the meal was prepared the |
hotel was full of guests. We politely
told them that dinner was in the |
course of preparation and would be !
ready to serve in due time. We were
very careful to keep the dining room
door locked. When the dinner was
ready the girls were to give a certain
signal. l might add here that plates
we're laid for eight. When they gave
US the signal we went around to a side
door into the dining room and we
eight took our seats at the table. The
landlord unlocked the door and an
nounced dinner, but be said the table
was full and that he" had inaugurated
a new style. The cooks and employees
eat first" If l recollect correctly
there was a kind of birthstone smell
around tina. hotel for awhile. When
We had finished dinner we asked the
landlord for our bill. He said "Nary
a red, for the joke is too good; and if
you ever come this way again the
freedom of the house is yours"
We spent the afternoon at the camp
ground listening to preaching, the
singing, the warbling of the birds
among the trees, and watching the
passing of the country boys and girls
as they promenaded by, hand in hand.
In the dusky eve we started home
ward. AS we drove across the beau
tiful prairies of Proud Mahaska, we
wondered if there really was any
pleasure to a one-armed man driving
home from camp meeting in the beau
tiful moonlight with handsome Iowa
girl by his side. The Lord preserve
US from such misfortune.
E. H. VOORHEES,,
Garnett, Kansas.