Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-24

NE was interrupted by a voice from
the audience which said, "They would
get tired of dividing pretty soon
Yes, said Mr.. Work, 81 suspect that
they would soon run from the island
like rats from sinking Ship
To Lighter Vein.
| He then turned from the serious
thoughts and proceeded to put the au-
dlence in the best of spirits by his wit,
and leV1ty. in endeavoring to ascer-
tain the number of really old settlers
IN the audience. He at first asked all
the old settlers in the gathering who
were in the county of Wapello-and
made the run for lands-on the open
ing Of the Indian purchase, May /.
1S43, to stand up and be counted. But
only ten from the large crowd respond
ed, these We're:
A. M. Boyce.
M. Tullis.
DR.. ]. w. LaForce, Ii
Silas Coleman. -
]. S. Phillips.
II. M. Wilcoxen
Ephriam McMilla-,
H. e. Milligan.
NJ. e. McMinn.
w. c. Reynolds.
He then asked for these VITO were
here in December, 1916, when Iowa
was admitted to the union to stand,
and about fifteen responded. Those
who were here in 1856 were then call
ed and about fifty stood up. Again he
called for those whose residence dated
back only as far as 1860, and the num-
Der was swelled to about seventy-five.
Finally he called for all who had been
here long enough to gain admission
into the old settlers association, or
twenty-five years, and the grand total
ran up to about one hundred and TWEEN
ty-five.
After ascertaining the number of
old settlers present, he proceeded in
like manner. to find out the number
who came here from various other
states; in this he found that Ohio had
the largest representation, Indiana,
second, and Tennessee last, with but
one representative.
Why Postponed.
AFTER Mr.. Works speech, the pres
1dent made an explanation as to how
the meeting came to be postponed
from the original date, to that of Sep
TENDER IS. He said that on the We'd
nesday preceding the Thursday. on
which the reunion was to HAYES been
held, it rained all day, all i the execu-
tive committee, after examining the
weather forecasts for the next day,
which promised more rain, concluded
to postpone the meeting. He deemed
this explanation proper, in view of
the fact that the people of Agency
informed him that there were nearly
500 people who had not heard of the
postponement, and who had come
there to attend the meeting on the
original date. While he deplored this
mistake, yet it could not be helped,
and he promised it should not happen
again.
Committee Appointed.
Jacob Lowenberg then interrupted
the meeting with a motion, that the
chair appoint committee of three to
draft suitable resolutions, expressing
the grief and sorrow felt by the old set
tiers of Wapello county, at the death
of the President.
The chair appointed Jacob Lowen-
berg, w. A. Work and Geo. w. Dick
ems.
A selection was then rendered by
the Wapello Chief band, which had
furnished excellent music throughout
the entire days exercises.
The Roll of Honor.
Owing to the absence of the regular
historian, j. l.. Harmon, who had pre-
pared the roll of the departed members
of the association, it was read by- A,
H. Hamilton, and contained, besides
the names of those published in last
weeks Courier, that of j. d. Mingus
who died last August at the age of
eighty-three years. The reading of
this list as listened to with great in
terest and much sorrow by those pres
ent, nearly all OF whom recognized the
name of some dear friend or relative.
The entire list of dead since last
meeting now numbers ninety-seven,
four short of last years.
After another song by the Ladies'
quartet, an announcement was read
for union Mckinley service of the
people of Agency and vicinity, at the
M. q. church of that place, at II o'clock
this morning
Rev. Simmons.
Rev. t. j. Simmons was then called
and gave a very interesting and in
structiye talk on "As They Sang Fiji
ty Years Ago" Rev. Simmons contend
ed, that while much sport had been
made Of the old fashioned singing, yet
he was sure the audience always got
more out of it, and entered more heart
lily into the spirit of the song than they
do now, with all their interludes and
"diddle daddles," as he expressed it.
He paid high tribute to the songs
of our country, by saying, mo country
can rise above it's music; the civiliza-
ton of country is largely governed
by the character of its songs" The
sentiment contained in many of the
good old fashioned songs, which had
been so thoroughly imbibed by the old
er generation, had cultivated that
sturdiness of character that made it
possible for them to found and perfect
such glorious country as the mighty
state OF Iowa.
TIE then spoke, in touching man
ner, OF the last words of our late
President, and the entire audience rose
to their feet, and sang in concert one
of the old fashioned hymns, concluding