Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-08-12
That Progressive Party.

lhdt Progressive Party.
Last Thursday morning, 1 received
the following missive:
Array yourself in colors gay
For you'll be called for In this day.
The meeting place is Watts Cafe.
Three beacon lights; red, white and blue
Will shine in window for you.
Friday, Aug. 5th, R.S.v.P.
at $3.50 sharp. care of Watts.
1t really scared me. 1 thought it
was hoax or some scheme to get us
to the restaurant and then make us
pay to get cut. However, R. S. v.
P'd in rhyme:
Your invitation received;
While 1t had no purpose stated
To the un1nitiated,
Yet are WE much elated
To be so we'll or illfated,
And willingly agree to be led.
This was unsigned. Notice, I say
WE. Keep it in your mind as 1t shows
up later.
The young man who rooms here,
Grannis, also sent one:
At half past eight. at Watts Cafe
I'll be there in colcrs gay;
II, perchance. this is s.sell,"
I'll surely wish you we're in -
This was unsigned. N. B. 1 wrote
1T but at the dlctation of Grannis.
Here endeth the prologue.
Halt past eight on Friday found
Grannis and in our Sunday best and
pacing our way down the street to
Watts Cafe. Mind you, we kept on
the other side of the street. No one
in the place but mattresses, but across
the street were other timid souls
gathering courage and mum bers in a
jewelry shop. We only saw them
out of the corner of our eyes and
happened to think OF some business
further down the street. But we
came back like the historical cat and
saw dozen brave persons in the Cafe.
Then we ventured in; the numbers
increased; no one knew why they were
there; more coming; Watts refused to
talk;.sidewalks crowded with amused
spectators; one man suggested tar
and feathers, and another started for
q rope. The ladies were on the verge
of Mysteries when 10, up came bus
beautifully decked with flags and
bunting; then another and another.
Some one cried: "All Aboard" and
we did so. Then we became like the
Knights of the Round Table search
ing for the lanterns three. or course
the first driver was onto the game,
but we couldn't bribe him. After an
exciting chase during which the street
lights seemed to change color, we
finally landed, literally, at the home
OF Rev. Mr.. Marshall and were re-
ceiyed by the Misses Marshall.
After certain amount of talk and
so forth, we started to find out who
were the observing ones, by guessing
the names of faces. Your humble
servant got 25 out of 35. Missed the
actresses mostly. They're out Of my
line. All this was over by 9:3O and
plates were brought in. 1 always did
like s'shin digs" where the eating
started early and kept up for some
time. Sandwiches and coffee were
the menu and then the plates were
removed. Then the betting started
as to whether the ice cream would be
pink or white; Messrs. Upton and
Knowles, prominent business men,
lead.
Then all of sudden the hostess
said that we had had all we would get
and said "Good Night" but just then
we heard the horses and the truth
dawned on us: sit is a Progressive
PartyW Again we started on a wild
goose chase and finally landed at the
Converses, where the Misses Converse
were added to the receiving party.
HereI headed for the dining room
and six or eight congenial spirits
assembled to ''jolly" the rest of the
company. In the front parlor was
ONE LONE MAN and SIX LADIES, so he
asked for help. AS / was the only
single man in the dining room, the
doubles offered me as conciliatory
sacrifice. OF a sudden the ladies were
marshalled into a side room and a
screen placed before the entrance.
Then we saw hook and lines appear
and the ladies began to draw in the
suckers. Another installment Of re-
freshments, salad this time, and
another call "All Aboard" During
these quixotic searches for wind mills
we sang.
At the Converses the jingle accept
ances were read. AS my acceptance
read "we" it was thought to be that
of married couple, and the one fol
| ''sell, }" etc, was called mine. Need
less to say I denied it, but couldn'
tell who it was. Grannis was foxy
enough to send two,' one that was cas-
lily understood to mean him.
| About 11:3O we became the guest
of Miss Laidlaw and here we fnall,
4 had ice cream. Then followed mus
ical program and a general free-for-al
as a wind-up. At one in the morning
the busses again picked US up ant
this time deposited us at our respect
I've places of sleeping.
| Needless to say the company (abou