The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-09-22
THE REUNION Is OVER

| I'LL nLUN1UN lO UvLh
1t was the Best and Most Successful
Reunion Ever Held--PeopIe we're
all we'll Satisfied.
The big reunion which has been
looked forward to for months closed
Saturday night, and it is not stretching
it when we say that it was the biggest
and best reunion we have ever held in
this city. 1t looked rather gloomy
when the reunion opened on Tuesday Of
last week with cold rain but when the
sun came out Wednesday morning
everybody took heart, although the
weather was a little too cold, and for
the remaining four days there was a
big attendance. On Thursday and Fri
day Mr.. Roe Caster had to open up his
meadow to teams, as hundreds could
not find any place to hitch on the
grounds, notwithstanding there were
just the same number of hitchracks as
last year, so this shows conclusively
that on these days the crowds were
larger than on any previous year.
The speakers during the reunion were
the best we ever had, Judge W. E. Mil
ler, of Bedford, delivering fine adj
dress on Wednesday afternoon. On
Thursday the speaker was Judge S. f..
Prouty, of Des Moines, one of the most
prominent men of the state. He was
met at the depot by Clerk S. w. Keller
with his fine team and carriage, and a
delegation of prominent citizens, head
ed by County Auditor Gill, and escorted
up town to dinner. He spoke at the
reunion grounds in the afternoon and
the crowd was the largest and most at
tentive at any of the speeches, and his
address seemed to please every man
and woman in the vast audience. On
Friday Col. M. L. Temple, of Osceola,
was greeted with large audience and
his address was we'll received. The
last speech of the reunion was made by
Mayor V. r. McGinnis, and notwith-
standing it was the closing day he was
greeted with big audience who had
the pleasure of hearing Mr.. McGinnis
at his best, and there is no better
speaker in the whole state on an oc-
casion like this than Mayor McGinnis.
Excellent music was furnished
throughout the reunion by the Garden
Grove band, and a better band, or one
more liberal with their music was
never in this city. The boys are fine
gentlemen and gave the very best of
satisfaction, both to the public and the
committee. 1t is one of the best bands
in this part of the state. The Big -Four
Quartet from Humeston were also here
/ the entire time, and these gentlemen
We're heartily endorsed by everybody.
They We're always ready to sing and
there was no end to their repertoire of
song. classical or rag time. In the
evening they appeared as black face
singers and their rag time music never
grew old, the crowds always being
eager for more. The committee made
. no mistake when they secured the Big
Four Quartet.
ever put on by any reunion in southern
Iowa, including Clark, & stonebraker in
double trapez, revolving ladders, tumbl-
ing and barrel jumping and they are
artists in these lines. Zareli, the silver
gymast also made good with his tramp
comedy contortions and slack wire
I walking and unicycle riding, juggling,
and hand balancing and posing. He is
a good one. There were also a number
OF other free attraction, including num-
I SAo"9 oo-NAi3 anu WiCoOlluS uldUCICS,
and there was something going on at
one of the three stands all the time, SO
that it kept the people busy trying to
see it all.
i Friday was 111th Alaska day, and
these jolly boys had big special pro-
gram Offering numerous cash prizes for
contests and sports Of various kinds
: The pie eating contests for men was
won by Will Axes, who devoured some
thing less than dozen pies, John Van
pelt being close second. In the boys
pie eating contest Frank Cartwright
, won first prize and Paul Renter the
second money. Howard Eals of this
city proved wonder when it came to
slowing away the most watermelon and
he easily distanced all his competitors
but hasn't cared for melon since. There
were six good wrestling matches dur.
ing the day at which cash prizes were
offered and they were all for blood, the
winners being as follows:
1st-Clyde Pryor won from Floyd
Powers.
2d-Steve Axes won from John Pow.
ers.
3D. Fred Young won from Clyde
Pickering.
4th,Wm. Axes won from Perry
Reynolds.
9TH Floyd Powers won from Forest
Davenport.
eth-Guy Whitecar won from Jaspe,
Jennings.
In the boxing contests Art Cowder
won from Jap Carr, the latter taking 8
header into the lake from the platform
, to avoid his opponent. This match was
followed by hot one between Clyde
Marvin and Carl Reynolds which the
judges called draw.
Fred Jay, the Davis City high diver
made pretty dive from fifty foot lad
, der into the lake, and as the result of /:
challenge between j. r. Bowsher ant
J Charlie Axes, Bowsher made fineihigl
dive, going intofthe water like lob