Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1905-06-28
OLD SETTLERS DAY
The Meeting at New London Last
Week Was a Success in
Every Way.

Ono OF t0Oao rare June Gays, I'M"
usually rare this year, greeted the old
settlers on the day of their annual
meeting Tuesday, June 20. The wealth
or conditions were simply perfect for a
days outing, and the people made
good use of it,. AS the morning
freight was late the railroad managers
sent an engine to Litchdeld to pick up
a coach to carry the passengers from
Atwater and Ksndiyohi to Willmar.
capacity, At Willmar l55 tickets
were sold. Two coaches and two ca
booses were attached to the train here.
At Spicer about Is people Joined the
excursion, so that the train reached
New London with nearly four hundred
people on board.
While the majority of the visitors
proceeded to view the town and picnic
grounds the members of the .associa-
ton gathered at the town hall for q
business session. Twenty-four new
members Joined the association, forty
badges were sold, and number of old
members paid their annual dues and
fled their records. The meeting was
then called to order by President
Sperry. The minutes of last meeting
and the reports of the financial stand.
ing OF the association we're read and
approved. The meeting then pro-
ceeded to the election of officers, with
the following result:
President, George Johnson, of Bur-
baqk.
First Vice President, E. A. D. Salt.
or.
Second Vice President, G. A. Birch.
r. Secretary, A o. Forsberg. ~
Treasurer, E P. Wicklund.
The members then proceeded to the
basement Of the Norwegian church,
where the Ladies of New London
served dinner. The large room had
been very Hastily decorated for the oc-
casion. The dinner was excellent,
and tho large crowd did ample justice
to it.
After dinner the people gathered ct
the picnic grounds south of the mill
pond, where stage had been erected
and seats put in. After music by the
New London band and an Invocation
by Rev. Drysdsle, Mr.. Harold Sven
son made IN eloquent address of vel
come. This wa. responded to by MIR.
c. A. Birch, who called attention to
New London's connection with the
early history OF the county. In clos.
ing Mr.. Birch proposed tho following
resolution, which was adopted with
three rousing cheers:
Resolved, thst the old settlers In
mass meeting assembled, express their
hearty thanks to the citizens of New
London for many kindnesses extended
today, and do hereby pass this reso'
luton with three hearty cheers"
Then followed the Minnesota STATE
song, sung by the choir and audience
after which Congressman A.. J. Vol
stead delivered the Grafton of the day
he spoke Of the trials of the earl,
settlers and the great work they hai
accomplished. He gave . glowing
tribute to the sturdy manhood ant
womanhooa of the pioneers, and con
trasted this with the character of tn,
people of the eastern states, and pre-
dicted that the day would soon CONF
when the northern Mississippi vale,
would exercise tho same great indu
ence In national affairs as the "West
ern Reserve" has exercised for tn,
last fifty years.
After another cong by the choi
Hon A. F. Nordin spoke on "Oxomo
billing in the Early Days" This va
certainly one Of the most highly Up
j. preci ated numbers on the program
It wsa mainly humorous, and tho deep
IL s0lemn tones in which tho Judge de