Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-09-06
THOUSANDS ATTEND
SETTLERS REUNION
FAIRFIELD EXPERIENCES THE
IHRoEs OF A GALA
CELEBRATION
Pioneers Have Their Innings In JET
ferson County seat--lt Was Their
Day-Parade Was a Magnificent
Spectacle.

terday was Old Settlers Day. Not
merely the day on which the old set
tiers reunion opened, nor a day for
old settlers, but Old Settlers day, for
they owned the city Of Fairfield and
all that within 1t is.
Thousands of people from outside of
Fairfield crowded into the city yester'
day to take part in the exercises OF to
become interested on-lookers at the
opening of the annual Jefferson Coun,
ty Old Settlers reunion.
Successful as have always been
Fairfleld's reunions, that of yesterday
far overshadowed all the others. Fully
10000 people, 1t is estimated, attended
the reunion during the day and the
streets of the city surrounding the
public square were crowded, damned
and packed
Here and there through the crowd
were to be seen faces that bore the
traces of many years and from their
contented, yet flushed and excited Wis
ages, one might tell that it was indeed
their day.
Old Time Sports.
Old gray-haired, gray bearded men
swung Makes with ease and sprightlt-
ness, whk} they exhibited to the won
dering crowds Of. gaping younger men
the way theft fathers had rived shin,
giles in tho days when they and their
devoted wives bad come to the beauti-
full savage plsins Of Iowa to carve OUT
for themselves and their families a
home on the virgin prairies.
Aopd women watched thaSa rlVtVaIS
OF old time sports of activities, or par.
ticipated in knitting or spinning cor.
tegts themselves. with who can tell
what sacred memories.
Only one criticism Of the reunion
attended. This was that the enter
tainment committee had provided SC
many amusements features that one
could not possibly take them in. cts
like a three-ringed circus" said one
old pioneer, whose delighted face
made plain the fact that he was hav
ing the time of his life, you JUS,
can't see it ALL
Three Great Features.
While all of the features of the day
were interesting and we'll received
the three which attracted the most
attention, were the parade, the baby
shcw and the barbecue.
For years to come Fairfield will rs
member the parade of yesterday
Nothing that anywhere approached il
in size or magnifcence has ever beer
attempted in this city.
At 1880 O'clock in the afternoon tht
parade formed and started along its
line of march. Fully so vehicles. com
mercial floats, beautifully decorated
buggies drawn by handsome horses
and driven by lovely women, anc
automobiles, were in the parade
which extended out for length o.
three-quarters of mile. Other fef
lures of the parade were the presence
Of William Coop, the first white chile
born in Jefferson county, with his
team of oxen, "Rock" and Paddy" +;
band Of some 200 Jefferson count,
farmers, each armed with a pitch forl
or scythe or some instrument of hi
calling and carrying banner or
which appeared this modest state
ment, "We Feed The World" In The
line Of parade was also Company M, @
Fairfield and detachment of seven
teen men Of Company G of Ottumwa
lead by Lieut.. Carl Hooyer. The par
ode was headed by the Forrest City
band of Fairfield.