Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-25
LARGE NUMBERS IN ATTEND.
ANcE AT MEETING IN Full.
LENS GROVE AT AGENCY
1000 People on the Grounds-speciaI
Train From Ottun1Wa-Many Inter-
esting Addresses Rendered by Men
Who Were Pioneers.

has been twenty-three years since
saw you the last time" This and
many other expressions of a like ma
ture were heard yesterday at the elev-
enth annual reunion Of the old settlers
Of Wapello county, which was held IN
Fullen's grove at Agency.
Living for a. day once more IN an at
mosphere filled with the spirit of pio-
neer days, and "reminiscences, there
was much hand-shaking and greeting
of old friends who have known each
other since the early times when they
came to this section of the country I'M
der circumstances of privation and
hardship.
Early in the day, which broke bright
and clear, large numbers of the old
settlers and representatives OF the
younger generation, began to arrive at
the grove from all over the county. A
special train of five coaches filled with
picnickers arrived from Ottumwa
about 1920 o'clock and at the opening
Of the program there were in the neigh
borhood of 1000 people on the
grounds.
Old People Present.
A striking feature Of the day was
the number Of real old settlers of the
county who were in attendance. An
unusually large number Of the old men
and women, some of them leaning on
stats for support, bent with the age
Of many years, could be seen here and
there in the crowds as they chatted to-
gether and talked Of the time when
they settled here, when Wapello coun.
ty was part Of a wild and boundless
prairie. Manga stirring incident was
recalled, of long wagon trains made
up Of prairie schooners headed by
trusty scouts who guided them safely
over the trails of the never ending
prairie, and of bands of restless In.
dams who hunted the prairies for buf.
falo and deer; of life in log cabins and
Of the privation and toll as they la
bored and formed settlements. The
majority who attended the reunion
brought their dinners and at noon the
grove was filled with picnickers, who
under the shade of the large spreading
oaks, ate their repasts and visited
with each other.
In the afternoon more people ar
rived and by the time the program Of
ttAS esAlSiAOoh Wco SOiAluCllSCu IhSiS
were all Of 1000 people in attendance
Interesting Relics.
One OF the most interesting relics Of
early days which was exhibited during
the course of the day was an ancient
ledger. The book belongs to Mrs. S
B. Evans and was during the early
days the property of J. P. Eddy, the
trader, after whom the city Of Eddy
vile was named. Mr.. Eddy, whe1
alive, traded a great deal with the In
dams and in the ledger on exhibition
yesterday, was kept many of the oil
accounts with the red men. Some o
them were very interesting to lool
over. On page III an account will
Chief Keokuk's wife is recorded an,
shows where she bought on May Is
1910. coffee pot for $1.00, 1 tin buck
ct, $780, and Q yards of flannel TO
S1.50.
Oldest Settler There.
The oldest settler who attended tn
reunion yesterday was Mrs. Mary Z
McClung, who resides near Highlan
and who is so years of age She is tn
wife of the late j c. McClung and ha
been in this vicinity for the past
years. The old lady appears to be i
good health and passed very enjoy
able time at the reunion
The nrogram rendered Yesterday wa