Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-22

OF the dangers of much of the immigra-
ton of today from southern Europe
and Russia who have their "Black
Hand, Malta, Stilletto, Poison Cup and
| Pistol" and are antagonistic to good
| government owing cir rearing I'M
der despotism and association with
anarchy.
| Major Samuel Mahon followed Sena-
tor Harper and spoke in behalf of the
Old Soldiers reunion being held today
at the grove in Agency where the Old
settlers held their reunion yesterday.
Major Mahon was followed by Hon,
Clyde Sparks, Hon Edward J. Moore
| and Rev. George T. Johnston, who
concluded the exercises of the day.
Many Strangers.
Among those who attended the gath
ering yesterday of the Old Settlers as
ISOLATION held in Streblow's grove in
Agency were many who have not
been In these parts for many years, as
well as many more from Ottumwa and
places surrounding Ottumwa and
Agency who have been regular attend
ants at the annual outings and have
been identified with the movement for
several years. Yesterdays celebration
was the thirteenth annual outing and
fully thousand people participated
by their presence and otherwise to
make the event one of the very best
reunions ever held by the association
in its history Of over dozen years.
While on the train and later at the
grove. while the old friends were
mingling and exchanging greetings,
one with the other, after long sep
aration, the Courier representative
mixed with many of the settlers and
learned of their lives in the county
and the ages of many who now are
bent with the weight of many years,
and heads whitened by the SHOWS of
many winters spent largely in and
about Wapello county
Captain Wilson.
OF those who attended from abroad,
perhaps the greatest interest attaches
TO the guest Of the day. Captain 10
seph A. Wilson, Of Lexington, Mo-,
through his early life in the most
primitive days of the county and the
association of his immediate family
with the founding Of Agency Captain
Wilson is called for his grandfather,
the historic General Joseph M. Street
who was the first government Indian
agent to the Sac and Fox Indians at
Agency He is also nephew of the
well known Judge J. Fl. D. Street, son
of Gen. Street. Captain Wilson, with
his family left Agency in 1851 and
went to Missouri, and had not since
1858 been in Wapello county until
coming here for the picnic yesterday.
Captain Wilson Is an ex-Confederate
soldier and possesses a southern cross
Of the confederacy made from metal
Of the guns captured during the war
and later presented by the federal
government to the Daughters of the
Confederacy for the making of south
ern crosses for the veterans ''I reck-
on this is not a place to display an
article like this" said the captain
"but I am pretty proud of this and
will show it to you" and taking a
handsome bronze colored medal of the
shane Of a cross, inscribed with the
words From the DAUGHTERS of the
| Confederacy to Confederate Veter-
ans he nroudlv DISPLAYED it.
Related Anecdotes.
Mr.. Wilson related manv anecdotes
| of the southland and the days Of the
war. He was with Gen. Forrest when
the latter surrendered to Gen. Candy
at GAINESVILLE. Ala. when we surren-
dered." said Capt Wilson. tthere We're
six Of us fellows and one was accom-.
panied by his negro bow slave who &C
companied him through all the war,
The government gave the six Of lis ra-
tions for five days. but would allow
none for the Niger so we divided our
food with him in token Of his faithful
ness, and we were taken aboard a
steamboat at Vicksburg with a pas
sage for ST. Louis. Our rations were a
bag of hard tack and some raw meat.
/ On the boat were large number Of
soldiers who were we'll provided with
rations, having coffee with sugar in
| it. as well as hot bread from the
| boats galley two or three times a
| week.
Told Of Eatings.
| while the soldiers would sit in
groups eating their meals from tin
! plates, with knives and forks, | would
sit near the rail OF the boat and with
my pocket knife slice off a chip of the
raw meat. which, with the hard tack,
served for my meals. A bunch of the
federal soldiers one day were eating
their meal and I noticed that they
would look toward me and finally thew
began to take portion of all their