Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-25
TWENTY-SIXTH ANNIVERSARY OF
THE TOWN is SUCCESS
FULLY CELEBRATED.
NATIVE SONS RETURN
They Came From All Over Country
and Were Entertained With Bar
becue and Parade, Band
Concerts, Ball Game.

rick was celebrated Thursday with |
great barbecue and home coming fes-
tivities in manner not soon to be for
gotten by those who were fortunate
enough to be present and participate |
in the event.
Ideal weather and the splendid at
fractions provided brought out one of
the largest crowds in the history of
HedricE. Conservative parties esti-
mate the attendance at from 5000 to
1000. This large crowd was we'll
taken care of with full days enter
tainment and without an accident.
The town and country was divided |
into two sections The separate sides
were known and distinguished by two
different colors, the east section hav-
ing the yellow and the west side hav-
ing the red.
The street decorations were very
elaborate and Main street was blaze
of color and glory from the thousands
of yards of yellow, red and white bunt-
ing used in the decorations.
The crowd began to gather early in
the morning from many miles around,
and when the capacity of the livery
and feed stables had been utilized to
their utmost, the hundreds of buggies
were lined up along the back streets
and the horses hitched to every avail
able post in town. Every train brought
throngs of visitors who were added
to the rapidly increasing crowd until
there was not room for more. To.
wards noon the caravan Of automo-
biles began to arrive. Some came
from near by towns and country
hoy N-1x1
loosa, Ottumwa, Sigourney, Delta and
keota.
Something of the Program.
The program YVES opened shortly
after 9 O'Clock in the morning with a
concert by the 54th Regimental band
of Ottumwa, after which the chairman
Of the day, w. H. Young gave the call
to order in the Memorial park. The
address of welcome was extended by
Mayor Wade Kirkpatrick to the thou
sands of people who greeted the speak
ers of the morning. Congressman Dan
w. Hamilton of Sigourney was the
orator Of the day and he was cbeered
with great enthusiasm as he spoke of
the significance of the celebration Of
the twenty-sixth anniversary of the
founding of the little CITY, Following
music by the band ex-senator ]. r.
Brooks delivered an appropriate and
eloquent address and Glass martial
band furnished an ,nterlude of thrill
ing strains. Hon. S. Kirkpatrick of
rison were other speakers of the morn
ing.
The Barbecue.
No greater fun nor bigger feast
was ever enjoyed than the feature Of
the day, the barbecue, or OK roast. A
tempting morsel was the portion to
those who did not witness hte prelim-
mary process, but with more interest
than greed did the nearby spectators
watch the unusual performance. Two
big healthy oxen were CHARTERED and
suspended on poles in a grave-like
ditch which had been dug in front Of
the Memorial Park and under them a
fire was built and the meat broiled to
crisp. The big blackened beef chunks
were taken up when cooked, the meat
torn from the bones in as crude a
manner as the custom of the perform
ance demanded, and the bits of meat
into which the animals were torn were
inserted between the halves of big fat
buns. Five thousand Of the sand
wiches were donated to the hungry
crowd and devoured with will, and
the two boxes full of the fragments
which remained, principally bones,
were buried in the ditch in which the
meat had been cooked.
Two Miles OF Uarade.
Buffalo Bill nor Ringling's Circus
could produce a parade such as feat
ured the afternoon celebration For a
distance Of two miles there was dis
play Of automobiles, floats, broncho
busters, jockey riders and female
horsemen such as was never seen be-
fore in this section of the state Be-
hind the advanced mounted guard
and the regimental band Don P. Nc
Clure of Ottumwa headed the parade
with his Buick touring car in which
were seated the orators Of the day A
string Of nearly dozen brought up
the rear of the first section Of the
gorgeous display. The last few automo-
biles were beautifully decorated for
the occasion. A threshing machine
headed the list of floats, behind which
followed hundred or more of the
most elaborate displays ever conceiv-
ed, representing every business house
in the city, agricultural products, mot
toes Of the day and various fancy de-
signs. The "Grand Old Party" was
there with creditable creation in the
way of a trained elephant. An excel
lent feature Of the parade were the
horses and male and female riders.
All were deliberately and prettily cos
tuned and the steeds were the finest
aggregation ever seen in small city
of this size. There were fully so girls
on horseback and more than that num-
Der of boys.
The city had been divided between
the reds and the blues, and the two
divisions were rivals in every display
and the ball game and the tug of war,
which were the principal sports of the
afternoon. In the evening was given
a grand concert by the 54th regimental
band of Ottumwa.
The celebration has awakened al
shirt OF enterprise In Hedrick and