The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1909-06-29
THE PIONEER ASSOCIATION.
Objection Raised to Making Amy
Change in the Time of Resi-
Ipuce

I / saw III the ENNIS Local or last
I Friday a call to all persons interested
in the next reunion OF the Pioneers
of Ellis county to meet in WaXaha-
chic Monday, July 5th. "All persons
living in Ellis county Jan. LIST, 1875,
are eligible to membership in the
association says the notice. am
especially and heartily interested in
the Pioneer Association but the
Iextension of the time limit TO MEM
bership in it, is a new feature, and
an Objectionable one to me- ] was
Ipresent at the meeting of Pioneers
and their Sons for the organiza-
ton of this associa ton, when the
time limit for eligibility to member
shin was discussed and settled, and
1866 fixed as the limit. | was at the
first reunion, in 1907, and consider
ed it and enjoyable success, and
think all present shared with me in
this opinion. | also attended the sec
ond meeting of the association in
1905, and while the attendance was
not, through lack of proper adver-
tsement. so good as the year prev
ious, yet it was pleasurable occas-
ion to those who attended.
The idea was suggested during last
years meeting that we have day
during the Chautauqua, appointed
for future meetings of the Ellis
County Pioneer Association but a
majority of those present opposed
the measure, saying that the crowd
would be 50 great that the associa-
ton would be over run and its social
pleasures destroyed. Now this time
limit suggestion comes out. AS | see
it, this idea is to augment the crowd
in attendance al future pioneer re
unions, and for one. am opposed to
it. if we want an Old Settlers Asso-
citation let's have it, and let all who
were living in Ellis county down to
1855 be eligible to membership.
People who have lived here twenty
years are old settlers, and let us
igather at WaXahachie once year in
a grand reunion. Such an association
would be conducive to much pleas
ure and great good TO Ellis county.
But if we are to have an Ellis Coun-
ity Pioneer Association, let us eschew
the idea of large crowds and meet
! the few remaining of Ellis county's
. ninnpapS ~ tbajr iDonnIiatn
cendants, as such. There's another
feature of the Pioneer Reunions that
should be corrected. The pioneers of
Ellis county We're not buns" and
their descendants don't want to be
considered such. In the organization
of the association an initiation fee
was provided for to meet incidental
expenses, hut | find that this has
been abandoned and the citizens of
WaXahachie We're called on for CON
tributions for our entertainment at
last years meeting. Those making
up the association are not depend
ents and are not asking for charities
and don't want to be an imposition
on the good people of WaXahachie,
and | think the initiation fee should
be revived and collected, which with
small annual dues paid in by each
member, would be sufficient for the
entertainment at its annual reunion.
The Ellis County Pioneers are
people of simple tastes and a small
outlay will provide for their enter
tainment. Barbecued meat, bread and
coffee would satisfy them.
/ If the good citizens of WaXahachie
! friendly to the Pioneer association,
desire TO cast baskets of danties into
/ their bill OF fare, all right, they VIII
! be accepted and fully appreciated, !
| but in the name OF the departed and
few living pioneers of Ellis county, !
let's make the Pioneer Association
of strictly pioneer people. and make
! it self sustaining.
! What trials, hardships and priva
1 tions had the settlers in Ellis county
! from 1866 TO 1876 in comparison
! WIN tue settlers Vi 1NDo anu ear
| lier? Talk TO men and women of the
/ latter years about ierked beef and !
| three in a skillet" and of going to
! Houston for sugar and coffee and |
about piggins, soap, gourds, wash |
benches and battling sticks, and they |
would look at YOU in wild-eyed won |
! der
No, let us make no changes in the
time limit. but let's rally to the aid |
of Ellis County's Pioneer association |
and keep up the traditions of Ellis
county. as handed down to us by our
/ pioneer fathers and let our sons per-
petuate them when we have passed
away.
! ARTHUR II. MARCHBANKS,
| Telco, Ellis County, Texas, June %,
| 1909