The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1909-02-18
in DAYS OF LONG AGO
Birthday Anniversary Recalls In
cidents Vt the Past.

AFTERNOON and evening, upon the oc-
casion of the masters fifty-ninth birth
lday anniversary. The affair was in
the nature Of surprise and it proved
an enjoyable success in its varied
features. A jollier set of people nor
happier occasion cannot be mag
ined. And neither did the guests
come empty-handed. Mr.. Evans was
presented with a handsome Morris
easy chair" and Mrs. Evans was made
the, happy possessor of a splendid silk
shawl Jenkin Reese in his own
original way made the presentation in
neat little heart to heart talk that
impressed not only Mr.. and Mrs. Ey-
ans, but every one else who heard it,
TT was in happy vein but expressed
feeling and sentiment that marked the.
whole affair. Mr. and Mrs Evans re-.
sponded and the scene was one not,
soon to be forgotten. b os,4.
George n. Evans was born near
Wrexham, North Wales. He emigrat-
ed to this country thirty-five years
ago and came Immediately to the set
Element at Evans over twenty years
ago and the place has since been his
home He is one of the best educat-
ed men who has ever entered that
place. He knows history, theology,
political science, and is a pharmacist
of ability. He is a keen observer, a
quick thinker, good neighbor and a
loving husband and father. Mr.. Ey-
ans has been indisposed during a per
lod of several months, suffering with
miners asthma" Little wonder that
these troubles come to torment we old
fellows of the mines when year after
year we fred twice a day in poorly
ventilated rooms that would barely
sustain a light. We would go to work
after dinner with the rooms filled to
suffocation with the fumes and smoke
OF the powder and work in those close
conditions until four O'Clock in the at,
ternoon. The smoke and fumes, like
fog or mist, hung in the rooms until
one could not discern the hand placed
before the face. The writer has
known twenty rooms in operation al
the same time on a single entry.
There were break throughs" in the
rooms, but only a canvass door on the
entry and none in the rooms to turn
the air in. In those days men were
killed by the inch for want of air. No
wonder that we old fellows are pre-
maturely forced to the less active
walks of life. Nor could we complain
in the old day. The miner endured
oppression to the extent that he ac-
cepted the conditions as he found
them and was forced to keep his
mouth shut" or be ready to move his
tools and his family to some other
location. The younger miners of to-
! day know nothing of the conditions
that surrounded the miners who first
came to this field. Improved condi-
I tions came through the confessions Of
the IT, M. w. A. and through the in
sistent labors of such men as John f,
Ream, John T. Clarkson, John p.
White, and others, brave and know
ing boys from the university of the
mines and with such men as Nate Ken
dali in the legislature. They have
stood for human rights and Justice for
their fellow men and have succeeded
in lettering the conditions OF the min
er over the old days by fifty and one
hundred per cent.
The afternoon was spent in singing
speaking, eating, smoking and drink
ing, tea, coffee and water The sup
iper, which was bountiful and satisfy
ling. was under the supervision of Mrs.
Evans and daughters, assisted by Mrs.
Jane Wilson, Mrs. John Hancock, Mrs
John head and others. The Welsh
singing was under the direction and
Of that old veteran, Jenkin
d. Reese, while the young Lieutenant
John Lawrence did well with his Eng
fish voices, with Miss Lena Woodcock
and Mrs. John Head as organists.
Miss Woodcock also had a company
lof her school pupils present and they
sang excellently. Speeches we're made
by William Baxter. John Owens. J, G..
Garland, Mrs. Lloyd Williams, Mrs.
Ben Vowels and others. And In the
other entertainment Mrs. Lawrence
proved the star in the vaudeville. OF
those present at the home, those from
Evans and locality were too numerous
to be named Among those from a
distance were Charles Lindgrsn, from
Des ,Moines; Mr.. and Mrs. }. D, Reese,
Mrs. Lloyd Williams and Mrs Robert
Roberts Of OskaIoosa; Mr.. and Mrs.
William Baxter, Mr. and Mrs. John
Owens OF Beacon: The company de-
parted for their homes feeling that all
had had a glorious time and that It
mad been good to be with brother and
sister Evans. The hope was express
ed that Mr. Evans might find speedy
recovery to his usually excellent state
Iof health, and that he might celebrate