The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-08-21

MANY PROMINENT MEN
Merchants and Capitalists Of South
west Were There Beneath the
County Signs to Enjoy
Themselves.

The Iowans in California picnicked
at Los Angeles recently and some
/ $4,000 from the Hawkeye state turned
out to the occasion, 1t is of especial
Interest to the people of keokuk for
(, many here have relatives and friends
who doubtless were in attendance.
The Los Angeles Examiner had the
following concerning the great gath
ering of Iowans:
Under the beautiful park foliage ard
on the broad lawns of Bixby park,
Long Beach, more than $4,000 mem
bers of the Iowa State association of
Southern California celebrated their
annual picnic yesterday
1t was a great day in the history
OF the Hawkeyes of Southern Califor-
I MIA. The picnic was somewhat of a
I social affair in many ways and num-
Der of prominent families attended
DAe of the largest delegations OF
! the occasion came from Pomona,
! where the president of the associa-
ton, DR.. e. Henderson, lives. The
/ Pomona delegation arrived early with
| so members, travelling in special
train. Throughout the day the or
ange badges of Pomona were every
! where and in the evening the visitors
]; boarded the special train again, happy
! in day of unalloyed bliss.
One feature of the great picnic was
| the number of patriarchs present.
Gray bearded and white bearded men.
who had known the state of Iowa al
I most in its infancy and had seen 1t
i develop into the heart of the great
i agricultural country of the central
states, talked of the days when a
hardy American manhood was carving
out the basic principles upon which
/ statehood was to be reared. Then
there were those patriarchs who had
/ left their prairie homes in Iowa or
1 their cabins along the streams and
had ventured forth in the days of "49 .
eager to reap the golden harvest OF
the untried west. as willing to meet
/ the dangers and privarons of the
cross continental trip, with the rolling
]aprairie schooners as their homes and
/ their ready rifles as their companions.
i as they were to lay the foundation VI
their states future.
The first car of the day brought the
4 the pioneers of the great throng. They
were met by Hon. P. l.. Rischel, form
4 er president of the association and
now vice president Mr.. Rischel head
ed the Los Angeles delegation. These
early arrivals quickly sought places
! beneath the trees and prepared to
spend a quiet, happy day Of the old
4 time picnic type. There were many
amusements for the children.
In almost every copse of trees hung
/ the emblem of one of Iowa's counties.
l. The names were familiar, and there
were many Indian names to be found
/ there. BY an unique arrangement
/ these little groves were arranged in
! position similar to the counties of
4 the state, so that the entire park was
/ plated much in the formation Of
Iowa's map.
/ Beneath these county signs were
4 SdluGlGu. llSll Vi JIc SOuLu-
west who claimed iowa as their place
Of birth. The emblem of the day was
a small button bearing in the color
the picture Of a prize winning hog,
symbolic of the chief products of the
4 state.
AS each delegation arrived the mem
bers were assigned by COUNT and in
this way the groups were broken UP
and the colors of a dozen or more
delegations were seen by the county
/ signs. This proved good plan for
lfurthering the fraternal feeling of the
1 occasion. and in this way old friends
We're brought together, and those who
had been neighbors back east met
! men and women familiar with the
/ points of localities dear to them.
Bob Burdette added his keen
merriment to the occasion: Judge Cur
i It's D. Wilbur of the superior court