Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1911-03-03

were their own. Should a Californian
be deprived of citizenship in his native
state he would probably apply to Iowa
for membership and in many cases his
the change,
Eleven Years Old.
At what remote date Iowa first dis
covered California is hard to say, but
since that time the numbers have
steadily increased. About IL years age
many former residents of the corr
state met on New Years day in Pasa.
dena to commemorate old times. The
following year, stories of the GOOD
times at the first meeting lac spread
Throughout the southern part of Cali
fOrnia and the second meeting was ar
enormous affair. Then it was decided
to set some date for a general meet.
ing of Iowans. The result was that
Washington's birthday was chosen and
since then the picnics have been held
on hat holiday. The attendance at
these affairs has increased rapidly. The
organization became permanent and
now headquarters are maintained.
The motto, Our Liberties We Prize
n Our Rights We Will Maintain
was chosen by the association and il
has been lived up to. Printed on ali
it's official communications the society
| has the object of the association il
4 XIV SiooCL IN vi oil " IilSI lO"dIS
n their friends, to enable them tC
renew n form acquaintance and to
| promote the fraternai spirit that in.
| spires those who come from the same
| state"
With the main object that of enjoy.
ing a picnic before their eyes the
Iowans do not forget charitable impul.
SEES. 1t has been the custom for years
To allow the Women's Relief corps OF
the G.. A. r. to sell lunches on the
| grounds and this year was no excep.
ton. Many of the picniCkers pur>
chased their refreshments from the
! corps and not only helped the G.. A. r..
but assisted former Iowa women. many
Of whom were among the members OF
the corps.
The Badges.
One point which has greatly aided
the growth of the association is that
it has practically no expenses and
4 consequently no dueS are assessed. The
proceeds of the annual sale OF badges
is sufficient to pay what little outlay
is ocasioned by the picnic and no
Iowans would think of attending the
picnic without wearing the insignia OF
honor upon his breast with the gilt.
tering metal only equaIled by the bril-,
liant color of the ribbons attached to
the badge.
The badge consists or a prize wins
ming n of corn like those grown il
Iowa on which is MOUNTS a "porker."
The words Iowa Picnic are also on
the badge though any one of intelli
gence would now that when a good
! ear OF corn and = veil. developed hos
are in evidence Iowa is TO be inferred
The ribbons attached to the badges are
of four different colors each signifying
something about the wearer's right to
wear the badge.
1 The elderly gentleman yyparipU a
white ribbon, who is surrounded by a
| crowd of enVious onlookers, has lived
In Iowa so or more years. He is en-.
| titled to an aisle seat behind the em>
peror and all the pink lemonade he
! cares to drink. His strut is pardoned
as he is a parsonage of note. What.
| ever he says about the old days is ac>
| cepted as absolute truth on February
2z. references made by him to certain
ears OF corn which, under his careful
attention, many years ago, grew to
such dimensions that the grapes
brought back by the spies from tho
promised land were as a mere group
of bird shot by comparison, are care,
fully noted and reporters take them
down in shorthand. He is it.
The man with the red ribbon is one
of Iowa's native sons who as yet has
not had the time to live there so years
but who still has hopes.
The gentleman wearing the blue and
| seen to be lowering about the white
II r~ed-ribboned ones, is one of those
/ fortunate untortunates. He was not
born in Iowa, poor fellow, but he man:
aged to attain a residence there later
on.
Those persons with the yellow on
are just mere friends OF Iowans and
visitors. They appear very happy. They
were not born in Iowa and neither have
they ever lived there, some of them
have never even been in Iowa but one
day each year they are allowed to play
with Iowa people and bask in theiH
smiles.
The election Of officers will take
place this afternoon. The officers Of
the past year are Stephen H. Taft
honorary president; DR.. e. Henderson
president; Judge p. S. Rishel. vice
president; G. II. Parsons, secretary,
n f.. A. Nichols, treasurer. 1t is
probable that the voters this afternoon
will ~re-elect all but the first two. The
president and vice president have con.
Quoted a very popular administration,
but custom DEGREES that the honors be
! transferred.
1t would be a mistake to speak Of a
picnic without saying something about
the lunch, and while that portion of
the days festivities were being attend,
ed TO there We're many who remarked
that in Iowa sue a lunch was usual
but in California deviled eggs are lux
urieS.
To see everybody in one short day
was a ~stupendous task, and many o.
the picnickers used the lunch hour to
taIk TO friends, so the spectacle of 4
staIwart Iowan holding a drumstick in
one hand, a big sandwich in the othe>
and causing his Mouth to chew both
and shout TO someone at another tabls
I was not m
Throughout the throng constantly
could be seen moving Mayor George
Alexander, of Les Aggeles, a native OF
Iowa, who forsakcs the affairs of the
| city on February . of each year and
goes TO Eastlake park early In the day
| N stays until late in the afternoon