Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1911-07-21
THIRTY YEAR CLUB
INVITATIONS ARE OUT
AUXILIARY ORGANIZATION OF
HOMECOMING CLUB.
Annual Gathering to be Held Here
August 5th and 6th-JdmeS Mel
linS of Minneapolis, Addresses a
Unique Communication to Mem
berS of the Club.

The Thirty Year club will gather
in Watertown on August 5 and in
conjunction with the Homecoming
gathering. The secretary of the
Thirty Year club, James Nellins, 1913
East 2Sth street, Minneapolis, has is
sued the following call:
On Homecoming day when from east
and from west,
From north and from south, come the
pilgrim and guest,
When the old Watertowner sees
around his board,
The old broken links of affection re-
stored.
When the care-wearied man seeks
his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where
girl smiled before,
This is the spirit of Homecoming day
Dear Friend: Our old Mother Wa
tertown again invites us to come
home and partake of her hospitality
on August and g. Have you ever
asked yourself, What is the spirit
of homecoming? Answer, "Ah' the
good old days when we were young
and youthful" Those words are al
ways spoken with reminiscent sad
ness, and if there was not a lurking
sentiment from the splendor of good
fellowship, from the charm of sim
plicity and the peace that comes
from a contented heart, that marks
our homecoming festival, then there
would be no regret for the days that
are gone. But they are conjured back
again at our annual gatherings when
we cherish the generous spirit of our
'told home" festival; the gathering
together of families, making sacred
the beauty of the home ties and once
more living the days of our boyhood
in our old boy day town.
In Watertown there is now hustle
of preparation going on. The pantry
shelf is heaped up in plenty with
good things to eat and there will be
games and sports from the rising of
the sun on the morning of August 5
until the shadows of evening close
around on August 6.
+ Come home; you who were one
time boys wearing one gallus, stub
toed and freckle-faced, who had
stone bruises in summer and sported
copper toed boots in winter; you
boys who never wore Fauntleroy
collar, but who was always empty
and waiting for crullers and dried
apple pie. Come home and bring
oh,
girl in sun bonnet with old fashioned
''tyer" and little trim pigtails down
her back, giving her another oppor-
tunity to make mud pies, hug the old
rag doll with bit of fringe from
mothers dress for hair, play ''pomp-
pull l-away" and ''tag," believe once
more in dandelion fluff and hold but
tercups under the other girls chin
Come home, and once more eat your
breakfast of hot "riz" pan cakes right
off the griddle, and supper of big
bowl of old fashioned ''stir-about" on
the old drop leaf table in the kitchen.
Members of the Thirty Year club,
rally once more, you heroes of the
Old Guard and the Home Guard. Wa
tertown still holding sovereignty
over US, summons us to appear at her
shrine on August and 6. Let none
of us fail to obey her summons.
He sought the old scenes with eager
feet,
The scenes he had known as a boy.
Oh, for a taste of those fountains
sweet,
And taste for that vanished joy.
He roamed the fields, he mused the
streams,
He threaded the paths and lanes.
On the hills he sought his youthful
dreams,
In the woods to forget his pains.
Oh, sad, sad hills; oh, cold, cold
earth,
In sorrow he learned the truth.
One may go back to the place of his
birth,
He cannot go back to his youth.