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

swell the ranks Of the successful ones
on the Pacific coast.
An estimate shortly before the well
filled lunch baskets were opened upon
the green lawns of the park placed
the number in attendance at about
$1,000. which is the greatest numbe
IL persons to gather at a similar at
sair in he history Of California.
Foresight on the part of the COM
mittee which has the picnic in charge
made it very easy for an Iowan to find
in a minute that portion of the park
N which former residents of his part
Of Iowa had collected. According to
the usual custom placards placed on
poles gave the name of the county from
which those who were seated about it
had come and a big register gave the
names, addresses and home town of
the members of the gathering. Con-
Fe"nttonalities were in q great measure
done away with and any Iowan wear
ing the official Iowa picnic badge had
but to give his own name to know that
Of any person he CHANGED to meet.
From All Directions.
For miles and miles in every direc-
ton from Los Angeles Iowans poured
into the park. Some came in carriages,
many more in automobiles. still more
on rains and in street cars and finally
those who had been unable TO secure
seats in the cars came On foot.
The elements seemed to favor the
Lowans, too, for the rains had ceased
and the warm sun had dried the
ground and hardened the roads. Mud
and dust were not in evidence and the
atmosphere was neither warm nor cold
but was saturated with just enough of
both to fill the crowd with good spirits.
AS the picnic was primarily intend
ed TO afford all Iowans an opportunity
10 meet others and enjoy their society
for at least one day a year, the pro-
gram arranged for the day was very
short. Such things as races n events"
which form the greater portion of the
programs of most other states socie-
ties, found no place on the Iowa pro-
gram. Speeches were arranged for by
The program committee, but they were
few in number and brief, because
things of that nature can be heard any
day, while the opportunity to meet old
ToWanS and new lowanS is MOI to be
wasted. That the committee guessed
well was shown when the crowd about
the speakers platform did not num-
Der over 1000. The speakers under
stood that the comparative Smallness
Of the audience was not due to disre-
spect on the part of the association but
the overwhelming desire of the pic
nickers to live IN the spirit Of the af-
fair and the majority Of them stated
that they would say little-Only as
much as was demanded by the Iowans
who wanted to hear prominent Iowans
say something about Iowa-and would
then themselves join the crowd.
Representative People.
LII the throng of picnickers that
swarmed in the park was represented
almost every branch of industry and
business that exists in southern Cali
Port,io II ic n ca fn WA GER that any In
%stitution in southern California will
have at it's head an Iowan and every
institution of any size will have Iowa
men connected with it.
All Iowa men in southern Califor-
MIA are busy and that fact explains
why the plans for the picnic were not
complete until a day or two before the
lunch baskets were packed. But it
rhattered little for everyone today
seems to have his own ideas on how
to spend the day to the greatest adj
vantage and the absence of long pre-
pared plans is probably an advantage.
Before the crowds dispense this aft
ernoon a few remarks will be made by
Major John A. Donnell and Willard l..
Eaton, of Usage, Ia. 1t is also hoped
that Ex-Governor Horace Boies, of
Iowa. will speak. Subjects have not
been assigned to the speakers and they
will be at liberty to ramble to their
hearts content.
Colonel J. J. Steadman, formerly of
Council Bluffs, and Judge p. s.. Rishel,
Of LeMars, formed the program com
mittee. Colonel Steadman retired from
the publishing business in ouncil
Bluffs a hort time & and has since
been living in Hollywood. He has
given considerable time to the work I'm
connection with the development and
growth Of the Iowa Association of
Southern California.
All Have Autos.
Where do all these Iowans conn
from?" was the question asked many
times in the downtown district of
Los Angeles this morning when the
picnickers were transferring from one
car to another TO get to Eastlake park
The crowd, attracted by a circus pa
rade, is nothing compared TO the crowd
that swarmed through the down town
district to Eastlake park. The answer
70 the question is simple. IL is esti-
mated that in southern California at
least 100. 600 Iowa people are living.
About rs per cent of this number live
in or near Los Angeles n Pasadena.
The fact that a great number OF them