The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1912-08-29

lives of period when Iowa was
young, and of each gray-haired veter
In of time 1t may be said:
age sits with decent grace upon his
visage,
And worthily becomes his silver
locks;
He wears the marks OF many years
well spent,
OF virtue, truth, we'll tried and wise
experience"
And Of the early mothers here today
these lines may be tenderly quoted:
"Tho time has touched her too, she
still retains
Much beauty and more majesty"
Then welcome, thrice welcome,
fathers and mothers OF another gem
GRAFTON; welcome within the portals
of Keokuk, the progressive Gate City
of the Mississippi valley. Age may
dim the eye and make the hair grow
gray yet the hearts Of these gathered
Did settlers never grow old.
Though bending on his cane there
Is still a twinkle in Lis eye,
And his big manly voice.
Turning again towards childish treble
And whistles In his sound"
This is no time to bewail the fact
that time has touched them, for SO
light has been the touch Then let US
all be gay and Joyful with them.
.Why grieve that Time has brought
SO soon
The sober age of manhood?
AS idly should weep at noon
To see the blush Of morning gone"
!
AS the veteran of war "shoulder'd
his crutch and showed how fields
were won,' so let the glorious, gray
haired veterans Of contest holier
and grander than that Of war. in
mimic portrayal gather the old-fash-
toned plowhandles in his weakened
grasp and show how the prairie and
timber soil was turned. changing the
wilderness into fertile fields, winning
q victory for heart and civilization
more magnificent and profitable than
the most noted triumphs of war.
Every incident of the day has been
frightened by the dews of a sacred
memory, from the arrival of the first
old settler into the city until the close
of the notable program, and the
fnrt inc NV In Ill fo{l
mothers of Lee county. OF the golden
circle which lovingly binds these sur,
vivors of hero ancestry as brave
and noble as any who ever trod the
virgin sod Of any land and who were
among the first to enjoy the splendid
perfume OF the Wild Rose OF Iowa.
Old Settlers Organization.
A life time ago In the winter of
1871, a small number of the pioneer
settlers of Lee county decided to call
a meeting to organize an old settlers
association, which resulted n an in
formal assembly at the court house
in Fort Madison on the evening or
January 5, 1871, at which Philip vieie
presided and r. w. Pitman was score
tary. A discussion was had and a
free interchange OF opinion when the
following resolutions were adopted:
Resolved, That this meeting be adj
5ourned to meet at this place on the
18th day of April next for the purpose
of effecting said organization.
Resolved, That all old settlers pres
ent who were inhabitants of the coun-
ty on the first day of July 1910. be
invited to sign their names, and the
time Of their coming into the county,
to roll, which was done as follows:
1S30-James W. Campbell, October.
1S54-Alexander Cruikshanck, Mar.
/; j. c. PARROT, November.
1S35-R. W. Pitman and Lewis Pit
man, April 2; James Cruikshank born
May I; Samuel Paschal, September.
1S36-John G. Kennedy, April y;
E. s. McCulloch, May; Silas D. Hus-
tead. June; John H. Douglass, born
June 20; j A. Casey, July 6; Elias
Overton, August IS; Peter Miller, Sep
TENDER %; Jacob Abel, October Is.
1S37-Jacob Vandyke, January %:
Cromwell Wilson, February; James
Caldwell, May A. Peter viele, June 2;
Hazen Wilson, July; Enoch C. Wilson,
November Is; George L. Coleman, No
yember 29
1sSS-Philotus Cowles, May 8.
lS3S-Daniel F. Miller, April Is;
Robert A. Russell April E. Mar.
sell, May |; Isaiah Hale, May; Rob
ert Mcfarland, November; James t.
Blair, November 16.
1S40-Ferdinand Kiel, March Is.
George B. Leidy, May; Eukanah Per
dew, June 10; r. McHenry (date not
giyen.)
At the meeting called in the above
resolution, April 49, on motion Of
Judge Russell one vice president was
appointed from each township as fol.
lows: Guy Wells, Jackson township.
William Skinner, Jefferson: Alexan-
~ rr,,ilyc nnly Esrapl-Ii~. ~ :,