Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1912-07-06
SOCIETY LEADERS AND CHURCH
WORKERS TAKE PART IN
"NOTABLE' PARADE
5000 SPECTATORS
Company of Cow Boys" Dressed In
Khaki Suits and Armed"
Charges Into Crowds and
Disperses Them.
Especial correspondence. |

the SuIlraSeLiS pafduc WHICH was
one Of the features OF the biggest cele
: bration KeosauGua ever had on
Fourth Of July. All Van Buren, county
! or at least representative part OF
the county, was here and it is esti.
mated that nearly five thousand peo'
pie thronged the streets. All morning
streams of carriages and autos filed
| into town.
! There were the usual stunts to in.
| terest the people, such as speaking,
ball games, potato races, trapeze per.
! formances and the like, but the real
show of the day was the equal suf.
fragc parade Society leaders, church
workers, wives of prominent mer-
chants, political and professional men,
threw away their dignity and decorat-
ed with paint and feathers, tall silk
/ hats, American flags, they marched
through the streets carrying banners
with such quotations as this: Down
with the tyranny of the men, votes
for women" I'VE are going to have
; the ballot ETC. There was whole
regiment of them, only this regiment
was composed of only three companies
instead of the regulation twelve.
The captain OF the first company
they had all the officers OF fully
organized military organization, Dut
most important were the captains ana
color bcarers-was the wife OF
prominent business man, and she com
manded company of aristocrats VINO
we're dressed in frock coats, tall SILK
hats and yellow skirts. Oh, ye shades
of George Washington and Alexander
Hamilton! If they had only seen this
company demanding the vote, the
right of woman's suffrage would Ger.
tainly have been included In our
federal constitution, SO there would be
no need Of such means being taken
on the one hundred and thfrty-sixth
anniversary of our nations birth!
Next came a gaily bedecked COM
pany of ladies with blackened faces,
and red. white and blue skirts, and II
Abraham Lincoln could have only be-
held them, certainly women would
have been given the ballot when IT
was granted to the negroes by constt-
tutional am endment!
But last and best came the company
of cowboys, and typical cowboys they
were. Led by the daughter of promi-
nent attorney, they were dressed In
regular khaki suits with broad
brinmed hats and leather leggins.
They were armed with pistols, shot
guns, knives, and when they started to
charge the crowd it melted away
faster than snow on the Fourth OF
July. The fen men that remained held
up their hands yelling for women's
suffrage and equal rights for all.
The band master deserves special
mention, being the wife Of one OF the
editors. She was dressed with tall SILK
hat. the coat of band master, light
skirt. and carried big bass drum
which she beat vehemently.
The only thing ever held here to DO
compared with this parade was when
the society leaders Of the town pulled
off a baseball game last summer for
the benefit of the Village Improve
ment society. That attracted state
wide notice.
The following is list Of those who
took part in the parade:
Mrs. Will Haney, Mrs. J. w. Rowley,
Mrs. John Tharps, Miss Mate Daugh-
erty, Mrs. Marion DeHart, Mrs. G. w.
Dodds, Mrs. Lex Therme, Mrs. Chas.
Robinson, Mrs. ]. c. Strickling. Miss
Stella Sloan, Mrs. G. e. McLeland,
Mrs. Will Donahoe, Miss Lydia Moore,
Mrs: Sam Brownlee, Mrs. VIII Corwin,
Mrs. Chas. Miller, Miss Bess Overman,
Mrs. Herb. Reese The cowboys were
Misses Helen Walker, Bertha Walker,
Winifred Corwin, Mary Rambo, Maude
Calhoun, Winnie Kittle, Julia Day, Lily
Wiesgarber, Alice Cheney, Bertha
Watkins, Madge lands, Avo Hend-
rickson, Edyth Powers, Donna Sloan,
Orpha Sloan. Ruth Dibble, Beryl
Campbell and Edna Warren and Mrs.
Wilbur Whitney.
Following the suffragette parade
came a pony and automobile parade
in which large number took part.
In the afternoon Rev. Allison, pastor
of the Christian church, gave an ad.
dress in the park, and Miss W1nlfred
Corwin read the declaration OF indie
pendence
In the evening the crowd gathered
near the river and witnessed some OF
the finest fireworks ever seen In the
county.
Some Of the Visitors.
W. W. Dyer brought an automobile
load from Ottumwa down to help cele-
brate. Mr. Dyer formerly ran the keo-
saunua meat market.
w. S. Overman, travelling salesman
of Ottumwa. accompanied by his wife
and daughters, Misses Helen and
Hazel Overman. spent the day here
visiting his brother. J. M. Overman.
Clyde Pickett and wife also spent
the day here and were guests Of Mrs
Picket's mother and father, Mr.. and
Mrs. SomerVille.
Floyd Walker Of Ottumwa, court re-
porter for Judge Vernilion. accom-
panied by his wife, visited old friends
here ..-...
Other News Of Interest.
Mrs. j. w. Cheney and daughter,
Miss Amy Cheney. left Thursday af-
ternoon for Albany, Mo-, where they
will make a short visit Mrs. Cheney
and family formerly liver near there.
and they are going back to visit old
friends.
Hon. E. R. Harlan. curator of the