The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-03-06
THIRD ANNUAL ILLINOIS
REUNION A GREAT SUCCESS
LARGE CROWD ASSEMBLED IN MUM PARK LAST EVENING TO
PARTICIPATE IN THE OCCASION WHICH ALL
GREATLY ENJOYED
Music by the Fine Speeches Sumpuous Banquet Were the
Pleasing Features Of the Celebration Which
Will Long Be Remembered

In beautiful Mum Park amid sur
roundings such as would prove to be
veritable Garden of Eden to those
living in their native State, over one
hundred lllinoisians gathered last
night to the third annual Illinois
celebration, an occasion looked for
ward to with eager anticipation
each year by the members of the
Illinois club. The membership of
this club is made up of those who
were either born in that great State
or at some time in their lives had
made it their home. The gatherings
always take place in the open air,
and in our delightful cline, when
their native home is wrapped in ice
and snow, it is an experience long
to be remembered, and in Mum park
the setting for such banquet could
not be surpassed. With the star-lit
heavens and the giant green -leafed
oak trees as canopy; roses blooming
on every hand and the dark green
| grass, a carpet of rarest beauty, the
large company gathered about the
banquet board, formed in the shape
of the letter l, promptly at SIX
o'clock, and for three hours there
was a feast of reason-and Other
good things, and flow Of soul.
Four-page programe were dis
tributed. on the title page Of which
was the following very pleasing ant
appropriate quotation:
Welcome once more to home, tina
is better perchance than the ole
one!
Here no hungry winter coneeals ou
blood like the rivers;
Here no stony ground provokes thu
wrath of the farmer,
Smoothly the plowshare runs thro
the soil as a keel thro' the water
All the year round the orange tree
are in blossom, and grass grows
More in single night that Who'll
Canadian summer.
The invocation was delivered b
Rev. Richard Bolton, rector Of Al
Saints Episcopal church, which wa
followed by very pleasing toast t
Illinois, by Mrs. w. B. Moon
which was real literary gem an
beautiful tribute to her nativ
State and was delivered in a mos
pleasing manner.
The toast to Florida was delivere
) by Mrs. Grace Hanna, whic
showed what ardent boosters lllinoi
, people make, and under what din
, culties they will labor in order
make Florida their home.
s Supper was then announced an
this most important feature wa
given the closest and most enthl
siastic attention of all present. Tn
speakers table was especially beal
|, tiful, the arrangement COMMITTEE
of which Mrs. Edward Schurma
j, was the chairman, leaving nothin
Iundone to make 1t most beautif'
and artistic in every detail. Plat
cards, attached to which were II
y colors of the club, blue and gol
carried out In ribbon effect. enable
all to find their places, and the Il
BILE was made more beautiful by
huge basket Of nasturtiums whie
formed the centerpiece.
> After the many delectable vian'
had been enjoyed, DR.. w. B. Moo
toast master Of the occasion, al
h nounced that Mayor o. M. Eatc
was to have been present, but
account of being called out OF Il
city, he was forced to send his T
, grets and could not therefore deliv
the address of welcome, Teast Mast
% Moon then introduced Mr.. NJ.
y Hetherington, editor of the Tel
n gram, who spoke on the Tran
% planting of a Citizen. " In speakiI
70 of the formation of the Illinois Clu
Mr.. Hetherington said that
|, members had linked themselves
n gether in no clannish spirit al
NJ with no feeling of dissatisfacti'
with their present surroundings, b
we're drawn together by a commu
IN ity of memories and assOciatio
n md that the organization was b
80, .