Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-10-10
Mary Tells Her Cousin Leah
All About Old Settlers Day
Miss Leah Williams,

AZ Y -
Dear Cousin:-I will endeavor to
answer your letter which l received
some time ago. l am sorry you were
not here to go to Fairfield to the old
settlers reunion with us Thursday. We
drove as far as Cousin Leah Boysels
and took the train to Fairfield.
1t was a lovely day all day, and we
had a fine time. We first visited the
park and looked at the relics of u
f%orefathers. Among the relics was a
rocking chair made in 1776. The seat
of it was twisted bark and resembled
rope. Then there we're the old OK
Jokes and the spinning wheels. also
saw one of the saddle bags u fore
fathers used to carry mail in in the
early days and I saw many other
things which I will not take time to
describe.
We then made our way to a good
place to watch the parade which was
headed by the Fairfield band of fifty
pieces, all dressed in white and there
drum major wore a bright blue suit.
Then came the display of the electric
light plan. They had a large wagon
all draped in white and blue and pink
| and small electric lights all strung
around over the wagon which looked
very pretty. Next was a wagon all
in white and on it was a large horse
covered with tissue paper flowers and
it looked like it was covered with
snow balls. On it's back sat a little
child. Next came a wagon all draped
in white and trimed all over with It's
! sue paper vines and large punches of
GRAPES; this was the advertisement OF
the Fair store at Fairfield. There was
various wagons very beautifully dec
Grated representing Fairtield's groc-
cry stores. There was a wagon all
trimmed in white and it was fille2
with people, the peoples faces were all
white and they had on white dresses,
advertising Fairfeld's white wash.
Among other numerous things in the
parade were the townships and the.
district schools, one big wagon had
about eight big seats across it and
little children in the seats studying
and he teacher was up in the front
DdTI OIL LuS WdSOu. Ill "uSSho A~N
women and children on them and veg
etables and poultry and live stock rep
resenting the products OF the different
townships of Jefferson county.
Next came a lot of school children
marching; they were dressed in white
and had sashes and blue paper caps,
each carrying a flag. Then came the
witches all dressed in black and had
hats on that were tall n u to a
point at the top and they all had little
brooms in there hands. The parade
was so long that l a not tell you all
that was in it.
The soldier boys had a sham battle
lust before dinner Half of the soldiers
! went on n side of the park n the
| other half on the other side and they
laid down and commenced to shoot and
the smoke just rolled for d little while.
| Next on the program was dinner and
YOU know what that means after
tramping around all morning. We ate
| dinner on a lawn opposite the post Of
flee and were ready for another tramp
in the afternoon. There was an auto
mobile parade in the afternoon and also
a parade of lodge members. The Elks
had the finest display. There were five
Elks in an automobile all trimmed in
| purple. The automobile was black
trimmed in white and purple, and on
the front of the auto was a very large
elk's head with large antlersN which
was beautiful. They had two bands
which took urn about playing. They
had vaudeville amusementS at three
different corners Of the park which
were all excellent. There were several
| people hurt and several automobiles
| stolen, all but one was returned. One
that was taken registered about seventy
miles. We ate supper in the park and
we rode on the merry -%go-round. And
| then we all started for the depot after a
jolly good day spent in Fairfield, long
to ge remembered.
Your loving cousin,
Mary Gonterman, age II,
Eldon, Ia, r. l, Box 81.