The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-10-08
GOOD SPEAKERS
AT PICNIC
]. r. Deems and Ex-Mayor Frank
Norton Present at Van
Buren, County Home
Affair.

BONAPARTE, Oct. S.-The county
home picnic which was held at the
Van Buren, county home, near keo-
sauqua, last Tuesday, was success
in every way The day was an ideal
one, the attendance numbered several
hundred, the speaking was excellent
and the music by the mixed Cantral
and Keosauqua bands, with G. X.
Miller as soloist, was highly appre-
ciated by all, as was the melon feast
after the exercises were ended. The
attendance was made up OF people
from every part of the county, Coun-
ty Attorney Buckles acting as chair
man, introduced Hon. F. G. Norton
of Burlington Mr.. Norton, who was
formerly mayor of Burlington, made
a stirring and eloquent address. He
demanded high standard of patriot
ism and denounced those who cr1tl-
else and covertly oppose the govern
ment and who malign our allies as
nothing less than traitors, and de-
clared they should be treated as such.
Hon. j. f.. Deems of West Burling-
ton, was the next speaker. Mr..
Deems, who has been appointed as
one of Mr. Hoover's aids, and also a
speaker for the Greater Iowa asso-
citation, dwelt on the greatness OF
Iowa. which is the fifth state in
wealth, and the first in the per capita
wealth of its citizens and the first in
literacy; but the principal part OF
his address was on conservation
conservation of the soil and conserva-
ton of the food supply of the coun-
try He said farmers should borrow
from the soil and not steal from it
borrow and pay back as they do to
a neighbor or to their bank. Other
wise in the course of time, he de-
clared, the farms Of Iowa would be-
come impoverished and would have
to be abandoned as they are in New
England, or as they are in the ex.
hausted oil regions OF Pennsylvania
where cities which formerly had pop
ulations Of 10000 and $4,000 are now
deserted. The impoyerishment Of
the soil would affect the towns and
villages in the same way it did the
country. Mr.. Deems is an extensive
farmer and declared he had corn
that would yield 100 bushels to the
acre. Mr. Deems spoke Of the war
and of the Liberty loan, declaring
there was no escape from paying
our part toward carrying on the war,
and if we were not successful we
would pay the Prussian war debt
also. The matter of compelling the
United States to pay an enormous
indemnity has already been discuss
ed In the German reichstag. The
matter Of food conservation was also
dwelt upon at considerable length.
Mr.. Deems is great speaker, the
best that has been heard in Van
Buren, county for long time. Mr..
Buckles, county attorney, spoke Of
the great need of building to house
the county's unfortunates and read a
paper showing that the cost of main.
was about $4,000 year, while the
home was only about $4,000
The number of insane
averaged about fifty persons. The
meeting was opened by prayer by
Rev. Mitchell of Mt. Zion. The
had been carefully arranged
for by erecting a nice stand and pro-
viding seats for nearly all present.
1t was a very pleasant and success
full affair.
Mrs. Art Hughes and two children,
Of Eadon, were Saturday visitors here
at the u. g. Smith home.
The district court opened at Keo.
sauqua today, with F. NJ. Hunter
presiding Judge, and w. l.. Melotz,
official reporter. The grand jury has
been summoned by mail to appear at
80 p. M, the first day of the term,
and the petit jury, forty-two in, num-
Der, will appear the second Monday
at 1890 a. M An assignment of all
the doclSets will be made today. Dur
ing the first week, cases not reGuir-
ing a jury will be heard. There are
On the docket this term nine criminal
cases, fifty-seven law, seventy-four |
chancery and thirty-eight probate. |
There are also ten divorce cases The
grand jury is as follows: J. W. |
Wainscott. G. w. Davidson, D. r. |
A. G.. Murdoch, T. D. Nor
ris. c. Hull. C. A. Howard, H. A. !
Whitmore, w. S. Work, ]. L. Arnold |
and r. w. Boon.
Stanley Meek. former Bona2arte !