SPENCER RE-UNION; Clark County, WI, Sept. 1, 1904.

Transcription 1904 Sep 1A.jpg

SPENCER RE-UNION

FAIRLY WELL ATTENDED AND A JOLLY GOOD TIME

Speech Making, Recitations, Lots of Music, Good Cheer and Plenty to Eat Made Time Fly Lively.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of last week were gala days for Spencer, the little city just over the Clark county line, in Marathon county.[sic] Spencer was the hostess for the Clark Co., Marshfield, Spencer, Stanley and Augusta Veteransâ€™ Association on the occasion of their thirteenth annual encampment. The attendance was not as large as it should have been and no doubt will be next time, yet over sixty of the "boys in blue" were much in evidence, who with their wives, daughters and sweets hearts, made a goodly showing.

Spencer post and her citizens generally were active in looking after the pleasure and well fare of their visitors. Excellent music by the Columbian Band of Colby and the Baker Drum Corps of Loyal was provided throughout the encampment, the band being there the first two days, while the latter were on duty throughout the sessions.

It would do any man's heart good to see the men of sixty years and many of them much older, as they mingled together during the few days of the encampment. The Civil war was fought all over again two or three times, only it was done up in quicker and better shape than it was forty years ago. While there wasnâ€™t as much foraging done, it is safe to say that the hen coops for several miles around Spencer are minus more chickens than they were forty years ago. Men life[sic] Comrades Crowell, Pickett, Bradley, Whitemore and others, who wouldnâ€™t be guilty of mustering in chickens on any other occasion, no doubt took advantage of the presence in town of such experienced men as Comrades Welch and Romaine of Loyal, Vine of Greenwood, Sheldon, Lantz, Brown, and Rossman of Thorp and Capt. Tolford of Neillsville, and laid in supplies for the coming winter, letting the latter have the glory of it. It even got so contagious that some of the good mothers in Israel, whose names we wouldnâ€™t give away for a dollar went out cooning watermelons and of course got into all sorts of trouble to boot. One store we were in reported that out of over a hundred melons he only had about fifteen left. In this connection we will venture the warning to the merchants and melon raisers of Thorp to look out next year for retaliation.

Wednesday was mostly gathering day and getting ready for the fun of the next two days. In the evening a program of vocal and instrumental music, recitations, by local talent, was given, this being followed by a dance by the full Columbian Orchestra.

Thursday was the red letter day of the three. A program at the Woodman hall, where all the exercises were held, was given, the principal feature of which was an able address by Hon. Neil Brown,"the sage of Wausau" who had been captured while passing through town on the Central, by a detail of the veterans who were duly commissioned for the deed. It seems Attorneys Brown and R. J. MacBride of Neillsville had been at Unity on legal business and were on their way to their respective homes, when the squad got hold of them at the Spencer station. Mr. MacBride succeeded in getting away, but sent back a telegram from Marshfield to the effect that while they did not capture him in person, they did capture his heart.

A picture of the crowd in front of the G.A.R. and W.R.C. hall was taken during the afternoon by M. H. DuCate, who used to be a Clark county man years ago at Greenwood. A base ball game between Spencer and Marshfield with a score largely in favor of the home team was also a feature of the afternoon's fun.

Thursday evening occurred [sic] the regular camp-fire program, consisting of speeches by O.A. Britton of Superior, S.D. Pitcher of Oshkosh, and Geo. B. Parkhill of Thorp, which, interspersed with plenty of music made the evening a jolly one for all who could crowd into the hall.

The business session took place Friday morning, this closing the three day encampment. Capt. J.W. Tolford of Neillsville took charge in place of President H.R. Crowell of Spencer and Rispa E. Crowell as secretary.

A committee on resolutions consisting of Messrs. J.H. Welch, E.D. Romaine and Geo. B. Parkhill was chosen.

On invitation of P.F. Lantz, which was duly acted upon it was voted to hold the encampment next year with the Thorp post and the officers to have charge were elected as follows:

C.H. Sheldon, president.

Fred Rossman, vice president.

Chris. Tiedemann, treasurer.

B.J. Brown, secretary.

In addition to the foregoing the following vice presidents from the towns represented in the association were chosen:

Thos. Vine, Greenwood.

J.H. Welch, Loyal.

Geo. F. Caldwell, Augusta.

M.B. Smith, Stanley.

H.H. Crowell, Spencer.

G.W. Henderson, Marshfield.

August Hornstead, Dorchester.

J.W. Tolford, Neillsville.

H. Hutton, Colby.

The committee, appointed, for the purpose, reported the following resolution, which was adopted.

Resolved, that in the death of comrade J.H. Sargent of Stanley, we have lost a warm hearted and patriotic comrade, an efficient officer, an intelligent worker along all the lines of patriotic work, and that in his death there comes a vacancy that will be hard to fill.

We realize that our ranks are thinning but this comfort comes to us, that in our unselfish devotion to the cause of patriotism though the workers cease to be, the excellence of their character still abides.

-O.A. Britton,

-M.B. Smith,

-S.H. Pickett,

Committee

The committee on resolutions also reported at this time as follows:

Resolved, that this association extend a vote of thanks to the citizens of Spencer for their cordial welcome and hospitality during our thirteenth annual encampment, and further resolved, that a vote of thanks be and herby is extended to the Colby band and Baker drum corps, G.A.R., W.R.C., and all citizens who assisted in making this thirteenth encampment a grand success.

Resolved, that a copy of these resolutions be sent to all the newspapers in our jurisdiction with a request that they be published.

-J.H. Welsh,

-E.D. Romaine,

-Geo. B. Parkhill,

Committee.

A special vote of thanks by rising was tendered the secretary for her efficient services, not only in the convention proper, but throughout the encampment, Capt. Tolford even going so far as to suggest that the meeting adjourn early in order to give those present time to kiss each other and that he wanted to begin with the secretary.

Altogether the occasion was a happy one and will long be remembered by those participating. Everything moved along nicely and a spirit of good cheer was dominant. There was a little feeling, on the part of only a few however, because the band boys would not play any Friday morning. Their work was thouroughly [sic] appreciated as was that of the Baker drum corp.

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