The Reunion Is Over

From the Leon, Iowa, area, date unknown, circa 1900

It Was the Best and Most Successful Reunion Ever Held — People Were All Well Satisfied

The big reunion which has been looked forward to for months closed Saturday night, and it is not stretching it when we say that it was the biggest and best reunion we have ever held in this city. It looked rather gloomy when the reunion opened on Tuesday of last week with a cold rain but when the sun came out Wednesday morning everybody took heart, although the weather was a little too cold, and for the remaining four days there was a big attendance. On Thursday and Friday Mr. Roe Caster had to open up his meadow to teams, as hundreds could not find any place to hitch on the grounds, notwithstanding there were just the same number of hitchracks as last year, so this shows conclusively that on these days the crowds were larger than on any previous year.

The speakers during the reunion were the best we ever had, Judge W. E. Miller, of Bedford, delivering a fine address on Wednesday afternoon. On Thursday the speaker was Judge S. F. Prouty, of Des Moines, one of the most prominent men of the state. He was met at the depot by Clerk S. W. Kehler with his fine team and carriage, and a delegation of prominent citizens, headed by County Auditor Gill, and escorted up town to dinner. He spoke at the reunion grounds in the afternoon and the crowd was the largest and most attentive at any of the speeches, and his address seemed to please every man and woman in the vast audience. On Friday Col. M. L. Temple, of Osceola, was greeted with a large audience and his address was well received. The last speech of the reunion was made by Mayor V. R. McGinnis, and notwithstanding it was the closing day he was greeted with a big audience who had the pleasure of hearing Mr. McGinnis at his best, and there is no better speaker in the whole state on an occasion like this than Mayor McGinnis.

Excellent music was furnished throughout the reunion by the Garden Grove band, and a better band, or one more liberal with their music was never in this city. The boys are fine gentlemen and gave the very best of satisfaction, both to the public and the committee. It is one of the best bands in this part of the state. The Big Four Quartet from Humeston were also here the entire time, and these gentlemen were heartily endorsed by everybody. They were always ready to sing and there was no end to their repertoire of song, classical or rag time. In the evening they appeared as black face singers and their rag time music never grew old, the crowds always being eager for more. The committee made no mistake when they secured the Big Four Quartet.

The free attractions were the best ever put on by any reunion in southern Iowa, including Clark & Stonebraker in double trapeze, revolving ladders, tumbling and barrel jumping and they are artists in these lines. Zareli, the silver gymnast also made good with his tramp comedy contortions and slack wire walking and unicycle riding, juggling, and hand balancing and posing. He is a good one. There were also a number of other free attraction, including numerous boxing and wrestling matches, and there was something going on at one of the three stands all the time, so that it kept the people busy trying to see it all.

Friday was 111th Alaska day, and these jolly boys had a big special program offering numerous cash prizes for contests and sports of various kinds. The pie eating contests for men was won by Will Akes, who devoured something less than a dozen pies, John Vanpelt being a close second. In the boys pie eating contest Frank Cartwright won first prize and Paul Kenter the second money. Howard Eals of this city proved a wonder when it came to stowing away the most watermelon and he easily distanced all his competitors, but hasn't cared for melon since. There were six good wrestling matches during the day at which cash prizes were offered and they were all for blood, the winners being as follows:

1st — Clyde Pryor won from Floyd Powers.
2d — Steve Akes won from John Powers.
3d — Fred Young won from Clyde Pickering.
4th — Wm. Akes won from Perry Reynolds.
5th — Floyd Powers won from Forest Davenport.
6th — Guy Whitecar won from Jasper Jennings.

In the boxing contests Art Cowden won from Jap Carr, the latter taking a header into the lake from the platform to avoid his opponent. This match was followed by a hot one between Clyde Marvin and Carl Reynolds which the judges called a draw.

Fred Jay, the Davis City high diver, made a pretty dive from a fifty foot ladder into the lake, and as the result of a challenge between J. R. Bowsher and Charlie Akes, Bowsher made a fine high dive, going into the water like a lobster.