LETTER FROM MRS. BELLE BURNS HARVEY

BURNS, HARVEY, TEALE, POLLOCK, KOGER, MILLER, STRONG, SHEELEY, SULLIVAN, GREEN, SHOWERWOOD, FRAZIER, ROBINSON, SANDERS, WIDNER, TEN BROOK, FERGUSON, HASKETT, PROCTER, ALEXANDER, ARMSTRONG, PENNIWELL, WEATHERBY, BROOKS, FITHIAN

Posted By: Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert (email)
Date: 11/12/2001 at 19:23:27

Decatur County Journal
March ll, l909

Yesterday we attended the Iowa picnic
which has come to be an annual
affair in southern California. The crowd
was estimated at 20,000. As
early as 8 o'clock the street cars and
autos were whizzing by filled
with Iowans. Scattered about the grounds
could be seen ladies in white
dresses and all minus wraps. The section
of Agricultural Park inside
the race course had been made to represent
a map of Iowa, arranged
according to the location of the
ninety-nine counties. Each county was
designated by placards at the top of high
staffs, with state
headquarters in a tent marked Des Moines
at Polk County. Every county
had its table and registration book, and,
such a hunting for old time
friends. Of course, we went to Decatur
first of all. After lunch came
the election of officers. J.H. MCCORD,
formerly of Des Moines, was made
President; J.D. LYONS, of Knoxville,
Secretary; and F.N. NICHOLS, of
Waterloo, Treasurer. Music was furnished
by the band of the Whittier
State School and the various Fife and Drum
Corps of Los Angeles, also
vocal numbers were intermingled with the
speeches. The speakers were:
Ex-Senator W.W. DODGE, A.H. STUTSMAN and
ROBERT J. BURDETTE. Every time
the music or a speech would begin, the
crowd would make a rush for
headquarters and it seemed about half of
them would run across old
friends whom they had not seen for ages
and stop to exchange greetings,
so you can imagine about how much of the
program we heard. Think of
meeting EMMA SNYDER RICE, after so many
years. Her father, J.A. SNYDER,
was postmaster at Leon forty years ago.
It was certainly a great day
for the Hawkeyes. I will enclose a list
of those who registered at
Decatur County Headquarters before we did
and no doubt many others
registered later in the day:

MR. and MRS. FRED TEALE, Decatur; MISS
CHARLOTTE TEALE, Decatur; I.H.
POLLOCK, Decatur; ESTIN KOGER, Decatur;
ETTA MILLER, Decatur; S. STRONG,
Van Wert; LEAH D. SHEELEY, Van Wert; J.D.
SULLIVAN, LeRoy; GERTRUDE
LITTLE GREEN, Lamoni; ETTA SHOWERWOOD (?),
Lamoni; EDITH N. FRAZIER,
Leon; FRANK ROBINSON, Leon; WINNIE
ROBINSON, Leon; FLORA ROBINSON, Leon;
MAY SANDERS, Leon; EMMA DORN WIDNER, Leon;
EMMA SANFORD TEN BROOK, Leon;
EVA HASKETT FERGUSON, Leon; EMMA ALEXANDER
PROCTER, Leon; C.M.
ARMSTRONG, Leon; KATE PENNIWELL WEATHERBY,
Leon; CORA BROOKS FITHIAN,
Leon; MISS IDA BROOKS, Leon; MRS. CARRIE
HYATT, Leon; ETTA MCCLELLAN
HALL, Leon; EMMA SNYDER RICE, Leon.

Following is the song written by MRS.
HARVEY to be sung to the tune of
"Marching Through Georgia."

Bring along your lunch baskets

And bring a plenty, too;
Bring along your sweethearts,

Your friends both old and new;
This is going to be a time

For everyone of you.
This is the gathering of the Hawkeyes.

Chorus--
Hurrah! Hurrah! We hail the Hawkeye band,
Hurrah! Hurrah! The finest in the land.
Wo we'll sing their praises
While on this golden strand
At this gathering of the Hawkeyes.

We'll come from every county seat,

From hillside and from plain.
>From Sioux to old Decatur,

From Blackhawk down to Wayne;
We'll ring in Polk and Story

With every glad refrain
At this gathering of the Hawkeyes.

Chorus-- (repeat)

We'll talk about our pretty girls,

Our hogs and hay and corn,
The glorious fields of waving grain

Our rolling hills adorn.
And all about our senators,

The greatest ever born
At this gathering of the Hawkeyes.

Chorus-- (repeat)

Soon we'll call a president

From out our shining ranks--
A.B. CUMMINS fills the bill

In front and on the flanks,
He will surely win the race,

As did one NANCY HANKS
At this gathering of the Hawkeyes.

--BELLE
BURNS HARVEY

Leon,
Iowa.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
November 8, 200l