150 years ago

JUNE 23, 1876

Immigrant wagons are constantly passing through, but some of them don’t pass through.

Why any of them should is a mystery no fellow can find out. But some people would pass through Paradise hunting a better place beyond if they were traveling that way.

We have all read in histories of victories wrenched from defeat. Borrowing the simile, we may say that Fair and Festival on Thursday night of last week was a success wrenched from failure.

The weather could not have been more unpropitious. From Tuesday morning till the day in question, dark clouds hung a perpetual pall over the earth, ever and anon opening the valves and deluging the land until it seemed the whole face of the world would be covered with water.

And oh, the mud, which, Biblically speaking, “stickest closer than a brother”! Add to these adverse circumstances the failure of strawberries to arrive.

Imagine the sloshy, slucy, chilly day, thunder rumbling, lightning pyrotechnics in continual display, and you have a faint conception of the prospects as they presented themselves to that persevering little band of ladies known as the Marion Centre Sewing Society on that memorable evening.

With umbrella hoisted, ye editor trudged to the appointed place, deploring the pecuniary loss to the good ladies, which seemed inevitable. But despite these prospects a pretty fair audience gathered, and a very enjoyable time was had, and the neat little sum of nearly $40 realized.

The ladies desire us especially not to forget to thank the leader and members of Professor Battey’s Cornet Band for the excellent music furnished. It was their first appearance in public, and the boys acquitted themselves worthy of a Fourth of July occasion.

The ladies are to be congratulated upon their very unexpected but deserved success.