6

PIONEER REUNION.

The "Old Boys" Celebrate the Ad-
vent of the Centennial Year in
Princely Shape–A Remarkable
Night.

The reunion of the Pacific Coast Pioneers which took place at the National Guard Hall, Odd Fellows' building, Virginia, last night, was attended by three or four hundred persons, among whom were respectable delegations from Carson, Silver City and Dayton, and a host from this place. Hilarity being the proposed order for the evening, the regular order of business, with the exception of propositions for membership and the election of new members, was omitted.

The names of Levi Smith of Virginia and Nelson Johnson, of Gold Hill, were proposed for membership and referred to the proper committee. Louis Greentree, of San Francisco, and A. Mitchell, of Gold Hill, whose propositions for membership were handed in at the preceding meeting, were balloted for and duly elected members of the Society last evening.

The following resolutions, eulogistic of the memory of Hon. Will Campbell, were read and unanimously adopted:

WHEREAS, It has pleased the Almighty disposer of events to remove from among us by death our fellow-member Judge Will Campbell, who died in Santa Barbara, California, on the 15th day of January, A. D. 1876, and was buried in the Masonic Cemetery in the city of Virginia on the 21st day of January, A. D. 1876; therefore, be it

Resolved, By the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers, that by the death of Hon. Will Campbell the legal profession has lost an honorable member; society a worthy citizen; and this society one of its most cherished brothers.

Resolved, that with unaffected sorrow we mourn the loss of our brother; that we shall miss his brotherly counsel and companionship and the genial sunshine of his presence and fraternal love.

The flower of the forest
Shall blossom again,
And the song-bird shall carol
His soul-stirring strain;
But, the Heart Fate hath wither'd
No Time can restore,
And its voice shall be silent
On earth evermore.

Resolved, that we tender to the widow of our departed brother our heartfelt sympathy in her sad bereavement.

Resolved, That our Secretary be and he is hereby instructed to forward a copy of these resolutions to the widow of Judge Campbell; to spread them in the GOLD HILL NEWS and Daily Territorial Enterprise.

After the reading and adoption of the above resolutions, President S. A. McMeans said that the propriety of pronouncing a panegyric on their late respected brother, Will Campbell, had been suggested to him a few days ago, at which time he was under the impression that such a course was forbid by the by-laws. He had since discovered his error, and would be happy to hear from any and all the intimate personal friends of deceased.

Hon C. E. De Long was then called for, and addressed the audience briefly, prefacing his remarks with the statement that he was totally unprepared to do justice to the memory of his departed brother–a remark which applied equally to the different gentlemen following him on the same subject. We cannot pretend to give even a respectable synopsis of the various speeches, or in fact any part of the proceedings of the night; for, as remarked in our editorial columns, such a course would fill them with "Pioneer" to the exclusion of everything else. But among other things, the honorable gentleman said that one who helped to mark out the highways across the continent had left for the other shore. He was a man who, like many others of us had an ambition to earn not only fame, but money, and to some extent failing in the latter undertaking, had become a little soured in temper; but underneath a somewhat rude exterior there throbbed a true, manly heart, which won him the love of many warm friends, in whose minds his memory would remain fresh and green long after others over whom a greater parade had been made would be forgotten. Will Campbell was followed to his last resting place by sincere mourners. He had fallen first from the circle. Let those who remained imitate him, and die respected by their fellows and themselves.

Colonel R. H. Taylor followed, in a eulogy which showed his friendship for his departed friend, and which was very creditable to himself. He said that he scarcely knew what to say; but the remarks of Hon. C. E. De Long had recalled the scenes of long ago, when Campbell and himself first became acquainted, and long before the prefix Honorable was attached to the name of his friend. From that time until he was laid in his grave he had watched the career of Will Campbell, and always with pride. When he was elected Judge in Sierra county, California, men predicted his failure; but his was a nature that always rose not only to the level of but above his surroundings; and in whatever position Campbell had been placed, he was always equal to the emergency.

He said that his friend, like many others of his Scotch countrymen, was apt to say what he meant in plain English, but under a somewhat brusque exterior was hid a warm and genial disposition, which, when once thawed to friendship, never froze over again. He was always a gentleman, who, whatever his trifling faults might be (and who was without them?), was brimful of mirth and was the soul of good fellowship. They would all miss his jokes, his repartee, and his blows. No better man belonged to that or any other society. It was well said by Mr. De Long that the Pioneers followed him to his grave with true sorrow; but all should remember that he is still a Pioneer, and has but gone a little in advance to the country where all must follow. He believed that Campbell had anticipated his early dissolution and was prepared for it, as one of his last remarks on going to California before his death was a quotation from Byron's tragedy of Manfred, where he says: "Old man 'tis not so difficult to die." He doubtless realized that 'tis not so difficult to go to a better land, "where (apostrophizing him), until we meet, I bid you a farewell, Will Campbell. Green be the turf on the friend of my better days."

At the close of Colonel Taylor's address Mr. De Long said that as their hall was destroyed, he would move that the Pioneer flag be draped in mourning for thirty days in honor of the memory of their departed brother. The motion was carried unanimously, and the Janitor instructed to see that the wish of the Society be carried out.

W. F. Stewart followed in a short address, during which he took occasion to contrast the Society of Pacific Coast Pioneers in this State with the California Pioneers of San Francisco. He said that he had lately been on a visit to that city, during which he had attended the meetings of the society, which were simply disgraceful, being characterized by jealousy, wrangling and bickering. He said that had the California Pioneers sustained such a loss as the Society in Virginia City, the "Old Boys" here would have been prompt to step in and at least offer a little timely aid. Such a thought, however, never entered the sordid brains of the California Pioneers. The majority of the members composing that Society, or at least the influential members, were men who knew comparatively nothing of the hardships of pioneer life. They were men who had landed in California in early days and sat quietly down in San Francisco, gobbling up corner lots, land grants, etc., the Lord only knew by what means; and who, by merely sitting down like a bump on a log, had grown rich, but through no foresight or effort of their own. Such men were not of the metal that entered into the composition of the members of the Pacific Coast Pioneers, and he was glad that the Society in this place was known by a different name from that in California. Mr. Stewart also paid a fitting tribute to the memory of Hon. Will Campbell.

He was followed by General C. C. Batterman, who, after alluding to the circumstances under which he was present, viz., as an invited guest, in behalf of the National Guard, and also in his capacity of a Pioneer, expressed his pleasure at participating in the proceedings of the night. He, too, referred to the death of their late brother, Hon. Wil Campbell, in terms appropriate and affecting.

The General was followed by Rev. Thomas H. McGrath, Major E. A. Sherman, Farmer Treadway of Carson, D. O. Adkison and President McMeans, some of whom made amusing speeches and all of them sensible and appropriate ones. Farmer Treadway wanted Charley De Long to tote him through, but that astute gentleman left the old granger to his own resources, which by the way, were ample. Judge Adkison allowed that the cause of his being present was something for which he could not account, as he was no Pioneer, although he came to the coast when Bill Gibson was no bigger than Charley De Long. The Judge, like others who preceded him, Mr. McGrath and Major Sherman among the number, complimented the Pioneers on the wonders they had achieved on this coast, among which was the great work for the cause of temperance (by their fearful example).

President McMeans gave the history of the Society in this place, and stated that in organizing it he had tried to induce such men to join as he thought would increase its prosperity and have its interests always at heart. He then said that, aside from opening this coast to the world, the Pioneers should not, at the commencement of the Centennial year, do something which would make their names live fresh in the memories of men for ages. He called attention to the difficulty experienced by the day-laborer in providing for the necessities of himself and those dependent upon him for support, and referred to the fact that as the populating of the country increased, so would the difficulty of obtaining a livelihood. There are now 1,800,000 acres of unoccupied land in the United States. What he proposed was, that at the next meeting a committee be appointed to start a petition to Congress, asking that every man in the country who is willing to cultivate a certain portion of the soil for his support be given a tract of land (amount not stated) gratuitously. Could such a thing be accomplished, the poor men of future generations would have cause to bless the name of the Pacific Coast Pioneers.

At the conclusion of the Presidents' address, a recess of twenty minutes was taken, and the pork and beans, roast pig, ham sandwiches, corned beef, wine, aguardiente, beer, etc., with which the tables, extending around the hall, groaned, were discussed with a gusto and relish alone the birthright of hungry school boys and the "old boys." The way they went after those edibles would rejoice the heart of a thrifty housewife.

After the intermission, S. A. McMeans resigned in favor of Charley De Long as President for the balance of the night, whose first official act was arbitrary and despotic, being the appointment of a score of the ablest bodied men in the hall as Sergeants-at-Arms, with instructions to allow no man to pass out under any pretext. Then it was that the jollification began in earnest. The first thing on the tapis was a song by Robert H. Lindsay, George N. Eels, Joseph Fredericks, Charley Cavanaugh and Tip Orndorff. At the conclusion of the song a number of conundrums were handed in to the President, all of which were too many for the audience; such for instance as–Why are the Pioneer meetings always disorderly? Because they are attended by Noyes (J. D.). Why does Charley De Long make such a polished President? Because he has been Japaned." After them came the following:

Resolved, That hereafter a Steward (not Frank) be appointed to see that the lunch is not Tinkered with; that all Means (not Mc,) be appointed to repair the Constitution, while a Shepard looks after the flock, which he Dotes(en) on.

The Virginia Glee Club then sang "Hail Columbia" and several other popular airs, after which R. H. Londsay was called upon for a speech, but not having one about his delicate person, he sang a convivial song, entitled, "Take It, Bob," instead, to the great delight of everybody.

Deacon Bill Gibson then gave the boys what he called a little "Centennial racket," being a song devoted to the praise of the star-spangled banner, the great American eagle bird and other national treasures, a la the Tennessee Jubilee Singers, who visited this section a few weeks ago.

After the Deacon subsided, Johnny Guerin the celebrated humorist, was loudly called for, and made his appearance, reciting "Under the Controlling Influence of Drink" and one or two more comic pieces.

Doten, who was introduced as a Bible sharp, naturally enough fell into reminiscences of the old Biblical pioneers, such as Moses, Noah, Methuselah, old Adam, and Henry Ward Beecher, all of whom were noted prospecting pioneers.

Mr. McEwen uttered several witticisms which were duly appreciated and loudly applauded.

George Elston, alias Butch, assisted by Johnny Guerin, sang "My Heart is Broke, God Knows It Is, Since Terrence Joined the Gang," in such a comical way that the sides of all present were in nearly as bad a condition from excessive laughter as the heart referred to.

As we write the remembrance of the occasion crowds upon us, and we are loth to reduce the account to the limits prescribed us by time and the space at our command. Such occasions rarely occur in the life of any man or the history of any State. As Colonel Taylor aptly remarked, "one touch of nature makes all men akin," and that touch was applied to the hundreds assembled in National Guard Hall last night. The meeting, which lasted till 3 o'clock this morning, and was favored with a more attractive and varied programme than any entertainment ever before given in Virginia, closed with "Auld Lang Syne," the "Doxology," a benediction by T. H. McGrath, and three cheers for the National Guard, which company donated the use of its hall to the Pioneers last night.