West Oakland Pioneers

The pioneers of western Oakland held their annual meeting at Milford, Wednesday afternoon and evening, last week. The large audience joined with much feeling in the singing of the national hymn. Judge Baldwin, of Pontiac, made a few remarks, and R. K. Divine, of Holly, referred to his esteemed friend, ex-Governor Felch, that grand old man, and his late reception at Ann Arbor. Songs were sung and stories told of the olden days. Tu the Pioneers of Michigan: " OLD TIMES." It's forty yeara aí Binoe you and I were wed. Many l'riiMids we lored Are sik'iit now nuil de.ad. An' we are eettin' gray, Magvie, They aay we're growin' oíd. But life'h a jrrowln' sweeter Than when your halr was g-old, Do you remember, sweetheart. When the corn was in the ear, How I made them autumn daisies Ín a wreath for yon. mv dear? An' you didn't know I had 'eni Till I luid 'etm on vour brow. An' your look o' childish wonder. lean see it even now. Ah! that was a merry summi-r. Ad' I never ghall forgfet How tlie air was f uil o' miieio. An' methinks I heart it yet. Then our little new lojj cabin Nestled 'mong the wooded hllK, Kippled at wliose feet the rirer Where the robins dippedtheir billa, How we worked to clear the forests! Plant the meadows all our own ! Tlien a little fellow added His sweet laug-liter to our home. They kep' comln' an' a eoniin'. Till they Ulied thi old home-nest. Didn't we feel proud and happy, With si.v roifuisli youngstera biest? How we made the m:ijl suar. Such ïood times we' 11 never see. How the ïuls and boys tbey sliouted, Whon we had the hunkin' bee! When we cleared the summer faller, Heaped r.he brush toburn away. How thé snakes and eoons did soamper, Where the wolves were kept at bay. Jolly, how we fillod the stockin's, With the Vule burnin' low! Made queer tracks upon theohlmney, Llke Saint Nlck'supon the snow. An' the snow banks hid the fences. An' we watchf-d the merry din Of the whtrl-dance on the winiiow When the candle-lieht was dim. Don't it make an old raan happy When he thinks of pumpkin pie. Just Hke them that you made. Ma.g"grie, In the olden days gone by? Now .Timmie'sln the city. And Torn bas gone out West, An' John, he 'oon 'II marry The gal that he lovee best. Yes- the world is irettiu' wi-.iri But I 8omehow feel a srlow Of tend'rist mem'rle fur the days O' twenty years aso.