Elgin Wide Awakes
From the July 26, 1860 issue of The Elgin Gazette
ELGIN WIDE AWAKES
This club had another spirited and enthusiastic meeting on Tuesday night. The exercises were opened with an appropriate campaign song, after which the usual business was transacted. Arrangements were made to attend the Mass Meeting at Aurora next Tuesday, and an invitation extended to all Republicans to join us. Several brief but excellent speaches were made by E. F. Reeves and F. Gifford, which were received with great applause. A humorous sketch of "Honest Old Abe, our next President," was read by Dr. Jaeger, which brought down the house. His peculiar good Hits on Douglas were received with edeafening chears, and the enthusiasm was so great, that our friends R----s and H----n were in danger of collapsing. After singing another son, the meeting adjourned to meet again on Thursday, the 26th inst., and we hope that all Republicans will attend, so as to make the arrangements complete fro the Aurora meeting. Mr. Kinney will deliver a biographical sketch of Douglas on next Saturday, at which time we hope to see our hall filled not alone with Republicans, but also with the split-tail Democracy.
F. Raymond, Sec'y.
From the Aug. 30, 1860 issue of The Elgin Gazette
Attention Wide Awake and Republican Clubs.
There will be a meeting at Union Hall this evening, for the purpose of discussing the propriety of unitng the two in one. All Republicans are most earnestly requested to be in attendance.
F. A. RAYMOND.
Sec. Wide Awakes.
L. H. YARWOOD, Sec. Rep. Club.From the Sept. 13, 1860 issue of The Elgin Gazette
WIDE AWAKES.
The great feature of this campaign is the Wide Awake movement. It gives the eclat to every meeting, and excites the enthusiasm of the masses everywhere. The cheap but attractive uniform, the martial bearing, the flashing torches, the music and song are features so new and fascinating that thousands are favorably impressed and come into the organization thereby. The feeble imitation of all this, got y Ever Ready and Incible clubs has no tendency whatever to divert the public interest from the Wide Awakes. Here at home we see the effect of this movement, as well as is the mammoth gatherings. In all our local movements their cooperation is essential. In Elgin and vicinity Capt. Ward is the very Napolion of the campaign. And the movement is spreading. New clubs are being organized all around us. Here in Elgin an old man's company, called the Old Guard, led by Capt. Short, has been formed, and a Young America, or boys company also. Altogether, we shall soon have 200 uniforms in town, so that we shall be able to turn out strong. When Lincoln is inaugurated there should be 10,000 Wide Awakes to escort him to the White House. And that will be, as we all know, "in a few days, boys, in a few days."
From the July
12, 1860 issue of The Elgin
Gazette
Regular Meeting of the Wide Awakes.
ELGIN, July 10, 1860.
The
Wide Awakes met pursuant to adjournment at the Armory, at eight
o'clock P. M.
After
the usual drill, the meeting was called to order, and presided over
in the absence of the Captain, by Lieut. Jas. Davidson.
The
minutes of the preceding meeting were read and approved, after which
A. C. Wallin was called upon for a biographical sketch of Lincoln,
but being unprepared, at his request, L. P. Tickner was appointed to
deliver such sketch at the next meeting of the Wide Awakes.
Remarks
were made by Messrs. Kinny and Keyes, after which several campaign
songs were sung.
On
motion of F. Gifford, the members of teh Elgin Republican Club were
especially invited to gbe present at the nest meeting of the Wide
Awakes.
On
motion the club adjourned for one week.
F. A. RAYMOND, Sec.
From
the Sept. 27, 1860 issue of The Elgin
Gazette
We cannot pretend to keep up with the
political meetings being held all around us.
On Saturday night, last, the Wide Awakes, in full strength, turned out
and marched to the Kimball House, where the Lincoln girls presented the Young
American Wide Awakes with a beautiful banner, the work of their own fair
hands. The whole thing was done up just
right in the presence of a very large audience. The speech of presentation, by Miss Ruth
Barker, and the reply, by Mr. Frank Raymond, were neat and appropriate, and
elicited much good feeling. This over,
the boys, very proud of their banner, escorted the girls, very proud of their
boys, to Sherman Hall, where the immense crowd were addressed by Mr. Hunt, of
Dundee, on the political issues of the day.
The evening was thus pleasantly and profitably spent.
At the same hour of these proceedings,
Ed. Joslyn was holding forth to a little crowd at the Court Room. As near as we can learn, he had overt the
same learned, legal jargon, which he has so often indulged in, Dred Scott,
etc. The most of his speech would, no
doubt, come under “Sly,” according to the minister who said; “1st, I
shall consider what I know and you do not, 2d, what you know and I do not, and
3ly, what neither you nor I know anything about.” To keep the boys from going to sleep, the
orator occasionally drew fancy sketches of private interviews he had enjoyed
with republicans. Alas! Poor Edward!
-
TUESDAY EVENING.- The finest turnout of the Wide Awakes was on Tuesday
evening, when the Hon. John F. Farnsworth was expected here. Capt. Ward had his company as usual. Then the “Old Guard,” Capt. Short, were out
for the first time, and in fine order.
Young America, under the command of Capt. Raymond, fell into line with
as much precision as the old soldiers; their numbers were also swelled by
detachments from Dundee and Clinton, altogether making a splendid show. The people were out also in great numbers
packing the old Hall to its utmost capacity.
Mr. Farnsworth was sick and could not come, and so we were obliged to
improvise speakers for the occasion.
Two, or three short speeches were made, interspersed with campaign
songs, by a glee club, which set everybody on fire.
After the meeting the Wide Awakes had a grand parade through our
principal streets, serenading and cheering our principal citizens.
This end of the county is all right and ready for the 6th of
November. We hope it is so every where.
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