In reminiscing happenings of the past, some events that ravages of time were kind enough not to obliterate from memory are called to mind. In making this statement, my thoughts are led back to the years 1891 and 1912, to review briefly some interesting incidents that happened during those years, which were exclusive of activities of the Dramatic Company organized only a short time earlier. On the 1st of May, 1891, the ward, under direction of Bishop John A. Allred and counselors, John Knight Sr., and Steven W. Perry Sr. held a May Day party at the hall, consisting of a program in the morning followed by lunch and refreshments at noon, a dance for children in the afternoon, and one for older members of the ward in the evening. One impressive feature in the morning session was braiding and unbraiding the May pole by groups of girls and boys. Names of some who took part in that joyful experience were: Lawrence Slater, Clarence Allred, Ethel Slater, Nora Smout, Millie Hutchins, Alex Hunter, Lewis Stanger, Reuben Perry, Ellis Hudman, George Wardle, Albert Knight, Arthur Howell, Jerome Wheeler, and Joseph Smout. Entertainment activities for the year 1891 were brought to a close with a Christmas party at the end of the year. The hall was decorated for the occasion with different colored bunting that hung in loops on the walls around the building. A brilliantly decorated tree with glittering tinseled streamers and burning candles stood near the stage in the southwest corner of the building. Under the tree were presents for children of the settlement. This was the first entertainment of its kind to be held in the hall and was a joyful one. Orson Hudman identified as one of the leaders in organizing the Dramatic Company, acted as Santa Claus. The unique way presents were distributed was a source of amusement. This writer on that occasion, was a happy recipient of a harmonica, which is still in his possession and well preserved. It has retained the high quality of tone it possessed when first played, but time has changed the color of the celluloid case in which it is enclosed from beautiful white to yellow. Christmas parties were held at the hall the following two years or until a schoolhouse was erected in the upper and lower districts in 1894, where afterward, traditional Christmas parties were observed as annual events in each district. We can look back to 1892 as the year residents of Slaterville turned out to celebrate a very special event that happened only once every hundred years. On the 12th of October that year, Slaterville with other communities was urged to observe with fitting exercises the Fourth Centennial Anniversary of the discovery of America by Columbus. In fact, the occasion was designated "Columbus Day." Relatively few over the country who were in the cradle in 1892 will be living when the next centennial will be observed in 1992. Two numbers on the program on that occasion left a lasting impression that time has never erased from the writer's memory. A song by a colored girl who was visiting in Slaterville at the home of Benjamin Chadwick, titled "The Ship That Never Returned." The other number was a short poem recited by James Hunter, a small, round-faced chap about four years old, which went like this: It's not for such a "tot' as I, To tell of things that's long gone by, -140- But I am told that I must say, You're welcome to Columbus Day. For a number of years the hall on various occasions was a gathering place for school, ward, and community entertainments. The first ward reunion, the writer has any recollection of was held in the hall, as near as can be ascertained, in 1896. The gathering was referred to at that time as Old Folks' Party and was designated as such during years it was held in the old meetinghouse from the beginning of the century until the new ward chapel was erected in 1914 where it has since been held under the name Ward Reunion. All descendants, children, and grandchildren of Pioneer families of Slaterville who were old enough toreason and had the privilege of attending the early day parties to honor the aged, will recall that all activities of the day were aimed at reviving in our noble forebearers memories of the glorious past. Except a brief message of" tribute to the aged by a younger member of the ward, programs on those occasions consisted of talks, old-time songs, readings, etc. by our Pioneers themselves. Nearly all older members of the ward have listened and become more attentive as the years passed to programs rendered by those beloved men and women. They never seemed to grow old and monotonous. Today, in our imaginative mind, we can hear the comic reading Apple Dumplings, as it was given many times by James Hutchins and the immortal songs, "Now We Are Aged and Gray Maggie," "The Merry Young Widow I Met On The Train," as they were respectively sung by Bishop James A. Slater, Robert Cowan, Alvin Hudman, and Henry Manning. Patriotism or love for country long stressed by Church leaders, was infact a significant part of the religious creed of men and women who colonized settlements of these intermountain valley. This regard for the welfare of our country was demonstrated in no less degree by our forebearers than it was by those who colonized elsewhere. Comparatively few of the many years that have passed since early days in Slaterville, has our ward failed to observe the 4th and 24th of July extending down to the present time, 1978. (See Fig. 11-1) As far back as the writer can remember, celebrations on those days were held annually under trees on the old meetinghouse grounds with appropriate exercises in the Church for two hours in the morning of each occasion, Afternoon activities consisted of field sports, contests of various kinds, foot racing, ball games, horseshoe pitching, tug-o-war, etc., sports in which old and young participated. One important feature of all early-day public gatherings that must not be overlooked, was presence of a refreshment stand around which the smaller children could be found at any time. Varity of things dispensed at the stand were limited to homemade ice cream, lemonade, lemon, vanilla, and strawberry pop in the drink line, firecrackers, small crackerjack boxes, and small bags of hard-tack candy Delicious candy bars such as we enjoy today were never dreamed of then and a hot dog or hamburger that constitute a hurried snack for celebrators of this day couldn't be purchased in a restaurant until long after the beginning of the century. -141-