Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 26, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 October 1899 — The Lafayette "Boomers.” [ARTICLE]

The Lafayette "Boomers.”

The boom train from Lafayette, advertising the Business Men’s Carnival to be held in that city next week, was here Wednesday morning, and proceeded to boom the forthcoming Carnival. There were several hundred boomers in in the party which was accompanied by two brass bands, a platoon of the Lafayette police force, in uniform, a company of uniformed Red Men, etc. The procession formed at the depot, and, led by Councilman Spitler, Nightwatchman Childers and Postmaster Meyer, marched south to Susan st., west to Front, south to Harrison, east to Cullen, north to Washington, and west to Front, where it turned and came back east to Yan Rensselaer. The police then took the lead and marched south on Van Rensselaer to “The Elk,” where a right wheel was made and a straight shoot for the front door was taken. Strick handles “artesian water,” made by a Lafayette concern, and it is supposed that a fresh keg of the product was on tap for this occasion . Next followed the Red Men, who, up to this time were thought by some, to be members of the uniform rank of I. O. G. T., in like order, followed by the band boys. The latter, however, did not approach in as good order as their predecessors, for on coming opposite the artesian water dispensary they made a wild scramble for the door and no effort was made to keep step. Some of the soldiers in the ranks made independent visits to the mineral water fountain and quenched their hunger, during which time the band played “Johnny Fill Up the Bowl” or some other equally appropriate melody in the arcade of the building. The boomers were here about an hour altogether and made a very impossng appearance in the parade. From this city they went to Monticello, Frankfort and thence to Crawfordsville and Lafayette.