A History of the Hall County Whisker Club (1932)

appeared in the parade "dressed like a lemon, with a crate around himself."

Henry Westphal and Nick Claussen objected to the court's fine of $1 and said it wasn't enough. They thought it ought to be $5, and rather than risk an appeal the court accepted the compromise.

Earl Gray went down in his jeans and enriched the fund a ten spot.

Bill Kelly, father of Prosecutor "Stub" Kelly, was given consideration by the court because of a $25 contribution already made to the celebration fund, and Kelly was not fined. He was branded by his own son, after a struggle.

A Colorful Parade

All sinners marched in the parade Saturday, July 2, with four colored boys, Joe Price, Don Gates, Ed Buxton and Whistling Bill Streator providing an unusual musical number. Ethan St. John, Pee Wee Cover, Stub Ralston, Snag Trupp and Happy Nath charged with shaving Max Moses, a duly whiskered member of the club, were found guilty. Cover and St. John were fined 50 cents each, and Messrs. Ralston, Trupp and Nath sentenced to put on a boxing show at the ball park. The sinners offered to box any one with whiskers, Ed Hannon included, or, if there were no acceptors of the challenge, to put on a free-for-all.

Blossom Forth in Costume

Whisker Club members were instructed to blossom forth in their costumes Thursday morning, June 30, and picturesque and grotesque lay-outs of various descriptions were responses to the instruction.

"Don't let your enthusiasm drag," was the plea of the club president, George Cowton. "I've never seen such wonderful spirit and willingness to co-operate as we've had in this whisker club, and that spirit ought to be kept alive and dominant among us even after the celebration is over. In

this particular case it has the whole central-west talking about Grand Island and our celebration."

Flight to Kansas City

Inasmuch as the Aviation Committee of the Whisker Club and the Chamber of Commerce were unable to get permission from the Secretary of War to use army fliers for the celebration July 4 and 5 in Grand Island, Dr. W. W. Arrasmith and George Bartenbach took off from the local airport in the Doctor's plane early Tuesday morning, June 21, for Kansas City . . . to get the job done.

Before noon, the local Whiskerites re' ceived a telegram from the fliers stating that they had conferred with Charles B. Wright, commander of the Kansas City Reserve Air Squadron, and completed arrangements for bringing six army planes to Grand Island for the celebration.

The Whisker Club is deeply indebted to Dr. Arrasmith and George Bartenbach for this service. The exhibition of army planes and fliers was the stellar attraction of the entire celebration.

'Go-to-Church' Sunday

Every member of the Hall County Whisker Club was requested by the board of governors of the club to attend church somewhere on Sunday, July 3rd. In preparation for the services, a letter was sent out to members of the clergy in Hall County by a committee composed of Dr. W. W. Arrasmith, H. M. Augustine, and M. C. Weber. It read in part:

"By an official action of the Board of Governors of the Hall County Whisker Club, it has requested the entire membership to attend his church service on the morning of July third. "As a special request from the governing body of the Hall County Whisker Club to the clergy of Hall county, may we ask that you include in your services on that morning, a significant eulogy to the pioneers of Hall county."

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Table of Contents

THE WHISKER CLUB

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