Springfield 1636-1886, History of Town and City, by Mason A. Green ...

SPRINGFIELD, 1636-1886. 441
IlarriHOU, a good st^iul off. George Ashmim was made president,
and Henry Seymour, of Springfield, secretary. Speeches were made
l)y Isaac C. Bates, Emory Washburn, of Worcester, Judge O. B.
Morris, William Stowe, and others. April, 1840, the famous cam-
paign of " Tippecanoe and IMer too " was now under way, with all
its picturesque features.
One day some Lougmeadow boys rigged up a log cabin and made
a call on "Uncle Jere's," the cabin being drawn by six horses. A
fifteen-gallon keg served as a chimney. The hard-cider candidate
was well toasted. The year was full of excitement, and the demo-
crats were also ripe for the fray. There was a grand Harrison demon-
stration in Springfield, October 0, 1840. William B. Calhoun had just
been nominated for Congress. On the evening of the 8th the town-
hall was occupied by the wings. A triumphal arch spanned Main
street, near the Chicopee Bank, put up by the merchants of " Fountain
row." Early Friday morning a cavalcade with a band rode in from
Monson, and some wagons and horsemen poured in from Wilbraham,
Ludlow, Longmeadow, Northampton, West Springfield, Granb}",
Belchertowu, and dozens of places. The Westfield delegation to the
convention came in a huge wagon drawn by twelve horses, and " Old
Tip's Buggy" inscribed on its banners. Over half-a-dozen bands
were tuning up the party patriotism. Capt. George Dwight formed
the procession at ten o'clock, assisted liy H. Seymoui-, William M.
Town, C. A. Mann, R. Shurtleff, and others. Revolutionary soldiers
were at the head, and the column, six deep, proceeded to Worthing-
ton grove, where that inspiring leader of men, George Ashmun,
called the assemblage to order, and Oliver B. Morris was made presi-
dent. All the afternoon was spent in speech-making and singing whig
songs. The American eagle, in all sizes and conditions, perched on
the decorated floats about the grove ; whig mottoes floated in the
breeze on familiar terms with the stars and stripes, broken democratic
arches lay in ruins, and lampoons furnished food for the merry.
Stuffed roosters stood proudly upon log cabins, and General Harrison