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One of the most pleasant occasions which it has ever been the writer's privilege to attend was the reunion of the Hale family yesterday (Thursday) at the old Hale homestead in the northwestern part of Mifflin Township, four miles northeast of Mansfield.  The Hale family is one of the best known and most respected in Richland County.  In the year 1817 Hugh Hale and family emigrated to this county from Jefferson County, this state, and settled upon the farm where the reunion of yesterday was held.  They came on horseback, the journey occupying three days, and Mrs. Hale carried her second child, Samuel, then two years old, and her spinning wheel all on the same horse.  Accompanying them on the journey was the father of Prof. John Simpson of this city, who was a brother of Mrs. Hale.  The tract of land on which they located was then a wilderness.  It was decided by James Monroe, President of the United States, to John Anderson and John Hale, brother of Hugh, in 1818, and shortly afterwards was transferred by them to Hugh Hale;  from him it descended to his son Samuel, and thence to Samuel's son Hugh, who is its present owner and occupant.    

Hugh Hale and wife, Jane Hale, were the parents of ten children, three of whom are dead.  The seven now living are Hugh Hale, of Madison Township;  Mrs. Margaret Fleming, near Fleming Falls;  Mrs. J.M. Boyle and Mrs. Jos. Holmes, of Mansfield;  Mrs. Thomas Palmer, of Los Angeles, Cal.;  Mrs. Catharine Carrothers, of Fairfield, Ill., and W.A. Hale, of Vinton, Iowa.  All these were present at the reunion except the two last named.  It was a pleasant meeting of the five sisters and brother at the old home where they had grown up together.  They formed an interesting group as they were yesterday seated about the old table made by their father 60 years or more ago and about which they had so often gathered during their happy childhood days.  All are now well along on the shady side of life and the reminiscences related of the early times on the old farm were full of interest.  The time selected for the reunion was the day on which the mother of this interesting family would have been 97 years old.  She died only seven years ago, lacking but one day of being 90 years old.  Hugh Hale, the father, died 56 years ago, his wife being a widow for 49 years.  

The reunion was attended by about 50 persons, nearly all of whom were the descendants or relatives of Hugh and Jane Hale.  The day was delightful and everything combined to make it a day of rare enjoyment.  The old brick house, which the first Hugh Hale built nearly 60 years ago, had fallen into decay, not being occupied for several years past;  but it has recently been rescued from ruin and repaired by its present occupant.  Hugh Hale, (of the third generation) who has made it again a very pleasant and comfortable home.  After the sumptuous dinner had been served the host was presented with a purse of $25 by his uncle (Hugh) and aunts as a token of their gratitude for having restored their childhood's home to its present condition.  The presentation address was made by C.N. Gaumer and other addresses were made by Hiram R. Smith and John Ward.  Mrs. Hale, the hostess, was also the recipient of several valuable presents.  Mrs. H.B. Boyle read the following letter from her father, Wm. A. Hale, of Vinton, Iowa:

Vinton, Iowa, Oct. 13, 1889

"To you, my brother, sisters, nephews and nieces, I regret to say that owing to my wife's ill health, I shall be unable to meet with you at the family reunion.  ---- let me assure you that nothing would give me more pleasure than to meet with you all at my childhood home, and receive the hearty congratulations that I know would be extended to me, were it possible for me to meet with you to help celebrate our mother's birthday and see the old home repaired and occupied by one of the family branches.  And now, Hugh and Mary, I hope you may live long to enjoy its kindly protection and may it become as dear to you as it was to our dear old mother in her many years of occupancy.  Accept our congratulations, one and all, and as you gather around the festal board remember, though we are far away and cannot be with you in person, our thoughts are with you, and nothing but wife's ill health has kept me from making one of your number;  and may you all live to have many more of the same reunions, is the wish of the youngest son and brother of the Hale family.  

-- Wm. A. Hale"

Among those present from a distance were Mr. & Mrs. Thomas Palmer, of Los Angeles, Cal.;  Mrs. John S. Bradley and two children, of Grand Rapids, Mich.;  and Mrs. H.S. Cole and daughter, of Galion, O.  Both Mrs. Bradley and Mrs. Cole are daughters of the present Hugh Hale Sr.

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