Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-03-25
Misfellamepus.
Remarks OfDr. J. G. AVER of Lowell, the
Great Medicine Man,-March 9th, on
the Inauguration Of the Town Of Aver.

UTCdt MtulC1uC HdH,-MdTCu OIL,
the Inauguration Of the Town Of Aver.
Ladies aud Gentlemen:
On the western coast of Scotland where it
slopes into the Irish Sea, river, rising on
the mountains of the inner land, winds down
among the hills and empties into the Firth of
Clyde. From remote time it has been called
| Ayr from an old Scotch word "Ayry," mean
ing an eagles nest-the river of the eagles
nest Near its mouth and a contiguous har-
/ bon, long stood hamlet which became a row
al burg or town named from the river, and
now about one-third as large as Lowell-the
city of Ayr. For more than a thousand years
| 1t has been noted in the history of Scotland.
During the wars of Robert Bruce it was one of
his resorts, and was especially favored by him
beause he was there cured of leprosy. Oliver
| Cromwell made it one of the depots and
headquarters of his army in his attack upon
Scotland, and one Of his old forts is now the
Citadel of Ayr
| But above all its distinctions, AYR was
the birth place of the poet Burns And what
a poet What voice he has given to all the
endearments of home How has he hallowed
the cottage and all it covers-weans and wife.
patches and poverty, beans, barley, ale, hard
ship and the poor mans toll. How he wraps
with tenderness whatever he names, even his
bleak leagues Of pasture, the stubble field, ice,
snow, sleet, and rain, brooks, birds, mice,
thistles and heather. His Bonny Doom, John
Anderson, my 10 John, Aud Lang Syne.
and Highland Mary roll round the world
in ever ringing symphony with what is purest
and best in human nature. His songs WOO
and melt tie hearts of youth and maidens,
bring solace to the sorrowing and courage to
the overburdened by their lot. His inspiration
has set the affections to music in strains that
are immortal.
No other one man ever made language
classic, but he has rendered that lowland
Scoth Doric dialect of fame. The name of
his home and his beloved river Ayr was lifted
on the wings Of his pathos, and now the ap-
preaching traveller yearns TO reach the spot
his genius has sanctifed.
Along the border of the sea in a parallelo.
gram and surrounding the town is a county of
the same name-Ayrshire.
It would weary your patience to hear the
history of my ancestors from one ancient John
OF Ayr, then John Ayr, down through the
centuries to this Aver now before you through
their yicissitudes of poverty and plenty--ot
fortune and misfortune; how they have inter
married with England, Ireland. and Scotland.
and later with the Americans, who are an ex-
cellent mixture of them all.
My friends, you have chosen the name |
inherited tor your town with an extraordinary
unanimity, and have thereby conferred upon
me. the proper ACKNOWLEDGMENT Of which l do
not feel fully able to express But beg you to
be assured that it is appreciated and that it
will be gratefully remembered with living
interest in your prosperity while life remains
to me, and, trust, beyond that my children
after me.
If this name has become noted among the
many that are worthier around you, that is
greatly due to its publicity. May be permit
ted to state whence that came? Until within
few centuries all the civilized nations of the
globe were pent up on the Eastern continent
Two or three hundred years ago they leaked
over into this; few and fearfully at first, then
more and more but always in their settlements
timidly hugging the Atlantic coast. Within
the last two or three generations, they have
burst out, as it were, and over-run these vast
continents of the West. Now they are seat
tered here and possess these measureess
stretches OF mountains and valleys, hills,
plains, forests and prairies with the boundleSs
pampas and mountain ranges of South Amer
lea. Former generations lived in villages and
towns, thickly settled together where phys-
clans were plenty and near at hand. Now,
the people are widely scattered, in many Sec
tions of these many countries. For great
numbers the timely treatment of physicians
CdIuOt uc Ildu ONcI IdISc lTuClS OI country
good or competent physicians cannot be had
at all: They can not visit patients enough
many miles apart to live by their profession,
nor can they carry medicines enough with
them on horseback for their requirements.
Hence has arisen in these modern times, a ne
cessitv for remedies ready at hand, directions
for their use-a present recourse for relief in
the exigencies of sickness, when no other aid
Is near. 1t is a new necessity consequent
upon the changed conditions of human life--a
want have spent my years in supplying, and
| will tell you something of its extent. Our
laboratory makes every day some $50, 900
potions or doses of our preparations. These
are all taken by somebody. Here is num-
Der equal to the population of fifteen cities as
large as Lowell, taking them every day (for
sickness keeps no Sabbaths) nor for once only,
but again and again year after year, through
nearly one third of century. We all join
in the jokes about medicines as we do about
the Doctors mission to kill, the clergyman's
insincerity and the lawyers cheating.
y ct each of these labors among the most seri-
Gus realities of life. Sickness and its atten-
dant suffering are no joke, neither is the treat
ment of them. This system of transportable
relief, to be made available to the people,
must keep its remedies fresh in their memo
ries. This is done by advertising. Mark its
eAteht. AN advertisements, taxing the run OF
the newspapers with which we contract (some
1900 annually is struck off in such numbers,
that when piled upon each other flatwise, like
the leaves of a book, the thickness through
them is sixteen miles. In addition, it takes
some seven millions of pamphlets and twelve
millions of circulars to meet the public de-
mand for this kind of information. Our an
nual issue of pamphlets alone, laid solid upon
each other. make a pile of eight and one
quarter mile es high. The circulars measured
endwise reach 1894 miles, and these asser-
tions are matters of mathematical certainty.
Whatever the estimation in which these pub
licatlons may be held here, they reach the
iresdes of millions of men who do treasure
and regard them, and who in their trials do
heed the counsel they bring.
Not only over these great Western cont.
nents but throughout that other land so little
known to you, under our feet, the Australian
continent, there are few villages as large al
this which are not familiar with the name YOU
have chosen, and employing the remedies
that hear in