Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1871-04-08
MISCELLANEOUS.
Speech of A Great Medicine Man

The Inauguration of the ns% town Of Aver;
in Massachusetts,, named aftsr the distinguish
ed DR.. j. C. Aver, was the occasion, a few
days ago, Of a great gathering. Upon being
presented to the large audience, and thanking
them for the cordiality of their greeting, DR..
Aver spoke rs follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen On tho western
coast of Scotland where it slopes into the
Irish Sea, river, rising on the mountains Of
tho inner land, winds down among the hills
and empties into the Firth Of Clyde. From
remote time 1t has been called Ayr from an old
Scotch word Ayry," meaning an eagles nest
the river Of the eagles nest. Near its
mouth and contiguous harbor, long stood a
hamlet which became royal burg or town
named from the river, and now about one
third as large as Lowel-the city of Ayr
For more than thousand years 1t has been
noted in the history Of Scotland. During the
wars Of Robert Bruce it was one Of his tesofts,
and was especially favored by him because no
was there cured Of leprosy. Oliver Cromwell
made it one Of the depots aud 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
birthplace Of the poet Burns. And what q
poet What a voice has he given to all the
endoarments Of home! How has he hallowed
the cottage and all it covers-weans and wife,
patches and poverty, beans, barely, ole, hard
ship and the poor mans toll. How he wraps
with tenderness whatever he names, even bis
bleak leagues Of pasture, the stubble field, ice,
snow, sleet, and rain, brooks, birds, mice,
thistles and heather His Bonny Doom, John
Andefsoh, 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 the hearts of youth and maidens, bring
solace to the sorrowing and courage to the
overburdened by their Tot. His inspiration
has set the affections to music in strains that
are immortal.
No other one rnah ever made langhage
classic, but he has rendered that lowand
Scotch Doric dialect Of fame. The
name of his home and beloved river Ayr was
lifted on the wings of his pathos, and now the
approaching traveller yearns to reach the spot
his genius las sanctifed.
Along the borders Of the sea in a parallelo-
gram and surrounding the town is a county Of
the same namc-AyrShire.
1t 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 vcissitudes Of poverty and plenty-of
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.
Jty .f~icnds,-you have chosen the name
inherited for your town with an extraordinary
unanimity, and have thereby conferred an
honor upon me, the proper acknowledgment
of which do not feel fully able to express
But beg you to be assured that it is apprecia-
ted and that it will be gratefully remembered
with living interest in your prosperity while
life remains TO me, and, trust, beyond that
By 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 per-
mitted TO state whence that came? Until with
in few centuries all the civilized nations Of
the globe were pent up on The Eastern cont-
nent Two or three hundred years ago they
leaked over into this few and fearfully at first,
then more and more but always in their set
Elements timidly huggiug 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 arc
scattered here and possess these measurclesS
stretches of mountains and valleys, hills,
plains, forests and prairies with the boundless
pampas and mountain ranges of South Ameri-
ca. Former generations lived in villages and
towns, thickly settled together where physi-
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
cannot be had !; over large tracts Of country
good or competent physicians cannot be had al
all. They cannot 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 necessity for
remedies ready at hand with directions for
their use-a present recourse for relief in the
exigoncies 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 pos
tions or doses of our preparations. These arc
all taken by somebody, Here |, a number
equal to the population Of fifteen cities as
large as Lowell, taking them every day for
sickness keeps on Sabbathsl nor for once only,
but again and again year after year, through
nearly on e third Of q century. We oil join in
the Jokes about medicines as we do about the
Doctors mission to kill, the clcrgyman's in=
sincerity and the lawyers cheating.
Yet each of these labors among the most
serious realities Of life Sickness and its at
tendant suffering are no joke, neither is the
treatment OF them. This system Of transport
table relief, to be made available to the people,
must keep its remedies fresh in their memories.
This is done by advertising. Mark its extent.
An advertisement, taking the run Of the news
papers 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
., -, il;l,9 of ,,l lots nj f,vcivc millions