The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-08-03
Il cordially yours,
HERMAN S. KAUFMAN.
LEAvENwoRrH, KANSAS, July 21, 1871.

LEANENNOhrH, KANSAS, July II, 1871.
To Il. N. Blake and Mss Nette ALerander-
Ny KIND EARLY FRIENDS The receipt of this
will satisfy you that l am not among the omitted,
Some there always must be6 in the discharge of
your important trust-invitations committee to
an old High School Reunion.
l assure you If Iwere asked to surmount any
thing less than insurmountable difficulties, no
excuse would be given or needed, and nothing
should stand between me and my native hills.
please put a little stress on native hiIs) 1t only
therefore remains for me to thank you for your
kind invitation; to thank you for having gener-
ously marked me down, also, for a speech that
was to have been delivered on this important oc-
casion-if the deliverer came. 1 cannot here re-
frain from indnlging a little extravaganza in the
assertion Although l have had many warm
friends, some bitter enemies, never yet, however,
has there been to me a friend so extravagant in
extollment, or an enemy so bitter in hostility,
thar aver attributed to me, in the slightest man
ner, any connection with the part l have been re-
qRested to play-to make a speech!
Seriously if 1 can serious 1 ought to be. The
tain that brought to me your letter was f~reighted
with crowding reconections. 1t was virtually
living Over in thought, so to speak, the days that
are brightest, happiest and nearest every human
heart that has been privileged to enjoy, school days.
Be assured ] will be there. ! will linger en- the
broad stone-steps of the old front door until
guests assemble. l will be there before any of
you, quietly surveying the old premises, around
which cluster so many cherished mages-the
old building in which was born so many pleasant
incidents. l will be there before the familiar bell
rings its welcome. l will have taken a quiet seat
OF some place in the old lecture room, about the
seat l am msetled. / have almost concluded 10
occupy one of the east or west inches nearest the
entrance, the unimaginative would call these re-
cesses. places where carpenters had anciently
bored for doors, there look for me, in thought at
lsast, to feast with you and be refreshed. Oh
with what pleasing emotion now do l anticipate
your Joy, and with heartfelt regret do ] write my
inability to attend. Gould l have been present at
your feast and how," 1 should not have disap-
pointed your programme by an evasion of my
part. / would have said, sin a big, manly voice"
something, If it had only been-"Nou'd scarce
expect one of my age
Like the rest, 1 feel proud that am graduate of
that old institution, and i attribute what little
success l have had so far in life, to the kind
faoahfrUq nf nv ravRraH Alma Nate for nall i
know hat the influences brought about me there
have been such as TO last me through many a trial
that was a temptation; and l am when as now
living within the spectral Of those days, convinced
that no power ON earth could lead me, know
reproach of my greatly esteemed teachers, or the
opprobrium Of my weilremembered classmates.
Please extend them a warm greeting as from me.
God willing and the occasion of Rlike occurrence,
put me down, Andrew and Nettie, for a sumner in
the way of a speech, and the biggest share OF ice
cream and-pretzets; excuse me for that one word,
| pTetzcLS, but 1t always occurs to me simultaneous
/ with q thought of Canton.
I an carrying this to greater length than I de-
signed. Will however indulge in expressing n
hope that IN TINS reunion those present Dy letter
viii share as much in the joyousness of the occa-
sion-will be as prominent in the associations and
discussions Of the past, and metaphorically be
those there present. Further, that it will reunite
US as tenderly as when we drank together from
the same 'fount." Now in the middle march of
life, what so pleasant to cheer us to its halt as
| those hallowed reeOllections that cling so tender
Iy around schooEdays and schoo-mates, and SO to
These reunions snake us all more manly and
mild !" they plant fruit that is green to old age,
throwing 50 much Of light of life and gladness on
our declining years, THAT we slip nnconciously
away as beguiled into n Pleasure boat when our
luminous is to cross the dark river.
Trusting that your social gathering on the night
of the 10th will awaken many pleasant recollec-
tions of the past-fruitfnl Of agreeable converse
toni ask in closing that, in your recall of the
absent, You also summon
Your afectionate friend,
FRED. A.. Sewers.
After the reading of the letters, Mr..
\ Peter Cuneo, editor of the Upper San
dusky Republican, an old scholar of the
school, was called upon, and said he came
here not expecting to make a speech, and
was therefore not prepared to say much.
Mr.. Cuneo is an italian by birth, and re-
lated some CT his trials and tribulations
in Canton, as he said, Gin a strange land
and among strangers ;" what perplexities
he encountered in trying to master the
English language, and how the boys
made sport Of his odd pronunciation and
queer sayings. He told how he earned
sufficient in our shops to pay his board
while attending school, and that when the
second winter came around he obtained O
certificate of qualifications to teach, and
did so in the Niesz district, near our city.
Mr.. G. closed with a high tribute to our
bene6cent free school system, the boast
and pride of our land, that he should never
forget ths good people of Canton and the
old Union School, to which he was pleased