Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1871-03-31
Inauguration Of the Few Town OF
Aver.

Aver
Frcm the Lowell Mass Courier.
The Legislature having enacted
into law the unanimous vote of ouI
neighbors at GrCtUu Junction TO bt
chartered as Il town named after our
distinguished fellow citizen, DR.. J
{. Aver, they assembled On muSse on
Monday to celebrate the cOusuma-
medicine man" was introduced by
President Prescott, with high enco-
minus based on his personal and life
long acquaintance. After thanking
the audience for the lordiality OF
their greeting, Dr.. Aver spoke rs fol-
lows:
LudicS and Gentlemen :-On"t re
western coast of Scotland where il
slopes into the Irish sea, a river, riS-
ing on the mountains of the inner
land, winds down among the hills
and empties into the FIRTH OF Clyde.
From remote time il HAS been called
Ayr from an old Scotch word
"Ayry," meaning an eagles nest
the river of the eagles nest. Near
its mouth and a contiguous harb0r,
long stood a hamlet which became u
royal burg or town named from the
river and now about one third as
large as Lowell-tLe city of Ayr
For more than thousand years 1t
has Teen noted in the history Of
Scotland. During the wars OF Rob,
EFT Bruce it was ole of his resorts,
and was especially favored by him
because he was there cured OF leprO
sy. Oliver CIom & ell made ii
one of the depOts and headquarters
of luis army N his attack upon Scot
land, ard one of hi. old forts is now
the Citadel of Ayr.
But above ali its distinctions, Ayr
was the birth place of the poet Burns
And what ~ poet! WHAT II voice has
lac given to all tie enhearmeEts o!
h0Le! How has he haliOWed the
cottage and all it tOvers-weans and
wife, patches and POVERTY, beans,
barley, ale, hardship and the poor
mans toll. How he warps with
tenderness whatever he names, even
his bleak leagues of pasture, the
stubble field, ice, SNOW, sleet, aud
rain, brooks, birds, mice, lhist.cs 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 hu-
man nature. His songs woo and
melt the hearts OF youth and maid
els, bring solace to The sOrrowing
and courage To the Overwhelmed by
their lot. His inspiration has set the
affections to music i'll Strains that are
immortal.
No other one man ever made "a Ian
guage classic, hut he has rendered
that loWland Scotch 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 approaching traveller yearns to
reach the spot his genius has sanCti-
fed.
Along the borders of the sea in u
paralielogram aud surrounding the
town Is "a country of the same name
-Ay rshire.
1t would weary your patience to
hear the history of my ancestors
from one ancient John OF AYR, then
JOHN Ayr, down through the cen.
turtles to this Aver now before you /;
through their vicIssiLudes Of poverty
and plenty of fortune and misfOr-
tune; how they have iutermarried
with England, Ireland an4 Scut,
land, and later with the Americans,
who are an excellent mixture of
chem all.
Ny Friends, you have chosen the
name l Inherited for your town with
an extraordinary unanimlty, AMI
have thereby conferred An honor up
on me. the proper acknowledgement
of which / do not feel able To OK
press. Bat beg you to he assured
that it is appreciated and that it will
be gratefully remembered with u Iiv.
ing interest in Your prosperity while
life remains to me, aud, | trust, he.
yond that hy my children after me.
II this name has become noted
among the many that are wOrthier
around you, that is greatly due to its
publicity. May l be permitted TO
state whence that came? Until