The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-04-08
An Ovation to Dr.. Aver.

DR.. J. c. AVER, the great medicine man,
was recently the recipient of brilliant ovation
on the occasion Of the christening Of q town in
Massachusetts, by his name. There was
grsndlbanquet At Groton Junction, the centre
Of the new town, at which number Of the
great dignitarics Of the state were present, to
cay nothing OF beautiful ladies by the dozen
The cloth being removed, speeches were made
by Gen. Cunningham. Senator Clark, &c, and
finally by the great medicine man himself
whose remarks were so interesting that We
copy them: .
lutte. and Gentlemen.
On the western coast Of Scotland, whore 1t
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.
From4emote time it has been called Ayr from An
old Scotch word "Ayry," meaning an eagles nest
tho river of the eagles Hest. Near its mouth
and contiguous harbor, long stood hamlet,
which became a royal burg or town named from
the river and row abou, one-third as large as
Lowsl-the city of Eyr. 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 resorts, and was especially ia.
rosy. Oliver Crom we'll made it one of the depO,s
and headquarters of his army in his attack upon
Scotland, and one of his old forts is now the Cita
de-, of Ayr.
But above all its distinctions Ayr was the
birthplace OF the poet Burns. And what po-
ct! What voice has he given to the eudear.
ments Of home! How has he hallowed the cot
tsgs and all it covers-weans and wife, patches
and poverty, beans, barley. ale, hardship and the
AM fN1V IN ha yGif1 tanI
whatever he names, even his bleak leagues of
PASTURE the stlbble field. lee. snow. slest and
rain, brooks, birds, mice, thistles and heather.
His Benny Deou, John Anderson, my 10 John,
Aud Lang Syns, and Highland Mary roll round
the world In ever ringing symphony with what
10 purest and best In human nature. His songs
WOO and melt the hearts Of youth and maidens,
bring solaee to the Borrowing and courage to the
overburdensd by their lot. His Inspiration has
set the affections TO music in strsiAs that are i'm.
mortal
No other one man ever made . language elias.
sic, but he has rendered that lowland Scotch a
Dorio 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 yearD' to reach the spot his genius has
Aloss the borders Of tho 500 il parallelogram
and surrounding tho town 10 county Of the same
nAms-Ayrshire. ....'..
1t would weary your patience to hear the his.
tory of my ancestors from one ancient John Of
Aver, then John Ayre, down through the contu.
riss to this Aver now before you; through their
vioiss,txdes Of poverty and plenty-sf fortune
and misfortune; how they have intcrmarried
with England, Ireland and Scotland, and later
with the Americans, who are an excellent mix.
ture of them ALL
MyJritnds,-you have chosen the name in.
hsrited for your town with al extraordinary
xnanimity, and have thereby conferred an honor
upoa me, the proper acknowledgement OF which
do not feel fully able to express. But beg
you TO be assured that 1t is appreciated and that
ii will be gratefully remembered With living
interest in your prosperity while life RENAME to