The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-10-12
DDR H99
on
HON q. HA1fLIN

81 - = -
III or 53s IS 50
HON. o. HAlfLIN
delivered q tho First Annual Fair q
tho 6toarns Oouuty Agricultural
and Mechanical Assoc iatlon.
ocTOBnH u, ls1l.
~. Prtsideni, and Aembe,s 81 1As Saint
Cloud agricultural and AscAanical Associ.
ation !:
II has been sixteen years sioce I first
saw St. Cloud. To many, the most Of
Us peshap,, they have been sixteen
years Of disappointment, Of hope de-
ferred, OF trembling faith. OF the tew
met here then, only one, hero and
there, remain today. Some have gone
10 other places Of hope aud labor; some
have gone % that other country whore
years and time are swallowed up in
eternity. It ii we'll for Us sometimes to
contrast the past with the present.
Tho slow progress OF years is almost ig.
nored, in the restless impotence With
which we await the fal6llment Of our
hopes, aud We learn slowly and reluo-
family the lesson that "little 81 httle'
is after all the only general principle
upon which we can safely hope to form
a life or build up country Of. q town;
and yet it is tho teaching Of the history
Of the world. It's true there ara ex-
ceptious to al general rules. We
thought sixteen years ago that our
town would be the exception; and We
oil saw the shadows Of our hopes upoo
the curtain Of the future 1snd called
them realities and the contrasting ssof
orr past with our present may teach us
patience while it encourages our hope.
Is years ago we had weekly mail
to-day we read at out dinner tables the
news OF yesterday from all the world.
16 years ago when the wintef came and
the loo bound up the river,it was 4 long
and weary ride Of days and nights,
which the siokly aud the feeble could
scarce endure, to reach the railroad and
the telegraph and the loved ones at
the old home might die and BE- buried
before We could know that they we're
gone. To-day the railroad whistle and
the click Of tbs telegraph are heard
alike in the winter and the summer
time, and We can stand ia the streets
Of the City Of New York, with less
fatigue and 10 less time than it took as
then to reaoh Dubuque. Sixteen years
ago We sent to st. Anthony for :our
physician, and had it not bee 4 for the
speaker and one or two other self.saeri-
f,ing men, this whole section Of coun-
try would have been without the bles.
sing of . lawyer! Sixteen years ago
We had no bridge across the Mississip-
pi river spent; the best part Of two days
10 getting to St. Paul; ran our lumber
80 miles down the Mississippi river
from Little Falls; had no Mills, no
Court House, 10 Schools, no Churches,
in fact xere about IS near nothing as
town could be which had paper plat
and a name! E5.s1.a-tt<:
Prior to the fall of 1855, I doubt If
there were 100 people in this whole
country there were no roads except such
az nature made, and no title t. an acre
OF land except in the United States.
Less than l6 years ago the farmers of
this country had to import wheat for
seed, and a state bordering upon starva-
ton commended Us to the sympathies.
Of tho charitable. Certainly there i,
room for encouragement. We cross the
river in tho nights as we'll as by day,
10 the fall and spring as we'll as 10 the
summer time with no wear and toar of
lungs shouting to reluctant ferrymaa,
and no dagger Of swapping boat from
q drive of logs Or aoating ice. Our
anxiety asno.looger how to get our
selves, but the railroad, across the river.
We manufacture our own lumber and
sell TO others We have as good or bet
ter schools than can be found in any
town Of our size 10 the State; and we
have churches enough to teach oil the
way to Heaven who desire to 60 there,
We have good roads, good titles to our
land, and raise and sell IS good wheat Is
is grown in the world. !: Ia fact We
have really only one Of the great wants
OF l6 years ago. Gradually the priva-
tons have yielded. to the years. We.
have comfortable homes, good society.
The town fair library !; the county a
population Of IS 900, and all the !, acces.
series and very many Of the comior Is
aud luxuries OF life, but that one want
is here yet-the want Of money ...
It issa strange thing to me that dur.
log all these Is years Stea:as Uou nty,
with its reputation Of being one Of the
best agricultural counties ia tho State,
should have waited uatil to-day for it.
inaugural Address to 'sthe Stearos
County Agricultural aud i Msshanical.
Society : Bar tho Organization Of
this soc,ety i happy oman for the fu-
turo nos only because Of tho direct
Influence which such I Society viii
have for good !; but because Of liz evi-
denos that ws are lsarning, 4 last, the
lesson Of little BY little, z 70 which + ad.s
verted Z few moments ago !; We ore
learning 4 last the truth embodied 10
the heather fable sthat the gods
help those who help thsmselves.'
:. E