Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1876-01-28
THE PIONEER nANauEr LAST
NIGHT.

~ 4
NIGHT. ,
We venture the assertion. and appeal /
the three OF four hundred guests who II,
the banquet Of the Society Of
Pioneers last night in Virginia City. that
. moro remarkable msdnoe In the way oil
entertainment was never presented 70
An audience. Wit and wine. beans and
sloqusnce and cold turkey. mu-
uic, song. eulosy.i humor. impassioned
and Undesirable fun were blen.
ded in most remarkably harmonious con-
In our local columns will be
found q son,svhat detailed account OF
the festivities. though were all available
space In this paper devoted to the sub
isct, but q faint outline Of its phases
could BE- conveyed. To state that from
half.past ssven o'clock in the evening
until three o'clock in the morning. with
the exception Of two short a~djournments
for Refreshments. the i've hundred per.
sons present remained either as active
participants or absorbed spectators oil
the proceedings. is psrhsps the best way
70 convey q faint idea Of the interest OF
this occasion. The "old boys" were all
there. i.s.. those Who yet remain this side
the river ON the frontier Of eternity. Will
Campbell's chair was vacant, butlisten:ne
to the noble tributes paid his memory
BY old friends and comrades, II WIS not
hard to believe that somewhere on the
outskirts OF this life. just without its
borders, his spirit lowered. and fully en-
tering into the sentiment Of the occasion.
exclaimed to the other pionesss whom
he has Joined just over yondsr; "Thsre
IL some style about that!'
Thsrs wa an under current OF feeling
psrvsding the I" old timers" last night.
Of which the ripples Of Wit. storms Of
laughter and cordial greetings oil brother.
and friends gave little indication.
Under the smils and jest, behind the
song and danes. away down deep. Gov
cred up a. II Il were the secret OF the
alehsmist, there throbbed . sentiment
Of universal brotherhood. Inths moist
urs Of many an eye, the culver Of lips.
the frequent hearty touch Of hands there
was bstoksnsd the existence Of . kinship
OF feeling which had survivsd-nay.
had become intensified BY q quarter Of n
century Of buteting with Fortune upon
this Western slope. So ID vas . secret,
ne secret Of the alchsmist which
Lay deeply hidden in the breast
Of every F~orty-ninsr present; an
alchemy which transmitted all the
hopes and fssrs. losses and gains. ills
and blessings, fsuds and friendships.
into the psre gold Of n maniul. unostsn-
t~aiious. and enduring. loving charity.
II 10 true that ga touch Of nature makes
shs whole world akin" II there was
M person present with the Pioneers
Last night upon whose brow this touch
did NOT prsss gently, into whose heart
Of hearts this religion Of human sympa-
thy and universal charity found not
an entrance. and henceforth an
abiding place. w have 20 envy for his
stolid stubbornnsss Of intellect or heart.
"Oid 'Stffs." soms call these men OF
.Forty.nins. Would that We could CON-
mand the language to mako those words
immortal. Every paih-dnder who has
biazed the track OF civilization since the
world began was an "Old Stiff" Co
lumbus was one Of them. The Puri-
tans, the Cavaliers. and the Quaksrs.
we're each and all "old stifs." Daniel
Boone was ons /; every rebel Of the Rev
olu,ion ; every soldier Of 1912. every
patriot Who marched with Scott and
Taylor through tho cactus covered
plains Of MEXICO. WAS an "oid Stiff.
Napoleon was an "Old Stn," and so
we're Washington and Lincoln. "oid
stifsr All ! yes; stiff. backed. stout
hearted. strong in sslf.depsndsncs. stern
in Incorporating friendships. unwa-
vsring In sslf-sacri6ce. undauntsd by ~
vs~uss-kinely. courageous souls. are
these "Old stiffs." Hearts a gentle
- . woman's. lips which culver often.
loves which outlast death, fortituds
which scorns ill.iortune. honor which
knows NO tarnish. loyalty to country and
humanity which stops at nausht-nos
ever death. These are the odd Stitfs."
the advance guard Of progrsss-scouts
Who spy out homes for coming millions
surveyors Who. with compass and
chain. mark out on the frontier the un-
known regions Of . still thinly psoPlsd
world. On the frontier. did We say
There ID NO frontier. The wave Of emf.
grafton from the Eastern slope has
swept across the intervening mountains
and deserts OF the Great Basin. until.
stopped BY the Pscihc. the refiuent
wave comes sweeping backward over the
Sierra, and marks from Of the desert
sands around us all vsstigss OF what
Vas ones called the frontier. The Pio-
nssrs Of yesterday are to-day the citi-
zsns OF powerful States. and the record
OF their deeds and dangers forms . por-
ton Of Earth's history. Honor TO
them. We. who in these later years
have followed on the highway which
they builded. Who reap ripe fruits from
seeds they planted. honor in u heart
Of hearts the Pioneers Of the Pacific
Coast.
TnxnE 10 solacs in work. be it mental
or physical. From the depths Of grief
toll rsisss the soul and brings forget