The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1879-02-22

| the world, physically and Intellectually
He complimented Moline on her wonderful
growth and prosperity since many of them
assisted at the raising" Of her first mill
the old Sears mill-in 1912. He then re-
ferred to our gem of an island. the Island
of Rock Island, as more valuable than the
choicest diamond of the Empress of India.
In closing his remarks he said
And now, Mr.. President, what shall
say for our sister city, Davenport, and
Scott county, Iowa? Why, when with a
bright, beautiful knife, you divide golden
apple equally through stem and eye, they,
the stem and eye, still occupy the centre of
the apple, do they not? Just SO with
Davenport, Scott county. She is the cen
tire of the other half, we being divided
by the bright and beautiful. but mighty
river, ss'The Father Of Waters" The
many pleasant meetings we have held to-
gether, the common joys and sorrows we
have shared, at the feast and the funeral,
all testify our interest in, and our love to
one another. We almost love our neigh
bors as ourselves"
Repeated calls were made for Mr. James
Taylor, the we'll known chairman of the
board of supervisors, who spoke as follows:
My FRIENDS 1t is certainly a great
pleasure and privilege we enjoy to meet to-
gether year after year, to take one another by
the hand for "Auid Lang Syne." 1t bright
ems up our memories in regard to what we
have seen, and what we have done IN for
Warding the improvement of this portion OF
the west. The time was when my nearest
neighbor south was at distance OF four
miles, and west five miles; and when L
came to Rock Island there was no house
until l got to the dwelling of Joshua Van
druf, distance of eight miles, and south
east of me at sunset | could plainly count
the windows of John Whitsitt's house, that
each evening looked as ifthey were on fire
as the sun went down in the west, full
eight miles away. To-day the land is in a
state of cultivation. Then it was vast
sea of beautiful prairie as far as the eye
could penetrate.
| The pioneer settlers who are left are 10
the sere and yellow leaf; our locks are
whitened with the SHOWS of many winters.
Before we all pass away it would be we'll
| if our experiences and recollections were
gathered by some fit person, and embodied
| IN book before it be too late. Our meet
Iings here are certainly bright spots in our
path as we descend tho journey of life. but
we owe it to future generations to leave
them legacy, telling them how, and by
whom, this county was settled.
| A short time ago myself and wife paid
a visit TO our old friend DR.. Bowman, Of
Andalusia. The doctor had just gone to
the village TO attend a patient, but we had
come to see them and OF course would wait.
Mrs. Bowman and Mrs. Taylor very soou
had a cabinet meeting q suppose some
thing like the ones they have in Washing
toni They withdrew and left me to run
my part alone. After warming up | went
out to look at the surroundings, which are
picturesque. The house stands in a grove
Of fine oaks, and the Doctor has planted
number of evergreens that give il
quite a suburban appearance-but what
astOnishad me most was his large and
beautiful collection of the various geo.
collection hereabouts. To gather SO many
fine specimens must be labor of love, land
as | reflected on the thousands of years
since this specimen was formed, anC
another piece, and again the many varie
ties of mammals and fossils. got Devil
dered in the far gone ages of our world
and | said to myself, Has the Doctor
ever come across the philosopher stone 2
After meditatiDg little while thought
that if there was Barney stone in thu
; whole collection. DR.. Gregg or Capt. Morris
would find it in jiffy-hut ] had ny
doubts about DR.. Bowman finding tn,
philosophers stone. Some say that thu
philosopher s stone is a myth. My friends
+: don't believe it. know of one time tina
it was found. You all know that David
the young Shepherd of Israel, and Goliath
had quite an unpleasantness, and Goliath
said he would scoop I'D David and ali hi
; little brethren. David was a man Of
prayer as also a man of action He dit
not pray and put his hands 10 his pockets
Far from it, He said that something LA,
to be done, and that right away; and h
came to the conclusion that if he cOui
only advance some forciblG argument t
Goliath, it might do some good. David be
ing not only poet, but also a philosopher
picked up Il stone and put it in his sin
and sent it with his compliments t
Goliath, who at once felt the force OF tn
argument and ever afterward kept que
on the subject. David reasoned that tn
stone represented an idea, and if he cou
! get the idea to enter the head of til
giant, any little misunderstanding that ha
previously existed. would be settled at ono
3 and forever.
: My friends, have now come to til
8 conclusion that the philosophers stone ca
be found anywhere All that is necessar
IS the philosophers arm and eye to guide
81 fN 30 q. 4
e have the desired effect.
9 Squire Chopper, the retiring presider
? then read the roll of the years dead whic
! has already been published in THE AZ
s GUS. After which the minutes {
D the Annual business meeting wer
Z read and approved. An opportunit
was then given to OLD Settlers who la
I not enrolled their names on the books c
, the association to do SO and thereby be
D come members with the right to vote a
. its meetings. This completed the prc
, gramme of exercises, and, as all had don
} ample justice to the banquet during thi
] time, manyiprepared to go home. A fe'
remained for al hour or moro to tai
over old times, and. at the very reason
: able hour of midnight, the fourteenth az
! nual festival of THE Pioneers" closed
! The following letter FROM one of tb
oldest. and highly respected members @
the Association was presented, after who
) Concluded on next page)
ECARN mn nEEENn Nv pIGLInEnIr