The Wichita city eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1872-1883, 1879-02-27

Our
No other Stale can equal us
Wherever you INA. go:
And cmigrants are pouring in
We welcome them to come,
For have untold acres yet
Where they may have home.
CHonus-QO the last verse; Repeat the last four
lines of the trst verse
THE ADDRESS.
Mr.. Presideat. Ladies and Gentlemen, and .s-
pec;aHy tie "Oid Settlers cf this ''Happy
TdUey:"
pride myself as being one among the first
ofyou. say with pride am u use, enty-er."
and came here twice in a wagon; lastly in
wagon drawn six hundred miles by mules.
with my wife and four CHILDREN. Time nor
circumstance have permitted. on previous
occasions. much rs has been my desire. to be
with you ut these conventions Of comemora-
ton. but De assured that they ever have my
fullest sympathy and commentator. We all.
doubtless. look back with pride TO some cir
cum>tance or era in our past individual hi>tO-
nv that L. brighter, or more pleasant to our
memory than the rest. My own l. not an eX-
ception to this rule; and hope you will par
don. upon this good will occasion, u few
brief personal illusions.
have ever felt proud that / was born on
the old camp ground of the Valley Forge
that the house of my great grandsire was the
headquarters in the field of Generals Lafayette
and Dekalb that my standardization
young lady of sixteen years-so far forgot the
orders OF the camp a. To east ciandestinely
from the garnet window precious morsels Of
bread to the poor starving guard upon his
beat, and from her scanty wardrobe linens
with which 10 bind their laceratcd, bleeding
feet as they patrolled barefoot on the frozen
snow. l have always felt proud that the
same good, patriotic lady, knocked General
Dekaib hcadiong down the stairs with mop
for calling her a traitor because. forsooth, on
his hasty return for forgotten papers 10 the
room he had suddenly abdicatcd ON the ap.
proach Of General Howe he found her mop
ping up the room las he chose to construe H.
TO receive General Howe. l am proud OF that
bright May morning in 1853, when, bursting
the thrall> Of kindred efieminacy, l scaledthe
summit of the Allcghenys to locate my new
home in the Mississippi valley and lind its
broad bosom 50 willing to receive and to pro-
tcct me. And. whilst ! deeply deplore the
| occasion, am proud Of that day when. in
sorrow. ! stood one of the twelve chief
mourners beside the corpse of Abraham Lin
coin. in the White House at Washington. or
marched the solemn march by its side to the
silent tomb. These are all warm. genial inn
prints on the tablet of memory. But II i left
10 me, in thi, third quarter Of my century Of
life. to feel the true gushing instincts Of pride
as I look around me and behold this new
| creation of world of man. and to feel, in
common with you. that we have been impor-
tant factors in this new creation. As in Adam
all men live. 80 in the first settlers Of the
"Ilappy Valley exists the foundation Of this
new creation. i remember well when on that
bright August morning In 1870. foof-sorc aud
eye-sore. detected. and weary Of long march
and priv alton. from yonder rolling mound my
vision first dwelt upon this enchanted valley.
Speeches gazcd enrapturcd upon Its mar
Vicious beauty: the bright. morning sun was
its radiant chandelier the cerulean heavens
were its canopy: its western confines might
be the halls Of the Montezumas, for all beyond
and around me was vast eternity Of ETHEREAL
space. whilst al my feet. far rs the eye could
span, herds ten thousand strong held carnival
amid luxuriant green, refiuent with brilliant
flowers GODS promise Of better land) and
girdled with silver streams. all bordered with
their sylvan shade. No voice was there /; un-
broken was the silent air !; yet Jehovah In
stupendous majesty reigned visible in all
nothing. save In the dim distance yonder.
far. far away, little scattered line Of seeming
habitations. A. | gazed enraptured upon
this scene OF natures grace aud bounty the
fullne>s of my heart exclaimed: ''Hcre j. the
promised land. weary traveller. rest thou and
make IL thy home,' Obedient To that COM
mand | yielded; and it is the happy. the
cherished home of myself. my wife and my
| children. And now my us" shall hence be
plural.
we >t'tkiu-. u tuf i>tdtiitt>
| Of old. the promised land. We have been
guided ON the long journey By the shining
stars of night. the effuigeni sun of day. and
our faithful and confidinc heart through the
long Red Sea of travel and deprivation 10 find
happy homes in its beuiiireni bosom; and IL
| is becoming grateful people that we annual
ly meet together and rejoice at the prosperity
and progress of the good work We q few YEAR
since 80 au>pieiously began. This was then.
| my friends. the heart Of the Great American
Desert: the wild. strange. the unknown land
lts reputed sandy. barren soil, its raging
winds, its burning suns. its threatening
storms: we bra,ed them all in defense Of civ
ilzstion and home. And though we once
were few. We now are many : and We are
here to-day to exult in the glory Of our
achievements. Nor have we. as . people.
| been ungrateful for the benefcence with
! which We have been blessed. Poetry. song
| and astion may laud the hospitality that
hangs the latch string upon the outside Of the
door. hut call YOU sll old scttiers TO witness
the hospitality that actuated the first settlers
| Of the Happy Valley knew no such parsimony
| - that; their doors were without latch.
and otfeu their castle withcutsa door; and
vss not. IL the selfish construction Of civilis.
ed law, ny castle, hut to the weary, hungry
stranger II was, 10 thO language Of the heart,
~ castle aud it shelter aed Hospitality =
strong and warm aod genial - cur supny
chine. Our code was equity: our digesss
plaiS. iew aed stnpss; he way q ne sFsss-
It's il harmony With the duty of this q.
] gDfUaos - hsts1y noe1es he pruysen q