The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-01-20
NEW ARMoRY DEDIcATIoE AND SWORD
PRESENTATION

Last evening the occurred edicalion of the
new Armory of Company F there being
quite large and fashionable crowd in at
enhance. The room was tastefulIy
decorated with flags together with arms OF
the company. and not the least conspicuous
of -'all that hung on the wall was sword
carried By one of the jurors in the famous
Sturatt trial and was the property of Lieut.
Col David Clendenin. an uncle of William
CIendenin. who was here on a visit recent
". After those present mad Tipped the
light fantastic until about II o'clock Lieuts
Gould and Payton were called out upon
the floor and were presented by Capt. J.
H. Porter, with a couple of swords as
token of the company's appreciation of
their services. Appended is his presentation
speech:
Lieutenant Gould and Lieutenant Payton.
The non commissioned officers and men Of
your company have asked me to thank
YOU, on their behalf for the efforts you
have made 10 iasafc the success Of this
occasion; but more especially to assure you
that your lsbors and anxietjes for the vel
fare of Company F are appreciated.
To you this must come "a q great en-
enlargement. and as an incentive to per
sistent. ii not increased, effort in the
future, for you 10 know of this regard and
esteem must materially tighten your work,
aud impeI You to readily and cheerfuIly
meet those duties OF the service which
might otherwise he irksome.
You have had many discoura gements.
not the least of these being the apathy
with which the state regards so important
q factor as its military force; you have
known the want of money; the lack of
adequate Armory room; have sorely felt
the need of more pronounced encourage
ment at home. have experienced the sting
of envious contrast with more favored
organizations. and have been harassed in a
hundred WAYS which only a five and a half
years service in the Illinois National
Guard can parallel
In the face of these embarrassments, and
for the love you bear the cause of arms,
you have given your time, your money and
your well diTectedd effort. You have the
triumphant result in one of the largest and
best disciplined companies of the state-a
company of which YOUR superior officers
are proud, and to which it has always been
q credit TO belong. You have compared
creditably with similar organizations on
the practice fields at Springfield on several
occasions, and yourselves and Your compa-
ny have been prominent integers in the
aggregate of praise bestowed upon your
regiment Another evidence of your sue
cess and advancement is this new armory
which we dedicate tonight, and which
your enterprise has provided for your com
mand. In short gentlemen, you have
gone. as soldiers should, from conQuering
TO conqueror; and while you have accom-
plished much, much remains yet to do.
You are entitled TO great credit, honor
ably achieved through difficulties by per
sIstent work and study: but this work and
these honors you should ungrudgingly di- |
vide with your company, whose obedience, |
promptness, soldierly bearing and manly |
qualities have made praise md honors pos |
sible.
As further and more tangible testimo-
mails of the high regard and appreciation in
which you are held, have the honor and
pleasure, in behalf of your company, to pre-
sent tn you these beautiful swords-badges |
of your authority, as they should, also al
ways be the badge of the gentleman-with
the injunction, that they be drawn only in
the right, and never sheathed except in
honor. May you wear them long, with
credit to yourselves, honor to yonr state
and satisfaction to your friends.
Both lieutenants made suitable reply, |
after which came general good time. All
voted the occasion one of the most enjoy |
able of the season, and the boys can well |
be proud of their new quarters.