Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1889-10-04

Regiment band opened the evenings enter
t,nment with piece entitled, March
Corn Palace" composed by Prof. Clappe.
PRAYER was then offered and A. w. Erwin.
,reslent Of the Corn Palace association.
dsl;yered the address of welcome.
Pres. Erwin's Address.
In bidding you welcome once again TO
tlis dream of beauty-SiouX Citv's nride
and glory, her own Corn palace-thc thought
that most forcibly impresses mo as I look
over this glorious temple dedicated to King
Corn is this How appropriate and fitting
It is that we who live to-day in the land
where corn was born should thus erect and
dedicate this. the grandest artistic and
architectural conception of the world, to his
glory. Let me tell -yon in few simple
words OF mine the Indian kgend of the
genesis OF corn. made immortal by the
machlcss pen Of our own great poet, Long
fellow:
Far back in the almost limitless past.
while yet the races that now people the civ
iized world We're bus germs.in the progress
Of evolving life. there lived and roamed over
these wide prairies and forests of our land
,lsky race who lived in close communion
with nature and natures god-a simple, I'M
tutorcd race whose means of subsistence
were those that nature prOvides-their food
the berries of the field. the fishes Of the
running brooks. the birds of the air.
At times the long cold winters of the north
for months. The birds would have flown
away to SUMMER skies. the streams, frozen
into adamant, would keep from their eager
hands the food they had been accustomed
to yield, and in that desolate season fruits
and berries were not; and gaunt famine.
with his hungry fingers. clutched the best
and hravest of the race.
Among the young men Of this people was
one who. wiser and more thoughtful than
his followers. pondered often and long upon
this: Why should it be that the lives of all
his race should depend upon the uncertain
resources of the air, the stream, the flelde
At last with the faith of his race in the
Great Spirit, he went into the depths OF the
forest to commune with his God in the
seven days of fasting and prayer that his
religion requlres-not, says the great poet
who gives us this legend am telling you
now
Not for greater skill in hunting,
Not for greater craft In fishing,
Not for triumph in tho battle
and renown among the warriors,
But for profit Of the people,
FOR advantage of the nation
Hiawatha prayed aud tasted"
On the fourth day. as he lay exhausted in
nation. he saw coming across tho flower
decked meadow in all the glory of the pur-
p!e sunset youth of noble appearance,
dressed in royal robes Of yellow and green.
Green were the silken plumes that lowered
ait YEN his helmet h3 and golden and silky was
looked With long and compassionate pity
upon the wasted form of youth before him,
and said, his voice something like the
Zephyr through the treetop:
l "Oh, my Hlawatha
An your prayers are heard in heaven;
For you pray not like the others,
| Not for greater skill i'll hunting,
Not for greater craft in fishing,
Not for triumph in the battle,
Nor renown alnong tho warriors,
But for profit OF tho people,
For advantage of the nation.
From thu master OF life descending,
| !. the friend OF man, Mondanin,
Come TO warn you and instruct you
| How by struggle and by labor
You shall gain What you havo prayed for.
| Rise up from your bod Of branches,
Rise oh youth, and wrostle with me-"
The young warrior rose and grappled with
his antagonist. Finally. Mondamn, smil-
ing upon the young warrior, said: 1T is
enough; tomorrow will come again.
And so again on the morrow and the next
| Thrice had Hiawatha failed. Then said
Mondamin, smiling still upon the youth:
Tomorrow, oh my Hiawatha,
Is the last day of our fasting;
You will conquer and oercome me,
Make bed for me to lie in,
Where the rain may fall around me,
Where the sun may come and warm me.
strip these garments, green snd yellow.
| Strip these n0dding plumage from me.
Lay me in the earth and mako it
Soft and loose and light above me;
Let no hand disturb my slumber,
Let no weed or worm modest me,
O.lly come yourself to watch me,
iii wake and start aud quicken,
I'LL leap into the sunshine"
And so it was. On the next day as the
/ purple sunshine fioated over the meadows
Mondamin came as befores They wrestled.
/ but this time Hiawatha conquered and his
4 antagonist lay dead before him.
Tsnderly then did Hiawatha bury him.
Carefully he stripped from him his green
and yellow garments; carefully he watched
and watered and tended the grave of Mon
DAMN, waiting for the time when he would
again leap into the sunshine. till at length a
slowly upward. Then another and another;
and before the summer ended stood the
corn in all it's beauty. and it's shining robes
about it, with its long, soft yellow tresses.
and in rapture Hiawatha cried aloud: 1t
Is Mondamin: yes. the bread OF man. Mon
DAMN"
Thus runs the beautiful legend of the birth
Of Corn. To the untutored Indian Mondamin
was his savior. And it is fitting that we
Who live in the land made blessed and pros
porous by Mondamin should erect this tenn
pie to his glory. And tonight we once
again crown him king, once more place
upon his brow this diadem of beauty
wrought by fair and fairy fingers. place IN
ms hand the soepter Of universal empire.
anu with one heart, one voice from every
section of our land. proclaim that Corn Is
mhlhs. Yonder Mississippi. Louisiana and
Tennessee take up the glad refrain and
echo. Corn is King!" Over there Nebraska
ana Dakota join in the chorus and proclaim
mat Corn is King" And here in his own
loved city. in the capital Of his broad 90 c,
nam, in the corn palace city OF the wor!u
We claim him as our monarch. ana 10 thls
MS palace, his home, worthy OF nm aione
We welcome you with q welcome that words
cannot express. that our hearts alone can
leeL We welcome you as fellow subjects o.
our sovereign, children Of the empire {, o.
com, brothers in the prosperity that ut
alone can bring. Welcome! thrice welcome
~ our city and our homes. In the name u
anu Tor the citizens of Sioux City bid you
Welcome, thrice welcome. to the corn palace
city of the world.
Reply by Hon. John NJ. Thurston.
On concluding his address Mr.. Erwil
Introduced Hon. John NJ. Thurston, o.
Nebraska, who was chief orator OF the DC