Decorah-posten., 1890-10-22

or Political srs.d. In sOms degree voic. m, a..
and snprsss ths:ssn,imsnts Of a people Who's, /.
tsrsst M this occasion IL second only TO TN, :,
thess whs plannet. built. maintained. ana h..
new rebuilt this magnificent structure.
A little more than a year ago, while Gre,
yet consuming the debris which these wall, -
closed, the citizens Of Dscorah gathered ,Dor.
taneously to express In words-andi in an o~rgsnI.,.
eapieity-our sorrow for, and sympathy With -,
honorsd faculty which then saw Luther Coll,v,
lying In ruins. II was nay privilege to Join viz
Others 10 tho uttsrancs Of soma thoughts p.,.
tinsnt 70 tho sad occasion. The grief which A
felt was not teigned. Before Il all social, religion,
and political barriers were broken down ana 4
the hearts Of the humblest citizens as well a,
those Of the chief municipal officers there Wa hv,
one dssire-bu, one wish Ito show that In n,
presence Of 30 great a calamity all we're bro,hsn
and friends. Al that gathering Il seemed 70 N,
that while there was due cause for bitter sorrsv
there was alss a bright side Of the dark pictur. 3,
look forward to, and l ventursd to predict thu,
Luther College would rise from its ashes. not :,
the old College, but renewed, improved and bette,
appointed for its mission. It.uas not in the spirit
of prophecy these words we're uttered that seemed
to inspire with courage the hearts Of your honofsd
President and his associates. II was only a lesson
borrowed from the experiences Of other institution,
which have passed through the affection Of dir.
disaster. could not, at that time, help remsm.
bering the hundreds Of young men who, altar
years Of preparation for life-work within the,
College walls, have scattered all over thi, mighty
Northwest and are employed as teachers and
pastors, as Instructors and leaders, Of a-peopl,
many times more numerous and MANIFOLD NOR.
prosperous than were the pioneers who laid thsss
foundations, and reared the once beautiful but
then broken and erumbling walls. What was III.
old Luther College : What is the new Luther Col
legs that rises SO proudly before our vision todayI
Was It's 1.-THE pile Of stone and mortar. Of
brick and the inanimste material planned
and constructed by man for beauty, convenience
and user Most certainly not. The traveller visit,
the Pyramids, or consults the Sphinx, only to
wonder why human muscles were taxed for years
heightened into generations, in bringing together
these piles Of material. What, he asks, was the
thought behind these monuments Of patient and
long continued toilH And tina world continues to
wonder and visit them because man has not vet
fathomed the ldea-ths purpoSe-which was in
tho minds Of the builders. Not so is II with these
grounds and this beautiful building. The visitor
who comes hithsT needs not to be told 10 uhI,
uses they are to be put, nor does he make the
mistake Of estimating the College merely by what
his eye beholds. Beautiful as are all these sur
roundings they are but a means TO an end they
constitute but an habitstion in which is to reside
the purpose-ths soul-which is the real self Of
Luther College. The shell was burned; the hasl.
tstion was partly destroyed; bat tse real ColleEs
still survived because it was snshrined in hearts
that made it the subject Of their hopes, their tsIrI
and their prayers. This spirit Of it could not be
destroyed with such mighty forces behind it.
You have gathered hors to-day to rejoice in the
upbuilding Of These walls into a more beautiful
form. Yesterday, as It were, you were plunged
in gloom. To-day the dark cloud which rested
upon this temple Of learning is gone, and the
sunlight OF Providence Is smiling upon Il. You
valued the College for what il has been, and joy 10
the brighter future that opens before IL. Mere
than a regiment Of youth have come to It's halls
for instruction. Most Of them we're recruited
rom the farms and humble homes Of the pioneers.
We have seen them d~eyelops from the crude, Nm
certain condition Of youth. into the manhood Of
cultured, christian character, by 4 process akin 10
that Of the sculptor who in the rough, rugged
block Of msrbls finds with his chlsel the beautiful
statue that becomes a thing Of beauty and "a
Joy forever" This months that have INTERVIEWED
between that sad 18TH Of May, 1881, and this
happy I4th Of October, 1890, will httinRly serve a.
an epoch between a successful past, and-You
should hopo-a more glodously, Successfulfuiurs.
Tbs citizens Of DEBORAH units In tho demon
str1tion with GladnosS, and, as l have said, a
pleasure, second only to that OF your own. We
cannot but remember that from Its earliest history
Luther College has also.been widely known as
DEBORAH College. This association has made our
beloved city a household word In the Norwegian
Lutheran Churches and homes Of North America
Here WAS set up and has hourishsd an educational
lighthouse whose rays have shed lustsr upon and
illuminated this community. The continued and
increasing success Of tbs College in its mission as
an educational and religious force cannot but Ia
crease this lustre. Our commercial interests and
its work ara necessarily welded together, and thsy
cannot be divided. 1t was the sambitionlof our
business msn-thelr dream-to harness tho rush
ing, dsIhinE waters OF the lovely Upper Iowa to
the wheels OF mechanics ard make our city a
home for manufactures. II this dream has near
ureRbly vanished, there Is left in Its plscs the sub
stantial reality that another future is opsniRE
before US. Following Luther College have come
institutes and schools, and printing Offices as well,
that have established DEBORAH as an educational
center.
Ny thought is, and ! leave it with you as a hope
full one, that God in His providence has thus led
US as a community, not as many Of Us hoped and
intended. but into a more noble and exalted
position. Ought not you who have had LuthsS
College upon your hearts and in your prayers
now-to-day-in these glad exercises to feel that
He has led the College through a fiery furnaes
int a condition and capacity to do in largely
better manner, and with constantly increasing
power the great work it has to perform; doing n
30 wisely and so well that when We who participate
in these exercises have passed away, those whs
come after US shall rise up and bless In teryid
gratitude the generosity, the courage, the wisdoA
and the devotion which Inspired this generates
to so noble a work.
antaa.t al iUars 8OrbrgbslTsr I
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lio a. q Warene 1Sb5-59 beIsb Nm,