The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1892-06-28
No. 20

graphical discrimination and then
made them fight each other, the most
perfect understanding existed and
that they would unite openly against
the people if ever their game should be
discovered. The magnitude and mas
terly conception of this political
mechanism md the fearful conse-
quences of its operations running
through thirty years, appalled, him.
He rushed into the fight with too little
concern for himself He taxed his
power more than his strength could
bear. He fell at Washington, D. c.,
in the thickest Of the fight June 11th,
1892, at the age of fifty five
On the sunset side of a hill and the
southwark slope of valley which runs
through OakwOOd Cemetery. is the
last resting place of Leonidas L. Polk.
The hill overlooks the little brook
which runs near by, meandering under
the oaks and willows on either bank.
and creeping through the tangled mass
Of hOneysuckle vines. babbles over the
rocks beyond. Up the little valley,
which is interseCted at right angles by
| the brook, sleep many of North Caro-
lina's distinguished dead. A few yards
above a tall monument marks the
resting place Of Chief Justice Smith,
and little further up a massive stone,
erected by his admiring law students,
tells Of the virtures of the famous Chief
Justice Pearson. Closer than either of
these is a monument, raised by those
who love the brave, perpetuating the
memory of two young men who we're,
drowned In their efforts to save a young
woman. Nearest of all, and close by
his side, is the grave of his daughter,
Mrs. Browder, marked by a simple
slab of white marble Across the evaIley
and on the hill top beyond, sleep many
hundred Confederate dead About
half way up the opposite slope, under
lofty solitary pine, a monument
rests on a mound over the remains
the of Confederate hero, Gen. Geo.
B. Anderson. A sturdy white oak,
a most to the top of which an ivy vine
has climbed. overshadows the grave Of
Col. Polk. Nature has not left him
unmonUmented. Perhaps some day a
monument as tall as natures shall be
erected by man, and upon the keystone,
which shall represent North Carolina,
supported by an arch, which shall rep
resent her sister States, shall be IL
scribed the last words of Col. POlk's
last public speech: do your duty"
tjud OS uS 1OIGSdW Glldb u6 WAS near
life's close, and in his minds eye be,
held the valley in which he should so
soon sink to rest, when at Winfield,
Kansas, on the 4th day of July, 1890,
he uttered these words: 81 am stand
ing now just behind the curtain al d in
the full glow 5E the coming sunset. Be
hind me are the shadows on the trG Ck;
before me lies the dark valley of the
river. When 1 mingle with it's dark
waters, [ want to cast one lingering
look upon a country whose govern
ment is of the people, for the people
and by the people"
We are going down the valley, one by one,
With our faces toward the setting of the sun;
Down the valley where the mournful cypress
grows,
Where the stream of death in silence onward
flows.
We are going down the valley, one by one.
When the labOrs of the weary day done;
One by one the cares of earth forever past,
We shall stand upon the river bank at last.