The weekly tribune., 1894-02-02
ROBERT BURNS anniversary.
The Scotch Lads and Lassies of Sand
Coulee Appropriately Cele-
brate
The l36th Anniversary Of ScOtiand's s
Bard and Poet, Robert
Burns.

The hardy sons of Scotland at Sand
Coulee with their friends celebrated the
l36th anniversary of Burns in "a very
happy and fitting manner on Thursday
night, Jan. % The celebration consisted
of banquet and dance. The dancing
commenced at $50 p. m. with the Grand
March, in which over seventy couples
took part, and was heartily and joyfully
continued till IL o'clock, when an ad-
journment was made to the banqueting
hall. After partaking of many of the
good things on the table, among which
was Haggis or, as Burns calls it,"Great
chieftain of the puddin' race" the chair
man, b. M. Burrell, in responding in a
vigorous and well-timed speech to the
toast of the evening, "The Memory of
Robert Burns" said
Ladies and Gentlemen: Before pro-
ceeding to respond to this toast with
which you have so kindly coupled my
name, permit me in word to thank you
most sincerely for the honor you have
conferred upon me by asking me to pre-
side over this celebration. can assure
you there is no meeting over which l
would sooner preside than a gathering of
true, loyal, and patriotic Scotchmen and
Scotch women with their friends, met as
we are tonight, to celebrate In happy
manner the both anniversary of Scot
lands bard and poet, Robert Burns. l
will show you my appreciation OF your
kindness by being brief in my remarks,
for / know you did not come here to lis
ten to a speech from me, for speech
making is not in my line. You are all
familiar, know, with the humble birth
of Robbie Burns and with his subse-
quent career. 1t was on the 25th of Jan
uary, 1883, that blast of Januar' wind
blew hausel in on Robin, and this cold
Januar' wind never ceased long at time
to blaw on him, and though he manfully
an1 independently tried to snap his
fingers heartily before it's face it was in
the long run too chill for him and he
succombed to it on the 2lst of July,
1876, in the thirty.eighth year of his age.
Like myself you all doubtless feel proud
tonight at the constantly growing and
increasing popularity of him in whose
memory we are here met, and who SO
bountifully endowed the civilized world
with his genius and with his writings.
Mark you, say civilized world, for men
had to be educated to fully value and
appreciate the worth of his poems and
songs Tonight, my friends, not only
over the length and breadth of the Brit
ish islands, not only over the length and
breadth of the British dominions, upon
which the sun pever sets, but over the
length and breadth of the globe,
wherever tho English language is spoken,
do we find gatherings such as this, met
to do honor to and revere the memory of
the most independent man of his time.
1t was Burns misfortune to have lived
at least 100 years ahead of his time. Had
it been his good fortune to have lived in
this enlightened nineteenth century men
would not have been SO slow to admire
and appreciate his genius and his worth,
and doubt not his career would have
been different. Tonight it might be
said that men have laid aside their inhu-
manity to man for short time at least
and that one common sentiment OF
thanks to nature for her great gift was
found to encircle the world. This idea
may bring before your minds forcibly the
greatness of the life which came to its
end nearly 100 years ago. The iufi uence
which emanated from the genius Of
Burns grew brighter and brighter as the
years rolled on. What other life had
done so much to bring about the time
When man to man the world DER
Shall brothers be and a thst:
Men and women are brought together
this evening with one common purpose
and desire-with the great lesson before
them of universal brotherhood. You all
know how very dearly Burns loved auld
Scotland and how he said he had a wish
which strongly heaved his breast that
| for puir auld Scotland's sake some use
full plan or book could make or sing a
song at least
Burns had sung, and sung to advantage,
for Scott through him had produced the
finest collection of songs the world had
ever seen. The songs of Burns were al
ready part of the mother tongue not only
of Scotland, but of the millions of peo-
pies who in all parts of the world spoke
the English language. Strictly speak
ing, perhaps no man had go deeply af-
fected the thoughts and feelings of SO
many men as this solitary and altogether
private individual with means apparently
the humblest His songs we're undoubt-
edlythe most finished Of h's productions
He exercised more care Oh his songs than
most of his other productions. many OF
which were only fragmentary. His
songs not only beautifully expressed the
inmost feelings Of the human heart, but
were correct az pieces of composition as
well The songs Of Burns never grew
stale, but always displayed more and
more sweetness the oftener they were
sung When sung they seemed to have
the dou "a charm OF being music set to
music Observe with what tenderness
he sings yet with what vehemence and
carr estness. There is IA piercing wall in
his sorrow. the purest rapture IN his JOY.
He burns with the sternest ire or laughs
with the loudcst or syest mirth, and yet
be is sweet and soft sweet as the smile
When fort lovers meet and soft as their
parting fear.
Let us further take into account the
immense variety a. his subjects, from the
loud, piercing reytI in willie Brewed a
Peck O Malt" f. the still. rapt enthusi-
asm of sandnees lN Mary in Heaven,
from the glad, kind greeting of "Auld
Lang Syne' to tie comi. archiness of
Duncan Grey and th' l.ra-eyaj fury of
SCOTS Wha llae: lie has 'Dund a
tone and worde FOR every mans cart,
1t would seap a small praise if We