The record-union., 1896-07-05
THE GRAFTON.
Delivered at Yesterdays Exercises
by Hon. F. III. Gould.

AT the exercises yesterday the Orator
of the Day was Hon. Frank H. Gould of
| Stockton. His address, which is pub
lished in full below, was delivered with
excellent effect and it's sentiments fire.
| quently applauded. Mr. Gould said:
| This is July 4, 1896, and on this day
and ait this hour 100000 speakers
| mounted on rostrums like this, recount
the causes of this day of rejoicing, and
| entertainl instruct, amuse or weary
probably 100000 American citizens
The recurrence of this day for 12O
years has borne a like fruit, but of
course in a continually lessening de-
gree, so far as numbers go, as we fol-
low backward toward the source of time.
| L presume it would be we'll nigh i'm
! possible to estimate with accuracy the
number of addresses that have been
| delivered to the Americans, having as
their subject matter the auspicious
event this celebration commentaries.
and still more impossible for any person
at this time and on this subject, to touch
that had not thrilled the heart strings
% 10000 listeners al some time in the
recent past.
| / am therefore confronted, in the nat
ural desire of all mankind, to give birth
to some hitherto unsaid thought, with
| the utter hopelessness of the task set
before me, and am stricken with wonder
TO know what l shall say to you day
that does not find a fellow recollection
or a comrade thought In your own mind
| implanted in your earlier teaching or
springing from your own patriotic SEN
sibilities.
| Why should l speak to you to-day of
| historical events, a century and more
/ old? Why recount to you the valorous
deeds of heroes an hundred years en-
| tombed? Why endeavor TO find echoing
| cadences in your breasts with lofty
strains that rolled in grandeur genera
tons upon generations past?
We stand here to-day on a virgin soil
unknown. undreamed of-impossible
| to those whose exploits we now com
n1emoraGe. This land then yielded to
the soft-footed Indians step alone. Upon
this spot they built their lowly dwell
! ings. Here they hunted, fished and
dwelt. Here the Indian lover wooed his
dusky bride and reared his hapless
progeny-but all this is changed. The
| adventurous priest, eager in his search
for human souls TO save, and the Mexi-
can Don first invaded the savage soIi-
| tudes, and then came Captain Sutter.
Here in your lovely city, reconstructed
and restored by a grateful posteritv.
stands lifting monument to his wis
| dom and courage. There can be no
| greater monument to the memory of
man than his own works, revered by
| grateful descendants and preserved by
arpreciative Successors as a recognition
Of his deeds in life
Then away up in the hills there a
lowly workman found yellow grain
of gold. Just little piece-you could
PUT 1T in your eye. Yet, in that little
| yellow seed what splendid fruits re-
posed. / think l see him now. AS he
| closely scans this little bead prophetic
| visions pass before his anxious eyes.
He sees the exciting hustle in his home
| land-the swift gathering caravan that
| winds its slow uncertain way. He sees
| his friends and countrymen, bravins
| the dangers he has braved, breasting the
same flood, treading the desert path he
trod, scaling the same mountains and
entering into his promised land
He sees the restless, nervous, intense
| life Of early California days-the rapid
! gathering of crowds of men--the flood
OF golden treasures, poured as the life
| blood OF man into languishing COM
| merce and industry. He sees the
stealthy knife and the ready pistol
sheathed, and law and Christian life
triumphant. He sees the fertile plains
dotted by thousand happy homes