Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-05-04
LETTER READ AT OLD SETTLERS CLUB.
Finished Proceedings of the Ninth Annual
Reunion at Dixon Hotel, April IL.
From DIR. g. r. Wittpr.

VI Is. y dllleS Canning, secretary Oh O1u
Folks Association of Wood County,
Grand Rapids, Wis.-Dear Madam:
Your letter was directed to San Carlos,
Cal, and therefore did not reach me
in time to give it such concise reply
as the circumstances you mention
properly demand. The kindly consid-
Grafton we have received from the
most of the old settlers of your place,
the many years past, however, entitle
them not only to an answer to your
kind letter but to our grateful remem-
branceS as we'll.
First, then, I will say that it is well
with us both thus far. The. climate
has done much for Mrs. Witter, and
as that was our objective purpose in
coming to this faroff land, we have
not been disappointed in our change.
Nor are we diSpleaSed with the out
look here in the winter. How could
we be, with all this sunshine flooding
the valley and illuminating the very
remOteSt recess of ones soul: with all
this newborn verdure gladdening the
eye, while it is yet midwinter and the
thermometer is far below zero in your
cherished land. With the trees in the
thousands of orchards nOdding and
bending in the soft winds: with the
BIRDS not half SO beautiful as yours,
pouring out their loft melodies in the
early hours, is it strange that one
should at times feel a sense of delight
springing up and admiration for this
far away land of the Pacific shore.
Every morning, as we look on the
beautiful sky and see the rosy tints of
dawn softening the rugged outlines of
the hills, or rather mountains, [
silently sing my own jubilate, just now
the outlook is very satisfying to the
heart.
We turn from this picture and try
to conceive the great dissimilarity
between it and your land of frost and
snow, cold weather in winter and
thunder and lightning in summer.
No verdure, no warmth of sun, no sigh
ing Of gentle breezeS: but cold and
snow and suffering for beast and man:
no hint of coming blossom, no voice
of bird. When looking at it from
this standpoint, one really feels that
if we should be ungrateful to the kind
providence which directed our feet to
this state, we would be monster of
ingratitude and should be expelled
from it's borders.
While all the foregoing is true and
much more, yet | am convinced that
in a monetary sense the average man
of limited means can enjoy life and
live with less eXertion and less anx-
iety in your state than in this, pro-
viding, however, he has vigorous
health and constitution. The survival
of the fitteSt being the aim.
There is one more thing | wish to
refer to in this connection and know
it will interest you all there, for you
have given the matter so much atten-
ton from first to last that / am proud
to speak of your enviable record in
this respect, | mean your public school
matters in your loved county from
first to last. In early days, [ know
how we'll you put in your labor and
your hearty cooperation when it was
more uphill business than now to keep
up an interest and face the opposition
to our high school system, and remem-
berS how you all stood shoulder to
shoulder in doing what the educators
of the early times thought the wisest
thing. | think of it the more now as
| compare the wealth and perfection
Of your institutions with what they
were in those more trying times that
tried mems souls in your county, and
prompted eternal vigilance of your
best citizens until the county has just
cause to be proud of your cherished
institutions of learning in this re-
spect. l speak of this sacred past and
the everlasting monuments to the
wisdom of your early cO-workers, many
of whom are now missing all over
your county, that you may never for
get the monuments to their Sagacity
that are standing all overy your county
| am the more anxious about your
school Institutions because | know
how easy it is for a community, which
has done SO well. to be content with it,
not thinking that there is mu CHI to do
in this respect in the future more
than has been done. Let me remind
you, however, that your good work
can be much more perfected if you
now take wide stand with reference
to the health conditions Of your pupils
throughout all the schools of the
county. | shall not feel that | have
done what | could do without speak
ing plainly of the fact Of the number
of cubic inches that every pupil should
have as his own instead of the small
and limited number that is actually
permitted in the greater number of
your schools.
Much reference has been made all
along down through the ages to the
wicked Herod of old in issuing the
order for the destruction of all the
male children: and yet we are told
that probably not over thirty children
| fell under the order. The
murder of the innOcentS of the nine