The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-05
ELOQUEACE At COMO
INTERESTING EXERCISES AT THE
COMMERCIAL CLUB CYCLERY
PICNIC
CHESTER GRTGGs' GRAFTON
1t Was Picturesque Tribute to
Minnesota. the Queen State of the
NOrthwestern Empire - Hiram F.
stevens Also Paid His Respect
to CycIers, NATIONAL and 9th

ers.
The Commercial club cyciers celebrated
the day. or a part of it., at the club
house at Como with speeches, music and
basket picnic. The club house was
decorated with flags and bunting, and
Park Superintendent Nussbaumer added
to the sattraetiveness of the club house
grounds by contributing a profusion OF
flowers and plants.
The programme prepared included in
strumental selections by an orchestra of
five pieces and addresses by Hon. H. F.
Stevens and Chester R. Griggs. This
programme was augmented by Phinpeys
United States band, which rendered the
club a serenade, and rendered a choice
programme of patriotic music The for
NAL exercises over, the members of the
club and their. families and invited guests
spent the evening in an informal manner.
Supper was served in the club house at
o'clock and there was display of fire.
works on the lawn in the evening.
Hon. H. F. Stevens was introduced by
H. P. Hall, who. in the absence Of Presi-
dent Gedney, did the honors of chairmon.
Mr.. Stevens spoke briefly to the members
of the club, whom he termed fellow cy-
clers, although he admitted that it had
been thirty-five years since he had ridden
a wheel. His experience at that time
had been such that he had enjoyed the
sport since by observation. Cycling he
said, was something like the poet had
said about love. None were so young
that they had not yielded. and none so
old that they could deny It's charm.
T olEnV sol
q glance at the country left one at
loss which most to admire, the glory of
it's wars or the tranquility of it's peace.
Oratory, like all other industrials. had
gone into q trust. The press had taken
the place of@oratOry: The power and IN
fluence Of the press had made the Ameri-
can people familiar with the achieve
ments of the country.
The year 1899, 123 years after the sign
ing of the Declaration of Independence,
saw the United States the greatest coun-
try on the globe 1t was at peace with
all the world except few of our savage
children, who would either be made
peaceable or thrashed to pieces very
soon.
He congratulated the Commercial club
for what 1t had done and was doing for
the city, and alluded to the manner In
which the organization had, by its
prompt action, relieved the distress OF
the New Richmond cyclone sufferers.
He congratulated the club on being citi-
zens of the greatest republic on earth as
well as citizensHof the finest city in the
republic. = -
The amusement Of cycling In sense
had. something to do with declaration
of independence. as it gave woman an
independence. not enjoyed before the rec
reation became general. He closed by
wishing for the ladies greater independ-
ence, and to all eyclers and especially the
Commercial club cyclers many runs with
tracks free from tacks and all other In
references. q ~s5s;s
Chester r. Griggs Followed in an ad-
dress, taking for his subject sS'Minneso-
ia Mr. Griggs' talk was an. eloquent
and mastery effort, and at'3its eoncIu-
sion he was enthusiastically applaudea.
He said in part:
'rWhen the beams ofSthes new learn
ing were first atRreying the radiance Of
their struggling Hight through the clouds
of medfaevalism to disturb the intellect
of slumbering Europe, and as they scat
tered the shadows of the unknown and
brought to view! the obscured and hid
den places in human genius, there was
found among the" other long unused ap-
pIiances for the assistance OF man 3 nllho
a simple and ingenious thing
"a bit of steel placed on pivot and In
closed in a metal case. which under the
orrration of some, mysterious influence IN
nature was found. invariably to point to-
ward the north star. Inspired by the
seeming instinct that directed the tiny
point of the needle ever toward the same
constellation in the heavens above hlnl' a
hardy mariner in those olaen Gays leIt
the shores of superstition and once
launched upon the Wide ocean Of his
dreams pressed ever onward and Tor
ward until the PROV Of his venturesome
vessel was beached upon the sands that
skfrted the land Of promise
Long centuries afterward there stood
upon the banks of the Father OF Waters,
at that point between the towering sano
bluffs at which the Mississippi seems first
TO realize that his mighty bosom can be
barred to the spread of the sails of whole
fleets Of modern coFmerce, one or the
greatest of Americas statesmen, ana as
he gazed at the Rolling waters. and about
and beyond him at the fertile fluctuations
of the prairies toward the north, there fell
from the lips of Will'am ii. seward these
words of inspiration:
81 now believe that the ultimate last
seat of government on this great CONT
nent will be found ~som ewhere within a
circle or radius not~'very far from the
spot on which now stand at the head OF
navigation on the Mississippi river
Nor is 1t alone this prophetic utterance
OF the statesman seer that indicates the
direction of the needle OF destiny so true
along the meridian of the future to the
North Star state. At the time these
leagues of vast. 'eXpanse; more than hfty
millions Of acres in one huge garden dot
ted here and there with It's fresh water
lakes were scarcely known except as the
home of the Dakotas, the land of laugh
ing water. itrwas not yet known or at
least not realized, that she held gold and
silver and precious stones in her most
northern grasp. or that just beyond that
wilderness and wealth of timber trees
would be found an ore of iron that was
almost natilraI steel. This was the Mime
sofa of which Mr.. Seward spoke.
Even thus early in her career has Min
nesota found examples among her citizens
of courage and of kindness, of wisdom
and Of worth There nave been furnished
10 the nation at large foremost repre-
sentatives In the ranks OF statesmen, OF
financiers, of phllanthropists, Of philoso-
pliers, and men of learning and letters.
volunteers from Minnesota were the
first to respond to the call of Abraham
Lincoln during the time that tried mems
souls. Volunteers from Minnesota have
carried the flag Of freedom further from
Manilas walls than those of any other
state. In the ranks of her citizens have
been found the nafmbsrs or more than one
national cabinet. Hef sons have carried
the palm of peace to the people Of differ
ent lands and some. have looked among
them for a chief EXECUTIVE over US all.
Industry and earnestness have con-
quered adversitX sapq hardship and the
frontier of but aaquarder Of a century ago
has become the mart Of commerce today.
The throb of the~piseen as 1t drives into
the cylinder is the pulse beat of existence
in our numerous towns and villages, while
~ ri ha irio p