Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1900-08-24


done"
Once moro would we invite you, in
the language of Horace, the ancient
| bard, who, you know, lived long before
the reign of Fuss Y }" and could inno-
Gently invoke the poetic license:
"No IN, stupid laws our fcasts control,
Precisely ns hC feels Inclined
II hc be strong, and have Il mind
@ For bumpers, gopd If not, he's free
TO sip his liquor lcisurely. :
For this one time, wc would begin:
~ country mouse receives within
His rugged cave q city brother,
AS one old comrndc would another"
After Mr.. Jaynes's address the
Artillery Band played and then the
address of the day by Hon. John d.
Cappelmann was delivered. Mr..
Cappe]mann's address showed vi
gorous research, care and COM
pactness. 1t was q graphic and
picturesque painting Of an historic
event, and was delivered with that
force and fervor born of deep inter-
est i'll his people and the incident
He said:
We meet to commemorate the Semi
Centennial of the town of Wnlhalla
Let us go back in mind more than fifty
years, when natural forests, nbounding
in game and wild animals, covered
| these hills and valleys; when the In
dams trail was still unbroken, and, in
many instances, afforded the only way
Of passing from point to point. With II
soil rcady to produco cotton for cloth
ing and food for the sustenance of man,
while beneath the surface lay sccrcted
the most valuable minerals; with Il eli
mate striking happy medium between
the piercing chills of the North and the
depressing warmth of the fur South.
| Under such conditions and with such
attractions the pioneer settlers Of Wal
hnlla, in June, 1850, first set foot on
this soil and, with courage akin to
of the Puritan fathers when first landing
on the American continent, they began
the work OF transforming the wilder
ness before them into state OF civili-
| Zation.
Forests had to be cleared and stumps
and roots removed for the purpose of
husbandry dwellings had to be erected !;
roads to be laid out and bridges built.
Besides all this, an understanding must
be acquired of the habits, language and
customs of the people of the new coun-
try. They were led ON and inspired in
their arduous undertaking by the hope,
constantly alive in their breast that here
they should truly find resting place
after the battles of lifc--an' earthly
heaven so TO speak This is shown in
the selection of the name for thcir new
homc-Wahnlla meaning Il place of
rcst, ns is indicated by the original use
OF the word. We read thai in North
crn mythology "Wnlhnlln" was the
name of a magnificent palace, resting
on spears, and covered with shields, to
which the warriors repaired when they
fell on the battlefield fighting brnvcly
Those who were towards and died ON
their beds from sickness or old age
were sent to Niiihcim, and that place
was as dark and gloomy, as silent and
shadowy, as Walhalla was bright, re-
spcndcnt and shining with life. Again
we lind this name given to II temple of
fame, the erection Of which was con
ccivrd by King Louis Of Bavaria,
after the wars between Germany and
France, which ended with tho downfall
Of Napoleon in 1915, in which busts
and statues should be placed of all the
great men Germany had produced. The
temple was built in lS3O-i2, and is said
to be one OF the most remarkable cdi-
iiccs in Germany. II is Il copy OF the
narthcnon; 232 feet long, 10 feet
broad and So feet high, built of fine
reddish marble II; Donnnstnur. ON hill
ON the Danube, 25O feet above the river.
| The Substructurc and the surroundings
are magnificent, and contribute largely
to set of the building itself. at is sin
| gulur," says writer, "that German
temple Of fame should he Il Greek build
ing with a scandinavian nnmr." If
this hc so, what shall be said Of the
condition which obtains in our Wal
halln to-day? This town was founded
by Germans; the German language WAS
al one time chiefly used and cxclu-
Sivcly taught in hcr schools, and Ger
man customs prevailed Now few
Of the old settlers remain; little use
is made of the German language.
hut we find comminglng and co-working
for its common good all classes and
conditions, all religions and srcts, whc-
tlrr naturalizcd or native and to the
manor born, whether immediate sons
and daughters of he first settlers or
descendants of those whose ancestry is
of the Pilgrim Fathers. All dwell to-
gc,hcr in peace and unity for the
advancement Of all common interests
and all unite to-day in doing homage
to the memory Of the founders of so
goodly n heritage as is realized i'm Wal
hnlla with It's present benefits to them
and their children, with its past iilcd
with sacred memories and with It's
bright prospects for its early and splcn-
did development.
We do well thus to pause for season
in the hurry Of life to reflect upon the
times and doings of those who have
gone before, SO that in the light of
their experiences we may better fulfil
our work, and that, above all, we pay
to their memory our debt of gratitude