Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-09-19

they had not sown and found luXuries
they had never known, but the pio-
neers of American soil found deter
mined foe that had no spoils for the
victor, no shelter for the white man,
no harvests or herds upon which he
could subsist. Our ancestors, the
pioneers, We're not the rich nor from
the ranks of the proud OF luxurious.
Few that bore the patents of nobility
were among the number, but they all
bore the God-given stamp of nobility.
OF unyielding conscience, courage and,
enterprise. They were self-selected,
heroes from the highest civilization of
Europe, for only such dared brave the
hardships and difficulties of our from
tier life.
1t was not only so with those who
settled the east. but those who opened
up the west possessed the same char
acteristics. Who can marvel at the
progress which has crowned the ef-l
forts and civilization of such a people?
In two centuries we stand in the very,
front rank of nations, our population:
increasing as no other people in.
creases, our Industries and commerce.
are pouring treasures into our laps be-
ohu VIC VIII dlCuIlo VI iulCy ouE'
soil is fertile. our forests valuable and
Mother Earth has just fairly begun to
reveal to us the hidden treasures of
her gold, her silver, her iron, her
lead, her zinc, her OIL multitude of
riches yet TO be numbered Our trade
with the nations of the earth, though
vast and exciting the envy of the moth
er countries, is apparently in its in
fancy Our citizen soldiers, the sons
of many generations of heroes, excite
the establishment, the admiration, the
envy, of the world. The results are
all we can desire. Like the success
full merchant who stops and takes an
invoice of stock at intervals, in order
that he may measure and weigh well
the sources of his success; like the
surveyor who, desiring to project a
straight line, frequently turns his
compass and sights back along the
stations he has passed, so we as a
people should consider we'll the
sources of our progress and view oc-
casionally the old land marks, the
mile-stones of our history.
| We cannot attribute our success to
the soil and climate of this western
hemisphere. These forests and
| streams, the rivers and plains smiled
back to the sunshine thousand years
before Columbus discovered the con-
| tinent. 1t was the home of the In
dian for hundred generations, but
the sunshine, the soil and climate fail
ed to deepen or broaden him into a
degree of civilization. Like the birds
and the beasts he lived as had his
| nrnoQrifnrc 10 ,nt1 l,o
sides sunshine, soil and climate to
make men and to insure human adj
| vancement. We find it in man him
self rather than in his physical condi
ton. In his motives, his aspirations
his ideals, are found the wheels OF
human progress. Here we find the
sources of our civilization. Our faith
ers left their homes in the Old World
that they might enjoy the liberty, pc
litical and religious, denied them
there. They relinquished the com
forts and associations of home and en-
dured the hardships and discomforts
of pioneer life that they might realize
their religious and political ideals
They We're intelligent, courageous, re
ligious; and upon these foundation
llstones they erected an empire which
will endure so long as their posterity
shall have the wisdom to preserve
tnem.
Their first care after they had bull
homes, was to erect churches ant
school houses. The parson and the
schoolmaster were important factor!
in the civilization they sought to main
tain. When Iowa was settled thu
same order prevailed Many of u.
distinctly remember the advent of tn,
early settlers. The covered Wagon
drawn by the span of horses or yoke O
oxen, the man and his wife with thei
little belongings all housed in that lit
tie moving home, bore tokens Of lon,
and weary days of travel. They ha,
heard of the beautiful prairies, tn
rich soil, the temperate climate an,
ships as seeing what was then invis
: IDLE, but which we have seen breal
forth into glorious realization. Thei
little log cabins widened into beauti
full homes as they anticipated wha
the future would bring them. The
sang as they fenced their fields, turn
ed the prairie sod and planted, sowe
and reaped in the hard old ways A
they saw the markets open and tn
railroads reaching out to them al
their hardships were tinged and glide
!, by the radiance of hope.
Avery few of the pioneers remain
Old settlers we have and may Away
have, but the pioneers we have bu
once Already we have entered int
the fruits of their labors and most G
: them have entered into rest. The
toiled early and late to subdue the wi
: derness, and it blossoms as the rose
They endured hardships and sacrifice
to secure to their children privilege
and opportunities they never enjoyed
They laid deep and wide the founds
tons of a splendid commonwealth
: Their example has shown what il
dustry and frugality may accompiis
in material ways; what religion may d
to harmonic society and introduce til
2 golden era OF peace; what schools an
! widespread Intelligence under tn
guidance of religious truth may do
ameliorate the conditions of mankin
and make man the conqueror tha
God intended he should be when II
placed him on earth and gave hi
command to '.subdue it.
4 Solomon said there was "nothin