The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-05-31
Point Pleasant, Madison Lake,
Thron9ed With People
Yesterday.
Day Of Pleasure for the Men and Women Who
Came to Minnesota i'm the Days Of Indian
Barbarity and Wilderness.
MUSIC, SPEECHES, GAMES and "REMINISCENCES.
From Thursdays Daily.

Now we see fields green with grain
and roads in every direction. Madison
Lake sprung up out of theswilderness.
1t is an honor to welcome the pioneers
to this home that l share with my
help mate who has been such help to
me in the upbuilding of this home.
When I came to this spot, looked
over this lake for the first time and
saw the sky beyond l thought it the
most beautiful spot on earth and have
never changed my mind. 1t is none
too good to do honor to these men and
their work. We can look back land
read the history of battles but. the his
tory of development is more import
ant than destruction. We have here
the men who have built up. Life is
not made up of heroic adventures but
of strain and grind. Fifty years ago
this was wilderness. Those here to-
day came to build it up, to plant a
people and civilize savagery. Every
woman who knelt in her cabin in the
absence of her husband or son during
the war and Indian outbreak did hero
ic acts in the protection of family and
horne. There was heroism, bravery
and self sacrifice in the early days
When we extol heroes we must not
forget these heroic deeds. These peo-
pie are here today and we. want to do
them honor History must have a
beginning of the results of mems en-
deavors and the annals of events. His
tory must record the developments of
race and community. There has
been no history of jamestown or LIE
Ray. 1t is yet to be written. TODAY
must be the, beginning.-o of history.
This county has, been-. redeemed from
wilderness and savagery, and the..hi
tory of past. must. be-. written. .. l. land
my better half have concluded. Ito take
the initiatory and commence--withsy you
writing history of.aJamestown. and. LIE
Ray. .-ss.Let every man and. .woman..im-
I! bibe..the dea-..that. the. sold should. be
veneratedss.. and Erevereda and mot let
their deeds go--unsung. =. Mayssyou.hav
many happy. days. g. Let--this--. meeting
be repeated and..form an organization
for our children. 20 'Tis- good for morals
that old age should be revered and his
tory written of the pioneer section and
! the early settlers of jamestown. '' -.-s.-
..--L. W. Smith. responded " to- the Fad:
dress of welcome, saying in substance
d Mr.. andssMrs. ss.B. ..must-bes. happy..in,
deed when they reflect how muchsst heil
| generosity on this Occasion. has. con,
tributed to the happiness of SO many
others. 1t is to them we are indebted
for this meeting of the old. settlers.
With. them. it. has originated. and. but
for them the last of uss~.would- desce nc
to--mother earth without. having such
a..reunion. -. If the. flake of the...dismaI
swamp-could elicit. "a. Doem.- from - the
poet, tom. Moore if..we.scould,. bring
him from the tomb, - like. Lazarus ol
DID, and his eyes could gaze--on~ the
beauty..of Point Pleasant, -. dressed :. in
her summer robes, -.decked..and --arraved
in.her holiday attire, bounded = as. she
is-by this beautiful %.sheet..aof water,
who can describe.the. blissful emotion
that would swell and heave.his bosom.
Our..own Longfellow.sand. Whittier, if
they were living today, would answer.
But the most Of. us poor mortals can
make no more than a blind guess.
Who but a poet can feel the thrill that
comes to the heart when seeing such
scenery as meets our gaze in this beau
tiful summer resort.
..ssMr. and Mrs. Barclay have, without
intending to-, do SO, :.--taken-a..--chattel
mortgage.on.the.h hearts and affections
Of the old settlers of..Jamestown-- .. and
neutrality-suspicious. cannot..be
satisfied but..with-. the. termination.of
our.lives. lean assure. them--there.. is
no..necessity....to- have. them placed on
record or. fled witt. the.town-- cler !. of
Blue. Earth....county, LIE. Sueurssor other
surrounding counties. :. for they are
stamped on our affections with in
delible ink and engraved on our hearts
A.few..years- Twill. send many sof the
old settlers. to--their long..home. ga few
more ..years-will. transform the most
vigorous and.hardy..ofr. them. from--.the
shore of time to the..endless ocean of
eternity. =. In..--view.of-t this I most ear
nestly wish this. mutual. good. will,
this reciprocal. kindness. we-- fee. today
should be perpetuated by our descend
ants. IL shall be to them an epoch long
to be remembered landmark of the
history of Jamestown not to be for
gotten, but handed down from sire to
son. talked overE.with .affection.when
generations yet unborn will tread with
a needless step sover our lonely and
perhaps forgotten graves. II hope
that Mr.: and Mrs. . Barclay and their
immediate descendants- as we'll as all
here present will.-.live.to patriarchal
age, enjoying all the blessings that
heaven can bestow on the most favored
mortals, when the angel of death shall
call a halt on life's journey and an
nounce--that timessis no more.
:. The..choir sang "The Star Spangled
Banner" and "Down on the Swanee