Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-03-06

the great and George Washington.
The hearty welcome extended to the
representative of Germany by the PEG
pie of the United States, is especially
gratifying to the sons of the Father
land who have sought and found hap
by homes in this hospitable land, and
! to these belong the majority of people
who fill this great hall tonight, among
them veterans Of the German army
! and the members of societies who cul-
! tivate in our midst the songs Of the
Fatherland, and they say to your
! royal highness that although they
| have become loyal citizens of the
United States, their love for the coun-
| try Of their birth has not diminished.
"Ungrateful would be he, who could
! forget the German fatherland or deny
it the love and gratitude a child owes
to it's parent. To forget this a German
who has come to these shores would
| have to forget first, what it was that
| secured him a friendly reception in
strange land-fis native country's
! fame among the nations of the world,
/ it's proud history and its great achieve
ments upon all fields of human act
! ivity, whereby it has enriched the
| civilization of the human race. The
native American stands second to none
in patriotism and love of country and
approaching the same good quality in
others, he esteems his fellow citizen
of German birth for the love he cher
ishes for the fatheTland, and thinks
| better of him because he does not
! forget his native land over the zeal
with which he participates in the
development of the intellectual and
material resources OF his adopted
country.
THE American citizens in this as
semblage whose cradle stood upon
German soil are thankful for the OPP
portunity afforded them to express
these sentiments to your royal high
ness, and beg to assure you, that they
will always so shape their lives, that,
when at the end an accounting is
asked of them as to how they have
fulfilled their duties toward the coun-
try of their birth and the country of
their choice they can answer consci-
entiously: I have loved my bride
but never have forgotten my good
mother"
The prince, responding to the ad- J
dress of Mr.. Lefens, expressed his ,
thanks for the generous welcome, ,
urged his hearers to be loyal Ameri-
can citizens, and concluded by pro
posing three cheers for Emperor Will |
lam. The cheers were given heartily. |
After the singing of The Prayer Be
fore the Battle, an original poem was !
read by E. F. L. Gauss.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
was played by the orchestra and sung
by the Ladies' Choral society. The !
audience was wrought up to a high !
pitch of enthusiasm and when the
music swung into The Star Spangled |
Banner every man and woman in the
hall stood up, the prince and suite
rising also. The first notes of the
song were utterly lost in the wild cry
of delight that rang out as the old war :,
song was heard. This died away in
an instant and then. with a force that |
seemed to shake the very roof itself !
the entire audience followed the or
chestra with the words of the song.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the visitors
returned to the hotel, passing over
the route along which was banked
fully $4,000 cheering people. The
evenings festivities closed with a
great ball at the Auditorium. 1t was
perhaps the most magnificent social /
event ever witnessed in this city, sur
passing even the great ball in honor
of Admiral Dewey two years ago.
The run from st. Louis to Chicago
was without incident of any kind.
But two stops were made, the first
being st Springfield where a large
crowd was gathered, and the other
at Bloomington. The train reached
Chicago somewhat ahead of time.