The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1902-07-11
OLD Settlers DAY
Meet at SibIey Park and Have
a Good Time.
Addresses by Cows. Ramsey and Van
SAINT and Rev. Williamson
A Picnic Dinner.

The old settlers gathering at Sibley
, park today was success In every
| respect. On account of the industrial
parade being put over until today,
they were somewhat late in getting
, started, and it was nearly II o'clock,
when the park was reached. - 1t took
some little time to get settled, 80 il
was nearly the noon hour before the
old settlers were called by the years in
which they arrived here, to receive
their badges.
Gen. ]. b. Baker who presided,
called off the years and those arriving
in that year arose, and a beautiful
badge, commemorative of tine event
was pinneG upon the lapel of their
coat. Less than half dozen respond
ed to 1862, among these were P. K.
johnson and W. w. Paddock, who
were the first permanent settlers here.
There were only a small number for
each of the years 90, "a and SO,
but when 1865 was called there were q
large number of responses. There
were also a good many for 1867, and
some for 1868 who arrived prior to the
admission of the state in May.
After the distribution of the badges
the program as published was carried
out. The first in order was music by
the Juvenile band, followed by prayer
by Rev. Alfred Riggs, D. D., who
was one of the early missionaries in
Minnesota valley, Gen. J. b. Baker
next delivered most excellent soluti-
tory address, which we give in full as
follows:
1t is fitting that upon this, our
fftieth natal day, we should properly
celebrate the opening of our valley,
and the founding of our city with
observances the most impressive.
Therefore with anthem and eulogy,
with elaborate papers and orations,
with banners and badges, with music
and song we proudly commemorate
the day and the men, who started US
on the voyage of life.
Fifty years have fed, since few
brave men, poor in everything, but
that lofty Anglo-Saxon spirit, which
dares all things and accomplishes all
things. planted, in primeval solitudes,
the rude foundations of this American
colony. In this hour of our rejoicing,
our thoughts, and our sympathies run
back to that day, when our affairs
were first reared, and civilization had
its first Judgment in the upper valley
of the Minnesota river.
While we enjoy the Astounding pres
ent, and indulge proud hopes for the
future, yet, for this day, we will, for
the greater part, live in the past. We
will ascend the stream of time, and
mingIe our thoughts and our feelings
with the rude life of the frontier; we
will feel its wants, and its depriva
tions, we will behold its solitude and
savage environments, then following the
newborn rivulet, as the beginning of
some mountain stream, we pursue it's
sinuOus course, now amiu verdant
scenes, and then over rocks of danger
and grief, till we emerge into these
happier days of peace and prosperity.
On this day, too, we may indule the
feeling of local pride on the achieve
ments which have been wrought, upon
the victories which crown our brows
with an honorable measure of success.
That feeble beginning has been pro-
ductive of the happiest results.
A great battle excites admiration,
and inspires songs of epic praise. But
how much better for the happiness of
mankind, was the planting of civili-
ed community in great wilderness,
where justice, law, liberty and refine
ment might find perpetual home.
In its splendid consequences, the
historical event we this day celebrate,
is really worth more to the world
than scores of great battles, which
shine, with lurid light, on the pages
of history. As we regard the actors in
that original drama, we find the tomb
has closed over many, too many of
those adventurous spirits, who created
our earlier history, Hanna, Goodrich,
Warren Thompson, Jackson, Van
Brunt, Shoemaker and other memora-
BILE men, are beyond the stars. Their
familiar forms are not to be seen in
this rejoicing throng. We lovingly
recall their memories and summon
their spirits to behold this Joyous
scene. Ambition did not disturb their
quiet and stainless lives:
Gar from the maddening crowds
ignoble strife,
Their sober wishes never learned to
stay;
Along the cool, sequestered vale of
life,
They kept the noisless tenor of their
way. :"
Upon their graves, we here and now
scatter the flowers of sweet remem
berance.
But there are still those among us,
whose lives have been bounteously
heightened out to behold this happy
day. Here sits P. K. Johnson, the
typical sold Settlers, still full of
life, and Astounding in humor. AS
Walter Scott says: sold age meier
cools the Douglass blood. -
Here, too, are John S. Hinckley,
Hiram Fuller and W. W. Paddock, all
of the immortal era of 1852. Times
sseffacinp finpers'' have snared' both