The Wichita daily eagle., 1904-04-09

SENDS A BIRD
Fine Specimen of American
Eagle Is Secured.
ALVA NORMAL GETS IT
Pleasing Letter from Mr..
Jenkins Accompanies Gift.

Aiya, o. T.. April I'm the Northwest
ern X-Ray the following pleasing letter
from Ex-Governor William jenkins writ
ten ar kaw City, appears:
Professor Stephens. Alva. o. T.:
Dear Mr. Stephens: take great pleas
ure in sending you by express today a
fine specimen OF the American eagle.
found this noble bird on a butchers rack
in our metropolis. My interest was at
once aroused, and how best to preserve
this noble bird was the question upper
most in my mind, and l naturally thought
Of you. And l have confidence that you
can take care of him better than anyone
in the territory
l do not know who was so unpatriotic
as TO kill him. L would hesitate myself
many times before I would shoot or harm
the bird we have honored so highly and
who furnishes US such an inspiring en-
blem. L have, ever since l was old enough
to attend the Fourth of July celebrations
taken great interest in watching men
reach for his plumes and vie with each
other in their efforts to make him scream,
and / had almost come to believe that the
bird few so high and possessed such
magic qualities that he was impervious
TO the shot and ball of the ordinary
heartless hunter.
l have no means to tell his age. / do
not suppose that he was present and wit
messed the landing of Columbus or that
he perched on the hills of New England
and saw the Pilgrim Fathers floating
ashore. But / do not know that his kind
have witnessed the transformation Of the
wilderness inhabited by barbarous tribes.
into the grandest nation on earth, with
cities and with lines of communication
and with colleges and institutions of learn
ing, with churches ard with thousands
of happy homes where love and the Gold
en- Rule are the highest evidences of our
civilization
1t is appropriate, indeed, that our fore
fathers chose this bird as the national
bird and honored hi mby placing his IA
i1iliar outlines on our coin. because we
are told that he occupies a sphere above
the sphere of any other bird In the heav-
ems, that he flies higher and can see
ldflHeT Let US DIS Il lldliVIl never ioi
get that If his balance were not true and
if he were not exactly poised he could
not reach the heights which are his ma
tive abode. Nor can we as a people. as
a nation, ever reach that high position
amongst nations and maintain ie except
we hold an exact poise of the great prin-
ciples of equity and justice between ma
tons and between men.
Our success in this line has been re-
markab bic, so that we have come 10 be-
lieve that we have a divine commissions
20 carry forward these great principles In
the world. But power is dangerous
harmony with these high principles which
we profess. And i sometimes wonder If
there is not dangeS to our moral senses,
that they become bunter. duled and
paralyzed by desire for commercial pres
tige. and whether il is not true that in
cur haste to accomplish great things we
are not apt to become somewhat indif-
ferent as to methods.
Now. professor. | want to commit this
bird TO your charge, and through you
present him to the Alva Normal, /
should be glad to see him placed in your
literary hall and hope ne viii be an IN
spiration TO every young man and to eIN
cry young woman who enters your doors
and walls. to aim high
With kindest regards to yourself and