Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1904-07-02

end of a century were together-yel-
low locks against white name. a boy
on an old mans knee; the one earnest,
the other eager
why do l do it, my boy? Why do
celebrate? You want to know all
about it.
1T is because love my country, and
want everybody for miles around
to remember that this is the day dedi-
Gated to liberty.
Years ago there was a young man
who had more money than was good
for him, Billy. He was plum worth
less. He didn't care for soul on
earth except himself. He was selfish.
He wore good clothes and strutted
about like a turkey gobbler. He was
puffed up. He put in all his time hay
ing fun.
There was a war on in his coun-
try. The people were fighting a bad
King who wanted to take away their
liberty, and there were some terrible
battles. Men went without food. They
walked without shoes till their feet
bled. They froze because they did not
have clothes enough to keep them
warm. But they wouldn't give up.
They said that all men should be free
and equal, Billy; that God meant that
it should be so, and they were willing
to die rather than go back to the old
way of doing the things a selfish King
wanted done.
The idle young man didn't 90 to the
war. He thought men were fools for
lighting. He said he had all the lib
erty he wanted. Perhaps, Billy, if he
had had mother he wouldn't have
been such fool
His brothers, three of them, lad.
went to the war, and two were killed.
Jacob was shot down in sight of Gen
eral Washington, God bless him. and
Robert came home with both legs gone.
What do you suppose he told the
'stay-at-home' who cared most for the
rutfies in his shirt and the coins that
ingled in his pockets? The crippled
brother said he wished he could fight
for his country on his stumps Of legs.
because he loved it.
"And then, one day, they carried the
father into the old home. 1t would
have made you cry, boy, to have seen
him. He was ragged, SCARED, and in
his breast there was a great wound
that made those who saw it shudder
and just before he died he called his
worthless son to him and whispered,
Don't be a coward No man can ever
pay the debt he owes to his country,
1t should be more to him than father
or mother. Hoist your colors. my boy
Don't shed tear for me. Take my old
musket and fight for the cause.
BILLY, that young man promised. He
got down on his knees and buried his
face in the bedclothes, and as he cried
the life went out of a brave, gentle
man, and there was smile on q dead
face, and a cold hand rested on the
head of one who had been a coward
and was trying to be a man.
He fought, Billy, and he learned tc
love the flag. He got bullet in the
hip at Monmouth and a bayonet wound
at Guildford Courthouse. He found out
what hunger meant. He spent his lit
tie fortune to help better men, and il
his heart grew great love for his
flag, and he wondered how any mar
could ever forget his duty.
Zone day 1t was all over.
1.-The enemy marched away, and the
sun shone on a broken but happy PEG
pie, and the young man praised Goo
because he had found himself anC
been allowed to live to know the glory
of freedom.
Every year after that he celebrated
Independence Day. He took that ole
musket given to him by his father anC
fired salute to the 10 original States
and cheered the President of the
United States.
And when this man moved away tc