Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1905-10-05
SETTLERS MEETING.
ANNUAL REUNION WAS GREAT
SUCCESS.
Largest Crowd in, History Of Associa'
ton Gathered at Grove. r.
Tuhrer Elected President Score
tary g. W. Martins Speech.


Of Enterprise, Thursday. The morn
ing session was devoted to music, ad-
dress Of welcome by Mayor Latto'
response by Judge J. A. Flack who
acted as president. Green Lamb. the
president, was Ill and the association
adopted resolutions Of sympathy for
him. Officers were elected:
President, j. F. Buhrer, Enterprise
Vice presidents, J. B. Wsrfeld,
Abilene; A. L. Evers, Dillon; T. Scan
Ian, Chapman.
Seer: tary and treasurer, O. N
Latto, Enterprise.
Over 100 new members were ad-
mitted.
After a basket dinner came the ad'
dress of the day by Hon. George w.
Martin, secretary Of the State Historl-
col society, TOPEKA. His subject was
"The Pioneers OF Kansas" and he re-
viewed Interestingly much early his
tory. Among other good things be
said:
"rhe story OF Kansas has been told
and told, but the half has not been
krown The troubles OF Charles
Robinson, John Brown and James H.
Lane, the doings and mis-doings Of
the leaders and agitators, have mo-
popolized the attention Of history to
the overshado wing Of the meek and
humble, the noiseless doings OF the
great army Of pioneers, without whom
NO one could have made fame, and
but for whom the sentiment Of our
ad astra per aspera would never have
been i'm m mortalized.
81 look back and 1t is easy to see
the swarms OF heroic men and women
co ming up the river, and when denied
the river blazing way across the
nrairies of Iowa and Nebraska, on
| foot and bv wagon, to make homes
and save Kansas to freedom. And
amid the bluster and rufisnism OF the
border | see pro-slavery or toutheln n
people moving in to find homes con-
tent that the issue should be honestly
made and fairly settled. And glanc'
ing down the history Of the years
see how these people blended into q
homogeneous citizenship, disturbed
only by the wrsngles Of those who
sought leadership.
"And a review Of the fifty years
shows me how the toilers, the humble
individuals who came to these plains
to work, have made q billion dollar
commonweal Of the territory o1
Kansas. In view Of our aptness ID
lodging taxation l take 1t that ar
assessed valuation In 1904 OF 1857,
576. .269, warrants q fair compare
son between the bleak aud uninvitinG
prsiries Of fifty years ago, absolutely
worthless, and q billion dollars o
Uncle Sans two or four per cen
bonds Of today. Who produced thi'
wonderful resultP Those who hlleC
the offices, many Of whom are knoWE
only by their receipts for salary
Those who attained temporary o.
spasmodic iameP Or those who hgur'
in our published histories as states
men and leadersP OF course, none o
them. Real history will tell you tina
those who stuck first the ploWshar'
into this soil are the heroes who hav'
accomplished so much.
81 am not boss buster. l woul'
not disparage the boss. Sometimes
change is essential. but q boss is 10
} dlspsnsAble. Kansas was born o
bosses, by bosses, and for bosses
Concerning Kansas, and what shOul'
happen here. fifty years ago, every
body from Maine to Texas was boss
The political bosses, at that time' Il
the higher circles Of national affairs
undou btsdly decreed that NebrasE
should be free and Kansas should b
/, slave territory. New England how
ever, became the real concrete thing
at long range. with several scores 9
ub-bosses on the ground. And Will
, the middle west furnished the voter
|, and 8 fair sPrlnkling Of the sub-bOssei
!, New Eneland is entitled 10 The homo
81 leadership in organising the iOrce'
4 following the PlOW and the shop.
starting The most interesting Of all