The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-01-31

panlOn, the
Tn the days preceding the advent of
the home builder. when Kansas was
known as the Great American Desert,
and its now fertile prairies were I'M
touched by the husbandman and un-
SCARED by the ploW, uninhabited save
by wild beasts and savage men 1t
stretched a broad and semi-arid plain
between the pOpulouS martS OF the east
and the rich products of the west: a
land u~nprOductiVe as to vegetation IN
all save the rich grasses upon which
grazed its innumerable herds OF bison,
antelope and deer; a land where buf-
1aIo grass was king; where over thou
SANDS of acres of extent naught except
the soap weed, the cactus n the age
brush contested it's right to rule SUI
preme- No flower delighted he eye nor
grained the nostril with delicate per-
fune. No tree escaped the water course
to cast its shade upon the brown bosom
OF n plains, or break the awfu mo-
notony of illinitable prairie. But i'll
1924 a wagon train, starting from IN
dependence, Missouri, blazed the path
Of prairie across the plains
of Kansas.
The history of the men who opened
the way for the home seekers to the
prairies of Kansas is the history of the
Santa Fe trail. and the Santa Fe trail
is the historic birthplace of the Kansas
sunhower. Following the first slow
freight caravan drawn by patient ken
along the old trail, from every spot
~ LIZ &A4pG IL liz III 1 11G " d5
broker by the wheel of wagon it sprang
up and marked in living glowing YER
dure the course of the trail from Leav-
enworth on the east to Fort Aubry on
the west. Where the seed germ came
from that produced the plant we can
not tell; but we know that it came
and grew and blossomed where no
flower had ever grown and blossomed
before.
But not on the trails alone was the
sunfiower to grow and blossom and en-
shrine itself in the hearts of men, but
as the homeSeekers, the pilgrim fathers
of Kansas, left the great highways of
travel and sOugh the pen country 1t
r. the course of the prairie
schooners to the very portals of the
dugouts or sod houses that they builded
and called home. and grew in p~rOfusion
and beauty round their doors. Here,
also, came the cottonwood, and resist
ing drouth and heat and insect pest,
live and hOuriShed n cast its CRATE
full shade for man and beast in sum-
mer, and i-nterpoSed its sturdy trunk as
a shield from the icy blasts of winter.
And when the Angel of Death came TO
the little prairie home and removed to
the home beyond, the little prattler
that for q few heeting years had nlled
its walls with sunshine, it was the hol-
lowed trunk of the cottonwood h a
formed the casket in which the little
form was committed to the earth. It
was cottonwood branches that fenced
lily EAAZ AAN ~ 1AA
from the prowling coyotes, the ghouls
OF the plains, and it was a cottonwood
slab that formed the monument upon
which was recorded the history of the
little life forever stilled. Then came
the sunhower bursting from the broken
of matted sod. from every seal
which the descent of the precious clay
into the bosom of the earth had made, |
and with shimmering yellow petals, fol-
lowing the sun in its course, shed the
balm of their loveliness upon human
hearts stricken with the bitterest
draught of human agony.
Truly, the cottonwood, the pioneer |
tree. will never lack voices to sing it's
praises or pay it tribute for as long as
the great state exists that it has so sig
nally blest its hundreds of thousands of
people will honor it and
sacredly guard it from the ashes of for
getfulness.'' sar g
Missouri Man Talks.
Alexander D. Cochran, OF the Mis-
souri, Pacific legal department, was
then called upon. He said in part:
When so many young men of great
ability are here to make
speeches, I don't know why an old man
shOuld be called upon to break the sill
ance. / have heard a great deal of this
and l have been anxious to come
here and get acquainted with it. I have
been delighted with the splendid
speeches. One of the speakers intimat-
ed that he was going to make a dry
speech. If that is a dry speech, what
4 tremendous flood of ~eloquence would
forth from the man who makes a
speech which is not dry? Since hearing
hat speech about the cottonwood and
he sunfower, I have decided that I
will sell my lot in Bellefountain ceme-
and come out here to get some of
those SunfowerS on my grave.
Il was born in ennSylVania, and |
always regarded Pennsylvania as
mother. For twenty-five years I
lived in Missouri, and ave come
% think of Missouri as my foster
But / will tell you a secret;
Turing all those years Kansas a been
sweetheart. During those dark days
populism, I thought my sweetheart
mad gone back on me clean n clear.
in the last election, with one
sweep. Kansas was redeemed"
Mr.. Cochran then spoke of the i'm
0~ortance of railroads to the develop
of the state. and said that he
the Missouri Pacific would con-
inue to build railroads in Kansas, and
lelp the state to reach the highest {
SUBMITS possible, which he thought
would come only through the railroads. s
StubBs Gives Advice. s
w. R.. Stubs read his speech, !
which was in the nature of some {
atherly advice to the Republican l
'arty. Mr.. Stubs said: l
IF a man wishes to attain success !
n life to a degree worthy of note, he {
must first gain control of himself; he l
aust make plans and work to them; :
.e must fl rigid laws for the govern :
nent of his own conduct and observe I
hem conscientiously. He must have l
ONE great, good, worthy purpose in |
is mind and heart 10 which every :
Their wish, plan and ambition must l
e subordinated. I
THE law of cause and effect is in 7
allibie. a given line of actions under !,
rdinary conditions produces almost =
ertain well known results a
ANY young man VINO is willing to +
the price, who is willing to make r
he necessary sacrifice, can, in my ?
Judgment. attain almost any station .
:, iifo- - iaaonSistant with his natl