The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1906-10-20
CHAPTER l.

canal had come to the front in a promis-
ing and progressive way, but the Repub-
lie of Aureataland was certainly not in
Ia fourishng coalition. Although most
happily situated Git lies on the coast,
rather to the north), and gifted with an
extensive territory, nearly as big as North
Dakota, it had yet failed to make that
material progress which had been hoped |
by it's founders. 1t is true that the State
was still in its infancy, being an offshoot
from another and larger realm, and hay
ing obtained the boon of freedom and self |
government only as recently as 1871, af-
ter a series of political commissions of
violent character, which may be studied
with advantage in the well-known history |
of 1.-The Making of Aureataland" by a
learned professor of the jeremiah z.
jocks University. This profound hsto-
rian is, beyond all question, accurate in
attributing the chief share in the national
movement to the energy and ability of
the first President of Aureataland, His
Excellency President Marcus w. Whit
tingham, a native of Virginia. Having
enjoyed a personal friendship with that
talented man, as will subsequently appear,
| have great pleasure in publicly endors-
Ing the professors eulogium. Not only
did the President bring Aureataland into
being, but he moulded her whole consti-
tuition. 1T was his genius" (as the pro-
lessor observes with propriety) (which
was fred with the idea of creating truly
modern State, instinct with the progress
sive spirit Of the Anglo-Saxon race. 1t
was his genius which cast aside the worn
out traditions of European dominion, and
taught his fellowcitizens that they were,
If not all by birth, yet one and all by
adoption, sons of freedom" Any mis-
takes in the execution of this fine con-
ception must be set down to the fact that
the Presidents great powers were rather
the happy gift Of nature than the result
| Of culture
To this truth he was himself in no way
blind, and he was accustomed to attrib-
ute his want of liberal education to the
social ruin brought upon his family by the
American Civil War, and to the disloca
tion thereby produced in his studies.
Starting under the auspices of such
gifted leader, and imbued with so noble
a zeal for progress, Aureataland was at
the beginning of her history as nation,
the object of many fond and proud hopes.
But in spite of the blaze of glory in
which her sun had risen, her prosperity
was not maintained. The country was
well suited for agriculture and grazing,
but the population-a very queer mixture
of races-was incident and more given
to keeping holidays and festivals than to
honest labor. Most of them were unintel-
ligent; those who were intelligent made
their living out Of those who weren't, a
method of subsistence satisfactory to the
individual, but adding little to the aggre-
gate of national wealth. Only two classes
made fortunes of any size-government
officials and barkeepers-and even in their
case wealth was not great, looked at by
an English or American standard. Pro-
duction was slack, invention at stand
still, and taxation heavy. The Pres-
dents talents seemed more adapted to
founding State in the shock and turmoil
of war, than to the dull details of admin
istration; and although he was nominally
assisted by a cabinet of three ministers,
and an assembly comprising twenty-five
members, it was on his shoulders that the
real work of government fell. On him,
therefore, the moral responsibility must
also rest-a burden the President bore
with a cheerfulness and equanimity al
most amounting to Inconsistencies.
When l first set foot in Aureataland
was landed on the beach by boat from
the steamer at the capital town of Whit
tingham. l was a young man, entering
on my twenty year, and full of pride
at finding myself at so early an age sent
out to fill the responsible position of man
ager at our Aureataland branch. The
. directors of the bank were then pursuing
what may without unfairness be called an
adventurous policy, and, in response to
the urgent entreaties and glowing exhor
tations Of the President, they had decided
on establishing branch at Nottingham
commanded a certain amount of inter
est on the board, inasmuch as the chair
man owed my father a sum of money, toe
small to mention, but too large to pay
and when, led by the youthful itch fol
= novelty, l applied for the post, | sue
ceeded in obtaining my wish at a salary Of
a hundred dollars a month. l am sorry
to say that in the course of later bust
ness dealing the balance of obligation
shifted from the chairman to my father
an unhappy event which deprived me o.
my hold on the company and seriously in
fiuenced my conduct in later days. WheI
arrived in Aureataland the bank haC
guidance of Mr.. Thomas Jones, a steady
going old clerk, who was in future to &C
r. as chief and cashier under my orders.
= / found Nottingham a pleasant littl
"a city of about FIVE thousand inhabitants
- picturesquely situated on a fine bay, a
= the spot where the river Marcus debouch
ie ed into the ocean. The town was largel,
3 composed of government buildings an,
E. hotels, but there was a street of shops o
T. no mean order. and handsome square
al called the Piazza 1871" embellished witt
ian equestrian statue of the President
" Round about this national monumen
:. were a large number of seats, and, har
? by, a cafe and bandstand. Here, | sool
found. was the center of life in the after
ie moons and evenings. Going along a fin
avenue of trees for half a mile or so 20
ne came to the Golden House." the Pres
Of dents official residence, an imposing will
AZ Of white stone with a gilt statue Of Au
,reataland, female figure sitting on
ploughshare, and holding a sword In tn