East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-03-31

and time and the elements leave no
mark save that of their own.
And 1t is fitting also that we to-
day piant a monument to mark the
pathway of the pioneer people who
gave this land its birth. 1t is fitting
and proper that we commemorate
the road and highway over which so
marry of those to whom we of today
are indebted for our prosperous Ore
gon, travelled, in their search for a
new land.
Impulse and action in this move
ment of commemoration springs from
the patriotic breast of this robust old
pioneer Of 1852, who still with the
fire of yout hurging him on, seeks to
revive the scenes and retraces the
travels of a boyhood life. Over a
half century ago Ezra Meeker, weary,
worn and distressed, but neither dis
couraged nor disheartened, trod west
ward along the very track we now
GEEK to perpetuate. and I wonder IL
he can see IN the Pendleton of today
any mark save the dim outline of a
worn roadway-any reminder of that
long ago. Ten years later / myself
passed over this same ground and
two things only are revived in my
mind-the old, old road and the line
'of weary cams.
! "Ane-s5 we, glad party, wonder.
land in merriment jest at this unique
caravan, this event must to him con-
] Cf hu MI xt,fth
l1ong ago when this old pioneer was
| departing from the old homestead for
the far and unknown west. No merry
llparty then gathered around the de-
parting pilgrims. Fraught then with
the perils, vicisstudes and dangers.
such journey called forth not smiles,
but tears instead-not merriment and
jest, but sorrow, grief and sadness.
and equally sharp and great, Mr..
Meeker, will be the contrast between
your eastward journey of today and
your westward journey of so years
ago. l know not how often. or
whether at all you have retraversed
the old line of march since the pio-
neer days, but l have a misgiving
that in the present trip your disap-
pointlnent may be bitter and great i'm
this, that while the journey may be
revived, the old scenes of pioneer DAYS
have passed away never to return.
The huge buffalo whose picture is
still in your mind. and on your can
vas, no longer challenges the passer-
by, but in his stead the mammoth
locomotive of modern ingenuity holds
the right Of way. The charging herd
of buffalo is vividly depicted on your
mind, and by your artist have given
place to trains of laundering cars.
The droves OF timid antelope have
vanished and lazy sheep will huddle
i'm your way. The noble red man,
pictured as a warrior brave. will beg
arS pilfer as of old, but the signal
fine of warfare has long since smoul-
deped out and its smoke will only be
seen in clouds of dust. And since
for half a century you have slept in
the shadow of Rainier, st. Helens and
Hood. wonder not If the historic In
dependence Rock shall appear only
as a boulder by the wayside
But your work is a great and a
grand one. Above all disappointments
rises the thought that yours is a work
of loNe-lcve for the old pioneers who
trod these weary ways with you, and
with YOU made the Pacific northwest
of today-love for the comrades who
shared in your pleasures, perils and
dangers 'in exploring a wild and un-
known territory--love, If you please,