Philip weekly review. [volume] (Philip, Stanley County, S.D.) 1907-1912, 1907-11-08
WESTWARD HO,

/ In the western part OF South Dakota,
/ and the consequent rush of settlers to
that section recall to the mind of the
pioneers of the state the date when the
first crest of the advancing wave of
civilization was tapping over the
western border of Iowa and flooding
the eastern edge of the Sunshine
State with white topped wagons,
filed with eager adventurers ready
and willing to sacrifice the joys. and
comforts of the more thickly settled
regionsfor the sake of securing for
themselves homes on which no land
lord could boast a claim.
Those who came in with the early
rush remember how quickly the un-
broken prairies, became dotted with
the primitive habitations of man,
Squatty little sod shanties, bright
new pine cabins, and some showing
the black and white effect Of a tar
paper covering held i'm place by laths:
and along the margins of streams.
where fringes of timber made such
architecture possible, neat log houses
with dirt roofs, on which the combin-
ed influence of sun and rain coaxed
| many a waving prairie weed to, take
root and flourish.
Those were indeed democratic days.
Everyone was here for the same puf-
pose, that of building a home, and
though there were undoubtedly some
who were more blessed in worldly
| goods than others, there was as yet
no pride of station, but all were
brothers and sisters in the common
cause of founding new common
| wealth. Neighbors were neighbors
then whether their lands joined or
were separated by an insignificant
four or five miles of grass covered,
| flower decked prairie. Here was to be
found the true spirit of fraternity,
the free, open-hearted generosity of
the frontier, where the good or ill
fortune of one was shared by all, and
where go man went hungry While his
neiglbor had flour and meat.
Such traits of human character were
brought out viyidly by the rigors of
the historical hard winter" of so 81,
where the settlers rude homes were
buried under huge mountains of snow
and many OF the usual means of sup
plying the needs OF the people were
cut off by the impossibility to travel.
Many and varied were the means re-
sorted to supply those homes with
| the necessary food and warmth, from
the burning Of twisted straw to the
grinding of wheat i'm coffee mills. but
through it all there were maintained
that spirit of hardy western philoso-
ply that invigorating tendency TO
stand together through thick and
thin'' that ever characterizes the
builders Of an empire.
And there is no doubt that i'm the
new country now being opened up to
the west Of the big Muddy" that
same hardy pioneer spirit will be
found 10 prevail, and, should the
emergency arise, the same toll and
self-sacritice will be freely given for
i the up-building of the new west, for
| human nature Is the same at all
/ times and I'm all places. 1T is the en-
vironment that brings it out, and
there is no environment SO well calcu-
| lated to bring out the best that Is in
mankind, as that Of the pioneer.
1T is good for man to get out into
the free air of Gods open country and
taste the joys Of simple. natural liy-
4 ing. Such a life is replete with les
SONS i'm patriotism and independence
and hrotherIy love. 1t is the flower
of American manhood that is ever
/ pushing westward over the border OF
civilization, and opening up untried
fields of labor and enterprise. 1t is
I'm the free, open air of the west that
are bred those muscles of steel and
those hearts of oak that are the main
stay and dependence OF the nation
when brave, true men are needed
And so, to one who pauses toreflect
ON the mighty import of such move.
ment. the onward march of the plo.
neers to the broad new field that
awaits them, is q grand and noble
sight, and one which inspires all whe
are jealous Of the nation S veal with
| the impulse TO bid them heart,
"God speed In their work Of empire
! building. Sioux Falls Press.
III
/ We wish some record had been pre-.