Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-10-17
OF EARLY DAYS IN THE LOWER END OF THE COUNTY
Rev. IaL ENngnPr ynPn


lives destroyed. but the river itself is |
much the same in spite of bridges |
docks, and dams; and in response to
the old visitors plant of losses and
removals sings its song of peipetuity
and teaches its immortal lesson in
words like these:.
Men may come, and men may 20.
And business firms may sever,
But | remain, now high, now low,
Rising, falling, flow on forever.
All We who see me gliding by,
Or in my waters freely row,
Know that your end is drawing nigh,
But mine no metes of time can ever
,,1ow.
Lo | was here when your fathers came.
They knew not when my time began
My movements still are just the same,
Though men may dredge me all
they can
And when their children all are gone,
And ferry boats and skiffs laid by,
Because of bridges great and long.
Still flowing, l can say: Lo here am
/!
@, yes! dear mighty. grand oid-river.
With all that we may plan or do.
We see you flowing on forever.
With all our losses we have you.
With railroads running other where's
A oily hn
| And shipping other peoples wares
Still we are great while We have
you.
With all their boosted speed and pride,
| Still our river does entice
Large numbers here to take a ride,
| And in due time to get good ice.
They come to fish, and boat, and swim,
| And picnic-and speeches to deliver.
And get their lives filled to the brim
I With fun, by time with our dear
| old river.
And so we have some pride of place,
And birth, and scenery, that never
Can old time or chance efface
| While we have thee, old river.
Our name, we know, comes from
| abroad,
Yet Andalusia only fits us ever,
And Mississippi. free from tomahawk
and rod,
Shall always be our free, our glor.
ious river.
Of "reminiscences of the writer's own
life very few have popular interest
sufficient for record. They are chief!
of interest only to himself.
Wedding Of Long Ago.
He might be allowed to say, how
ever. in passing, that one of the frs
HAPPY "reminiscences of his ministry
Ibid occur in Andalusia. 1t was a wed
ding. The contracting parties were
Isaac Burton and Miss Grace Gilman
1t was his second marriage and hel
first. and it was the writer's nader
effort in the solemnization of the hol.
, bonds of matrimony. The testimon!
VI SOIiie Vi the guests WIS llldI IL Wd'
/. well done 1t took place at the resi-
| dence of Frank Ely, March 81, 1866, a
Z o'clock p. M, in the presence of
goodly number of invited guests ant
7 was made happy occasion. Most o
the older friends present, whose name
: now recall, are dead. But that wa
5 the forerunner of several happy event
of similar kind in Andalusia. Her
and elsewhere during his ministry tn
| writer has solemnized 202 marriages
t Nearly all of them were happy an
7 prosperous. But of the whole number
: so far as known, &c of the grooms an,
IS of the brides are dead.
D Most of the sad "reminiscences hav
p been funerals, and of those Andalusi
L has furnished a goodly share. Their
2 is rarely home within radius of 1
: or II miles of Edgington in which tn
writer has not conducted funerals. |
many homes there have been severa
/: Is it then a matter of surprise to an
3 one that his heart beats tenderly o
4 memorial occasions? The open gray