The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1909-05-26

natures gifts, which was delivered
BY the late Senator Ingalls,, Of Kansas
and which has appeared in public
print from time to time, is worthy OF
reproduction and careful reading at
this time. It is one OF the most
beautiful word pictures Of which that
celebrated oratorical artist was the
author:
majestic, fruitful, wondrous plant!
The corn triumphant, that with the
aid of man hath made victorious pro-
cessions across the tufted plains, and
laid found alton for the social excel
lence that is, and is to be. This Clio.
rious plant, transmitted by the alchemy
of God, su~stsinsithe warrior in battle,
the poet in song, and strengthens
everywhere the Thousand arms that
work the purposes Of life.
"Next In Importance to the divine
profusion of water, light and air
those three grestiphysical facts which
render existence possible-may be
reckoned the universal beneicence of
grass. Exaggerated by tropical heats
and vapors toDthe gigantic cane con.
gested with its sacchsrine secretion or
dwarted BY polar rigors to the 6brous
hair of Observation-Disclosures, embracing
between these)extremes the maize with
its resolute pennons, the rice plant
OF southern lswamps, the wheat. rye.
barley, oats andiother cereals no less
than the humblerl verdure of the hill.
side, pssturel andlprairie in the tem.
perate zone, grace islthe most widely
distributed Of oil vegetable beings and
is al once the:type of our life and the
emblem Of Immortality. Lying in the
sunshine amoug1. the %obuttercups and
the dandelions of;May. scarcely higher
in intelligencelthan the)minute tenants
Of the mimic wilderness, Dur earliest
recollections areloflgrass; and when
the ftful fever is e~ndedlandithe foolish
wrsngle Of the m~arketlsnd 1.-THE forum
is closed, grasslheals ' the scare
which our d%escent.into the bosom of
the earth hasImsde, and the carpet Of
the infant becomesluthe blanket of
the dead.
"Grass is the;forgiveness of Nature
her constsntj: benediction. Fields
trampled withubattle. n aturated with
blood, torn0with'the rutslIof cannon,
grow greenDsgaia withlgrass and sr-
mage 10 forgotten. q Streets abandoned
by traficiabecome grass.grown like
rural lanes and o~bliterated. Forests
decay. harvestsjperish, flowers vanish
but grass is immortal. Belesgured
by the sullen ghosts Of winter, it with.
draws into 1.-THE impregnable fortress Of
It's subterranesn vitality and energies
upon the first solicitation of spring.
Sown by the swinds, by wandering
birds, propagated by the subtle horti.
culture Of the elements, which r it's
ministers and servants, 1t softens the
rude outline of. the world. It's tena-
cious abers lholdI the earth in place
and prevents the soluble components
from washing into the wasting sea. 1t
invades the solitudes of deserts climbs
the inaccessible slopes and forbidding
pinnacles of mountains, modi6es eli.
mate and0determines the history,
character and destiny Of the nations.
Unobstrusive and patient, it has i'm
mortal vigor and aggression. Ban
ished from the lthoroughfare and the
field. it bides its time to return, aud
when vigilance Is relaxed or the dyn.
asty has persisted, it silently resumes
the throne from which 1t has been ex-
PEELED but which it never abdicates.
1t bears no Iblazonry or bloom to
charm the senses with fragrance or
splendor, but its homely hue is more
enchanting than the lily or the rose.
1t yields no fruit in the earth or air,
and yet should It's harvest fail for a
single year famine would depopulate