The Oskaloosa herald., 1909-09-09
OLD TOWN LOOKS
VERY GOOD TO me-
So Says Col. Swain Of the
Army Of Homecomers
SOME VIEWS OF OLD ENGLAND
Many Things to COMMENSURATE
Worth as High as $500 an
Acre and Paying Good
Returns on That.

81 have managed to get here for
he Home Coming and the Reunion
Of the 33rd Infantry" said COL
Swain this morning to a Herald re-
porter, after a hurried trip across
the sea and west to where Mrs. Swain
was camped,--and l had rather be
camped near her and with her than
anywhere else in this wide, wide
world"
81 am so proud that one Mahaska
gentleman has been found to fully APP
preciate the original owners of this
fine, fat soil,-the Ioways,-the red
men,-in the creation of the statue of
the old chief Mahaska, under the d.
rection of Mr.. James Edmundson, now
Of Des Moines. 1t commentaries
worthily the memory of his highly re-
spected father, William Edmundson,
and you can put it down that there
was no better blood in the county
than that; none stood for higher char
acter,-and it is character that counts
always, and when it is good it is the
very gold of life. Few men grow gen.
crous in thus honoring the worthless
OF the past, and the combination thus
made by my friend is one rich in all
the essential elements of recognition
OF the past l have dotted my hat to
tie statue, as | will to the generous
creator when | meet him again,-as
am to, soon, at his home"
What do you think of the changes
you have noted?"
Every time l return home to Iowa,
and feel at home anywhere in the
state,-even in Anamosa or Fort
Iadison,-tho changes in material
development have been very mark
Cd, and all for the best Our Iowa
folk have always been found ON re-
heshing. enterprising lines.-and you
know have known them, as boy and
man from lS55,-that's going some in
,.me,-and it has been given to me
ID see about all the material and gen.
eral development of the state In
nat, the old town of "Tailholt' has
/ OF been found wanting, never a day.
Somehow Oskaloosa and Mahaska
men have always measured up finely
on the standards of high manhood
whether they lived always here and
llbored, or whether they took up the
wandering lust and located elsewhere,
and put in their best ticks as OPP
Eortunity offered. All have always
tarned to the old home county with
rride,-just because old MahasKa
we'll deserved the worship OF her
horn or adopted sons and daughters.
! come as a pilgrim doing ancestral
Worship to the very worthy, noble
Een and women-don't forget the
women,-who have given to the town
and county the unnamable value of
the service of pure lives, good hearts.
and an industry honest and success
fIl. The older generation of Ma
kaskans have nothing whatever to
apologize for. nothing and the
younger ones are here to answer for
themselves . in the accomplishments
OF their time and day." a.t
What about things across the
water?'
Across the water,--well, that is a
b:ggish sort of a topic. If you mean
England, l can answer that better by
using an old election cry: She's all
right. Never forget for a moment
that England,-though not any larger
than Iowa in territory, Is in very
many ways, one OF the greatest coun-
tries in the world and gives an ex-
a.Gple OF general and local govern
ment that would be we'll not to be
overlooked by students and all others
working on lines OF human better
ment. They are big enough and
brave enough to take hold OF all ques-
tons; they fight them out on lines of
Intelligence rather than party clam
or,-and one result has been the old
age pensions act. by which nearly one
million old men and women are now
receiving from the general govern
ment the sum of shillings a week.
and will until they die. These folk
have labored in their several lines
for the material interests of the king
dom,-at low wages,-and now this
pension comes in as sort of de-
ferred dividend to them. Other
things are done by these English folk
In many ways that would make any of
your boomers sit up very straight and
wonder. And these matters are done
in quiet way; on the don't make a
noise or else you'll wake the baby"
pan; towns in so many cases own
their own street cars,-trams over
tlere;-gas works and water works,
and electric lights,-and a dozen 9th.
er things.-just because they think
that the community can serve itself
as we'll as the individual or corpora
ton private can, The other Saturday
afterhoon-on a few hours notice-a
eeet' oil l92 great fighting ships gath.