The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-08-19

HxzczEET
Manus of Keokuk, always an enter
tanning talker, who greatly pleased his
audience. He introduced his remarks
with fitting salute to the old and
young settlers of the county and a
few entertaining short stories and
then gave the following address:
My hearers, if it were allotted me
to build structure that would last
and endure forever-that would with
stand the perennial a aults of nature
and survive the harsLness of the
elements, | would first seek out the
best and most stable material from
which to build my foundation. The
foundation is that part which carries
the burden of the superstructure. It
is the fundamental portion of the
edifice. | would make sure that it
would stand veritable gibraltar, i'm
pervious to tempest and flood. If I
were to build nation that would
ctoAlo IlS lCSI lluiC duu IululO
that would grow stronger and greater
in the circuit of time, my first and
primary aim would be to select as
the pillars of thu. nation men of
strong character. lofty aims, and in
trepid valor men who would forge
ever onward in the vanguard of civil
ization undeterred by obstacles of adj
versity. Such men would I choose
to perpetuate and glorify tha4 nation
1 of mine.
AS / stand before this splendid as
sembly today and look into the eyes
of the remnant of that band of pio-
neers who undertook so successfully
to conquer the forest, and spread
light and civilization where before 1t
had been unknown, cannot help but
reflect how near these men and wo-
men have approached and carried out
the plans that | have pointed out;
cannot help but reflect what master
hands and brave hearts combined in
the development and cultivation OF
this great western country.
1t was these men and women, few
OF whom we gather to honor today
who constitute the pillars of this com
monwealth. They were indeed men
women of sterling qualities, and they
are the timber on which this grea'
institution rests. 1t is from them that
we of today. must CLEAN example an6
' Af
plate my friends. the conditions ant
surroundings that confronted the earl!
settlers of this county, when they lef
friends, relatives and the sweet emeni
. ties of home and sought new fields
in this, then, uninhabited, untamet
wilderness. Some of them through
business adversities were forced t.
!. leave homes OF luxury and wealth t
! try their fortunes anew. Other
spurred on by a spirit of restlessnes
came avowedly to settle and deyelo
country of which absolutely nothin
EXCEPT its limitless possibilities. the
' were not an aimless migrating elias
seeking more pleasant and luXurlou
colds They knew very we'll the diff
culties and insurperable obstacles
e with which they must contend. me
e came not under the delusion that the
h were to bask in peaceful sun an
t romp carelessly upon Elysian fields
9 They knew very well that they wer
S, invading the haunts of the terrlol
e sayages--that they were encroachlh
mon the lairs of the wild beast an
l. verile reptile. All this they bore
II mind when they took leave OF nom
a and friends. -
e. Yet these pioneers We're not dete
II red nv the lurid stories OF the prlm
d val western forest They resolved
,anetrate even into the very heart
" the primitive wilds-to build that Ell
y nire that was destined to eclipse u
10 orient to become the Eden of II
:. world.
- When contemplate the wonde
!, fn1 advance and progress that thr'
= quarters of century has erected u
., on this middle west. TRANSFORMER.
- from wilderness to metropolis the III
- 30 which history presents no para.i
nv soul bursts forth in admira,i'
. for those noble men and women w
- sorsook all to encounter the lncre
able hardships of the frontier a.
IN tbere build cities and plant luxurio
~ 49,, NO of this generation enjoy, al