Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-10-17
NEW LIFE FOR OLD LAKE
Pioneers GatheT on Banks of Cut-0f
to See Boat Launch.
MAYOR DAHLMAN CONGRATULATEs
Joseph Redman ChrIstens HOmeIy
Hulk that is to Aid strenuOusIy in
the Great Work Planned for
BeautificatIOn.

An old man stood on a log holding in
his right hand the end of a piece of line.
The other end of the line was fastened to
a blank wall of red and drab, and in the
middle of the line, between the old man
and the blank wall there swung slender
bottle of wine. With the glee of boy,
the old man joked with those about him,
and every now and again he would do a
half pigeon-wing on the log and yell. Let
'er goi"
Spreadhlg. out before the crowd that sur
rounded the old man lay sheet OF water,
calm and glitterlng in the sunlight, with
here and there rowboat splashing along.
The far shore was pastoral in every de-
tail. with pastures and trees, and here and
there house peeping out. In the immediate
foreground Of the crowd about the Jubilant
veteran was big hulk of boat seventy
feet long and thirty feet wide from keel to
deck line probably ten feet. Workmen
were busy knocking blocks from under the
stern OF the brightly painted scow, which
was about to be sent into the water with
all the honors OF formal launching. Two
United States flags were flying aboard the
boat, fastened between stanchions, and
soon they were extended for perhaps a
minute as the ungainly looking craft be-
gan to slide along the ways, and then
slowly forced her length out into the lake.
Wine Bespatters Name.
Just as the receding boat began to pull
the line taut the old man raised his end
high and then let go with a mighty heave
that smashed the bottle into fragments,
spllling the wine over the circle on the
stern OF the boat within which appeared
the words, Big s. Omaha"
You forgot the words. Uncle Joe, you
forgot the words!" somebody yelled, good
naturedly.
well, l don't know as much about this
kind of thing as you do" replied Joseph
Redman, with a smile, as he stepped off
the log and began shaking hands with
everybody near him.
Thus was launched the big dredge that
the generosity of Mrs. f. ]. Cornish that
is-Mrs. Levi Carter that was-has pro-
vided as the great essential aid in the work
that is to make Carter lake and park one
OF the show places OF the western country.
She gave $50 900 outright for acquiring land
and is giving $4,000 a year for five years
to see the work through TO a finish. And
nobody believes that this will come any
where near representing her total contribu-
tion ere the final voucher Is paid for the
work she has In mind.
After the successful launching Mr.. Red
man called on Mayor Dahlman who re-
sponded in a felicitous little speech, pre-
dieting great future for the ungraclous
landscape that one sees in that section OF
Omaha today, He highly commended the
gene rous public spirit Of Mrs. Cornish and
predicted that in a few years Omaha will
have In Carter lake and park one OF the
most beautiful pleasure places in the eoun-
uy.-
Happy Pioneer Breaks Down.
Then Joseph Redman was called for and
started to read manuscript telling Of
what he has seen in fifty or more years
OF close acquaintanceship with the lake
and its surroundings. He told OF the pio-
neer steamer Omaha bringing TO that
very shore a ready-made house half
century ago and Of how they brought OK
teams down from the village to haul 1t
TO a proper location for the residence
Of a justice OF the supreme court Of Ne
braska. Several incidents OF early days
that have been long forgotten were given
life again by Uncle Joe, much 10 the de-
light Of a lusty band OF pioneers who
had gathered for the launching.
Presently the veteran started to speak
OF Mrs Carter and her donations and
plans, but the perspective OF the years
that are gone since he first saw the
scenes before him overcame the old pio-
neer. He endeavored to go on, but could
not. finally folding his paper and mutter-
ing. Wen. that's ALL boys"
That his predicament was understood
was Immediately evidenced by a hearty
hand clasp from several men standing
near him who have been in and OF Omaha