The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-02-20
SAM cLARk's FAMOUS ADDRESS.
Splendid Utterances on Subject Of
Service" on Washineton's
Birthday. ii

To the Editor of The Gate City:
With each recurring anniversary of
Washington's birthday recall an in
cident in the life of Mr.. S. NJ. Clark
that made on me a deep and lasting
impression. 1t is the little things may
hap that speak best of ones character
the acts or words that come natur-
ally and that others would expect
because of that mans way of doing,
rather than the greater deeds done in
the glare of the public day or under
the pressure of public opinion.
During Mr.. Clark's service in con
gress l frequently called on him and
because did not come to bother him
about personal favors I was made vel.
come. We talked of Iowa and he read
to me from The Gate City some Of
his own articles. remember one
particularly, written wnen he was suf-
ferin.s in body AM troubled ct heart
when the longing for home was upon
him and he was thinking of the things
that had been but which had passed
out of his life. 1t described the work
in congress, the life in Washington,
the view of roofs and chimneys and
CRIME of smoke from the windows of
his room in the Ebbitt House, until
he came to the words, Don't you uli-
derstand? Don't you see that the
man is homesick? "-then stopped
abruptly and talked of something else.
1t was on this evening February
22--that / had called to take him
home with me to Takoma Park, six
miles from Washington, where he was
to make the address at our meeting
for the observance of Washington
birthday He showed me a telegram
just receiyed-from New York, /
think-telling of the condition of his
son who was III and the message was
one to dishearten and leave little
hope. | was quite disturbed at his
trouble and was wondering how our
meeting was to get on without a
speaker when he said: 81 promised
you / would go and / am going and
shall make no sign" | hadn't the
heart to be glad, and knowing that he
was not we'll and that the night was
bad, suggested that he would be
justified in not keeping the engage.
ment and that | would make satisfac-
tory explanations. Our suburban
town has made the public celebration
of Washington's birthday settled
policy. We have had many able
speakers on these occasions, but the
address of Mr.. Clark on that even
ing has had no equal. recall it
we'll He sketched the sacrifices men
have made for men, the efforts used,
the ills endured, the giving up OF am
billions, of self, of life, for love of
country; of the service rendered by
strangers to strangers fighting for
liberty, and then as one who COM
pletes a grand monument by putting
on the cap-stone he lauded the SER
vices and sacrifices OF Washington.
1t was magnificently done, and wnen
the silence had come he had yet an
other word. Standing with arms out
stretched he told of that other sac
rifice greater than they all--of one
who SAID, And l, IL be lifted up
from the earth will draw all men un.
to me"
recall his gracious greeting of the
people, and the modest way that he
received their praises. / knew him
from this experience as had never
known him before, and ] wondered if
his home friends had always known
him Soft they understood the kind
of man he was.
L. NJ MOoERS. !.
Takoma Park, Washington, d. c..
February is, 1910.