The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1910-12-08
WHO'S VINO:
IN
SOUTH DAKOTA
By o. " Cour,ey.

o. l..

I ny ~. ~ CONr5ey. +
o. l.. BIsANSON.
written for the Sioux Falls Argus
Leader.j
In the quietude of eventide, when
the stream of life's activities is soft
ly burying itself in the bosom OF
night, when when its wavelets are
flaming asleep, and when it's current
no longer speaks even in whispers,
o. l.. Observation-Disclosures
all alone-wrapped in the tinted
shroud of twilight. goes out into the
garden of rhetoric, pluchs from the
flowers of language the choicest gar
lands of speech that ever ran forth
from the palate of a man, arranges
these posies of thought in superb die
ton with the dainty touch of an ar
lists skill, plaits them into %full-bloom
wreathes OF oratory; and then comes
forth again, in the wee small hours
Of the night, %surcharged with roseate
%eloquence, ready to deliver a 1owery
address on the morrow.
All! the sweet vista of human
thought-the gladiolas of e%ntranc-
ing speech! How they peal forth in
musical resonance over that magnolia
tongue! How the inmost recesses OF
the human soul unfold like huge pop
pies to receive into their daisied cells
the nectar of his magic words!
Branson is easily the most polish
ed orator in the state; and a collsc-
ton of his model orations should be
published in book form, be adopted
by the state superintendent of public
instruction, and be placed in the
school libraries throughout the en-
tier state.
The line of demarkation between
%eloquence and. oratory is more pro-
nounced than most people think. Flo
quence is logic and diction built up
together in perfect climaxes, and eff
fectively delivered; oratory is an in
spiration born of the occasion, gath
ereu from ones audience and turned
back at them with telling effect. The
orator on such occasions is a verbal
clearing house for a multitude of
burning words that have been trans
mitted to him telepathically from his
audience. These he assimilates and
Classics sub-consciously, and then
reflsc cts them back to his hearers in a
current of beautiful and fluent Ian
guage. Branson's addresses are usu-
ally thoroughly prepared in advance.
In this sense he may not always be
oratorical, but he is invariably elo-
Quent.
Size and voice are two of the
greatest assets to a public speaker
A dwarf excites sympathy, while o
giant command respect; each of them
on account of his size, finds it easy
: to gain and hold attention. An out
reaching voice that is clear and full
is also indispensable. Branson has
all of these advantages. He is tall
graceful, dignified, of commanding
? presence; has a good voice, thorough.
y trained; speaks slowly and ar.
ticulates perfectly.
Following are a few extracts taken
: %uellvered, TO the high school gradual.
ing class at Volga. S. D., in May
1905:
( always feel an inspiration upor
en-ocoasion of this kind. that l nevel
experience upon any other; for wn11e
it brings its sorrow in a measure, be.
cause from this time forward those
who are graduating here are expect.
l ed to fight the battles of life fol
/. themselves, yet I never stand in the
presence of the youth of our land
but what l feel as though the joyous
: hour of spring is here
Mighty nature bounds as from he1
birth,
The sun is in the heavens and life
= on the earth;
Flowers in the valley, %splendor il
y the beam,
Health on the gale. and freshness il
= the stream.
6, Hail! beautiful morning time
when to these young men and wome1
all nature seems to be in harmony
\ The golden sunlight Of morning j!
resting upon the horizon and she'd
$ ding its brilliant rays over theil
: young lives; fresh buds are bursting
song birds are singing, the whol
Universe is joining in that glad halle
y luJah Commissioning to the angle!
. beyond the stars; and what message
u shall l bring to them hat will hell
x to guide them in the great journe!
: they are soon to begin?
o Then, too, whatever you do, d.
we'll. Don't be a ~weakling; don't be
S a f~rittering %frailty; but in everything
J. you undertake, be master of the stu
e alton. See the greatest of the Rom.
$ an senators quietly walking down the
aisle of the Roman senate, neve
: dreaming of danger: see those sixteer
blades of steel pierce his flesh, anc
g as the blood flowed from sixteer
h wounds his soul went to make it:
peace with the Great Judge in Heav
S en-. The angry mol that gathered
v about his PROSTATE form demanded
O Justice and swore vengeance upor
Brutus, but quietly and calmly MARI
e Antony stood over the dead body O.
Julius Caesar, master of the situa
ton.
Hear the thunder Of cannon ant
the rattl. of musketry upon the field
of battle; see the charge and counter
charge at the point Of the bayonet
and finally see the Union forces j,
disorderly retreat. But, listen!-
away in the distance l hear the clat
e tering of hoofs, and finally I'see
back charger all covered with foan
!. %hurryins to the scene of action, ans
Phil Sheridan rides up the Shenan
r. doah, master of the situation.
ata