The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1910-09-16

Ol ' three q ,;ge
Noted Fa1,lilies
Judge Henry Clay McDougal. Of
Kansas City, who was a distinguished
visitor atthe reunion OF the McDou,
gal, Dudley and Boggess families at
Gilboa Wednesday, gave one Of the
principal addresses Of the day, dwell.
ing upon a historical sketch Of the
families assembled. The address is
given below In full:
My Kindred and Friends:
| Back again to the land of my birth,
standing once more among the kin.
dred, neighbors and friends Of my ear.
| ly years, whom l left for the Big War
nearly half a century ago, there comes
to me now the impulse to quote the
words OF Rob Roy. that other wander
ing and somewhat lawless son OF old
Scotia: "My foot is on my native
heath and my name It is MacGreser."
Then. again, the truth and the wis
dom of a familiar saying of the Nag
arine here and now appeals to me as
never before, "a prophet is not with.
out honor, save in his own country,
and in his own house, For in this
presence. am conscious OF the fact
that my personal status is here like
unto that OF my lawyer friend, Miller,
of indianapolis. When Benjamin Hs.,.
rison was inaugurated as our Presi-
dent, one Of his first official acts was
the appointment of his old law part
ner as the Attorney General Of the
United States. Soon after qualifying,
Miller returned 10 his old home in
Pennsylvania as I have come back to
mine in West Virginia, and later on
told this story OF his visit: At the
little station not many miles over the
hills from his childhood home, Gen.
eral Miller, an utter stranger and in
strange land, found that an old farmer
was going in his wagon over near. his
fathers farm. Over the mud they
rolled In silence for a time when this
conversation occurred between them:
by the way" said Miller, "and old
farmer named Miller used to live in
this neighborhood, didn't he?" The
farmer answered, YES" 1.-THE old
man had lot Of boys, didn't her"
"Yas, three Of four" Then with heart
swelling with honest pride, Miller in.
CURED: Wasn't one of these boys
lately appointed to some high Officer"
"Yas, We heerd So" well, what did
the old neighbors say when they nearu
the news of this appointment" "They
didn't say nuthin; they fist laft."
But seriously, now: AS the devout
Mohammedan turns his face toward
ibis shrine in Offering up his daily
prayers, andfails not to make pilgrim
ages to his Mecca, SO. no matter where
l. he may rove. the heart, face and pill
grimages of the native, OF old Marion
-county are always, turning backward
to his childhood home. Born and rear
ed just across the hill from this old
church and grove. my early years were
here. passed among you, and when
comes the closing scene on doubt It |
will be said OF me, as long ago 1t was
said of bluff old Falstaff: "He babbles
OF green fields" This great creation
of great Shakespeare as he lay dying,
talked OF the fields OF merry old Eng
lard. but with love. affection s,Sd rev.
erence, my own thoughts may then
wander back OF the trees, the waters,
the grasses and the green fields" of
old Marion county, rs these grow and
flourish in heavens sweets sunshine
around old Gilboa on Dunkard Mill
run.
AS blood Is still thicker than water,
1t is but natural that the descendants
of the three families whose lives and
achievements We here celebrate in
sist that the clans Dudley, Borgess.
and McDougal originally stood high
above all others on the roll of fame,
on Dunkard Mill run; but the call
of the roll Of those who drunk the
waters of this run half century ago,
when was young, barefoot. freck.
led face boy and got stone bruises on
my feet and fought with other bellig.
erents of this entire scope OF country,
would be found to include such other
good men and true as Morrow, Nor
rls, Martin, Straight. Morgan, Walms.
ley, Wilcox, Atha. Toothman, Robey,
Brown, Hawkins, Polling, Davis, Laid.
ley. Ice, Gribble. Pitzer, Evans, Sharp,
Miller, Prichard, Youst, Veach, vii.
son, sturm, Billingsley, Mcvicker,
Fawcett, Jones and Upton.
The families of Dudley, Borgess. and
McDougal OF their slender frontierj
stores contributed their full quota OF
money or moneys worth to the build.l ID
ing OF the first Gilboa Methodist
Church on these grounds: but only all
few days ago, down near Falrmont, /,
my aunt, Mary Catherine Clayton. i
showed me an old booklet, In which, i
was written, in the fine but elegant Ia
OF my great grandiath.l
er, Lindsay Borgess., accurate ac.
counts Of the money, labor, meal or
malt Of the early pioneers who also
their full share to the
erection of that church on Nav |