The Oakes times. [volume] (Oakes, N.D.) 1906-current, 1910-09-01


frontier communities. We need to strive
for the general social betterment OF the
people as a whole, and yet to encourage
individual liberty and set high reward
on individual initiative up to the point
where they become detrimental to the
general welfare.
Wrong Doors and Wrong Systems.
In continually and earnestly striving for
this hetterment of social and economic
conditions in our complex Industrial civil
l'zation. we should work in the old fren-
tier spirit of brothery comradeship and
good will. do not mean that we should
trary. I would preach frey wrath
against wrong But I would not preach
such wrath against the wrong-doer, save
In those cases where his wrong doing
really Is due to evil moral attributes on
his part and not to a wrong or false sys-
victim as the beneficiary. Sometimes
wrong represents the deliberate wicked
ness Of the wrong-doer. in which case
the remedy IL to punish him. but somc-
times 1t represents the effects of a false
| social system. In which case the right
course is to alter what is false in the
| system. Both principles need to be kept
in view as guides to our conduct. and it
] is necessary sometimes to work In ac-
| cordance with one and sometimes in ac-
l cordance with the other.
,1 Before ending I wish TO say word ca
something which I. believe should espe-
| cia1ly interest all men who live in the
open country. and especially all men who
during the past thirty years have lived
\ and worked on ranches or have done
their life work in the wilder parts of our
land. on the great plains or among the
mountains. The phase Of our national
| life in which the stockman, the mining
/ fhA C1,9 ~ m nj
not only very important but also a
| very picturesque phase. Often such a
phase passes without any great artist
arising to commemorate II.
The oid-time backwoodsman. for in
stance, the man Of the back country
who lived in the eastern forests through
which the waters ran eastward to the
passed away without any painter or
sculptor arising who possessed at once
both the keenness Of vision to see what
vital and picturesque figure the back
woodsman was. and the genius adequate
ly to present that figure. The artist who
saw that picturesaueness of the back
! woodsman lacked the genius adequately
to commemorate It. while the artists Of
real ability unfortunately had their eyes
turned towards Europe and lacked the ro-
bust originality which the novelist Coop
er showed-to see where their chances lay
to do a great work. But in our genera
| ton. for our good fortune great artist
arose who was capable Of seeing and OF
recording the infinite picturesaueness Of
the life Of the plains and the Rockies.
EuIosy Of Remington.
OF course I speak OF Frederic Reming-
ton. He was one Of those Americans who
by his achievements distinctly deserved
we'll Of America He worked with pencil.
with brush. with chisel, he was both a
painter and sculptor, His pictures and
his few bronzes are equally good. When
my own regiment, a. typically western
regiment recruited mainly from the men
OF the great plains and the mountains,
was disbanded at Montauk Point. the off,
GERS and enlisted men Joined in giving
me Remington's "Bronze Bronco Buster"
gift which thought peculiarly appro-
pirate coming from such q body Of men,
In Remington's pictures all the most
vivid and characteristic features Of the
western pioneer life which is Just closing
were set forth. and the commemorated
forever the men Of the plains and the
mountains as they actually were. The
cowboy Is his favorite type. but the min
ing prospector. the frontier farmer the
man who guides ox-wagon or mule-team.
the soldier, the Indian-all appear. Now
I wish very much that these men them
selves would in their turn provide a mon-
ument IOf tne great artist the sum OF
whose activities represent such a feature
Of American achievements, and. above
all, represents a commemoration Of some
Of the most interesting figures that have
ever appeared on the stage Of American
life. A statue should be raised to Rem
ington by some really first class artist.
Here at Cheyenne in this gathering
many hundreds Of the men have come
together who were themselves typical
leaders in and representatives of the very
life which Remington 80 portrayed that
It will always live. I hope that these
men will Join together. arrange the ap-
pointment Of a committee, and start to
raise funds for the erection Of such q
statue.
| Frontier Days" is no doubt the most
characteristic American exhibition
given. It had its inception about IA
years ago when few Cheyenne cit
izens conceived the idea of presenting
Q western show.
i Some Of the features Tor the exhi.
bition this year were the bucking
bronchos and steer roping contests
for the championship Of the world, the
Wild horse race, the calf branding con.
test, women's relay race, sheep shear.
Ing contest, polo pony races by ON.
GERS Of the United States army, fancy
roping. military maneuvers by United
States army, Indian war dances, COW
pony races. squaw races. potato races
i stake races hat racas hnfPa1n raraa