Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1911-09-14

that is distinctly Iowan 1t is repre-
sented in the Larrabee residence. =
was not brought from New England
because there is little of the colon
ial in its arrangements. 1t is al
eastern and southern composition,
yet strictly all western. 1t was
planned by Gov. and Mrs. Larrabee
according to their own ideas of what
a farm house ought to be. 1t was
built for the family and the friends
of the family have enjoyed it with
them. While nearly all the sons and
daughters have places of abode in
other localities, there is but one
home for them, and that is Mont
aux the Larrabee home at Cler-
mont
All holidays are celebrated at
home, and the children return there
to celebrate their parents and their
own birthdays and wedding anniver-
saries. The residence was built
large cough to house the entire
family and its increase during the
lives of the parents. While the fam
lily of grandchildren has grown, there
has never been a time when there
was lack of room for the friends who
have come that way upon the occa-
sion of a family retnion.
Gov. and Mrs. Larrabee are the
true lives representing DR.. Gunsau-
LUIS description of a genuine aristoc-
racy. They are plain people, and are
enemies of anything that Is tinctur-
ed with humbuggery or the unnat-
.ural
Both are proud of their ancestry,
because on both sides of both houses
there were privates, non-commission-
ed officers and officers in the Revo-
lutionary war, who fought for liber'
ty. The Larrabee and the Appleman
stock has not run out, nor is it like
ly to run out for generations to
come While they take pride In
this ancestry, they do not exploit 1t
There are no familytrees on the
walls, nor are there any evidences
in the home that tells of the promi
nence in New England OF the fore
fathers. Their thoughts are entire
ly on the future and the lettering
of humanity
In early life, Gov. and Mrs. LARA
bee wisely provided for the future
They made their wayne as mil
Ter, using the water power from the
Turkey river. He made flour anc
shipped it to other parts OF the
country, long before railroad reach
ed the state. Mrs. Larrabee was the
homekeeper, and she brought up hei
family to become homekeepers. They
prospered, but they never forgot
their home and its duties, the com
munity, state and nation. They
have been generous with theii
means, placing it where the plain
people would find enjoyment through
their magnanimity. They have moi
built castles nor endowed great uni
versities. They have helped the
smaller colleges and assisted deserv
ing young people to secure an edu'
cation. They have placed organs
and pianos in churches and in state
institutions where the unfortunates
had been deprived of the civilizing
influences of music. Their requests
have not been heralded from the
housetops, nor through the press.
They have given for the love of Civ
ing. In the little town OF Clermont
of about five hundred people, two
pipe organs have been installed. One
of these is in the chapel of the Union
Sunday school, where Mrs. Larrabee
has presided as superintendent for
over a quarter of century. In the
absence of the regular organist, Mrs,
Larrabee plays the instrument her.
self and leads the singing. Gov,
Larrabee takes his turn at teaching
the Bible class and when necessary
sings tenor in the Sunday school
quartette. They are part of the
community.
The people of Iowa rejoice with
the grand man and the grand lady
who now reach the glorious period
of their married life, the time when
they celebrate their golden wedding
At this time when there is great
movement looking towards a sane
Christmas throughout the country
the officers of the national associa
ton might receive valuable informa
ton from the methods employed al
Clermont. Here Christmas Is OBJ
served in the most elaborate simpli
city and has been for many years