The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-12-19

of the bowl are formed in the shape
of pelicans. 1 know of no more dig
nified bird than the pelican. 1 know
of no bird which more gracefully rides
the waters. I have never in my life
seen a pelican without at once think
ing of it's resemblance to the cartoon
representations of one of the great
national senator's, Roscoe Conkling.
You will observe that the supports
are in the shape of allfgators. ALI
gators used to be very plentiful
throughout our state. They used to
play a very important part in the
drainage of some of the low. lands of
the state, by cutting trails from one
gradually enlarged into bitches and
streams. Their rapid destruction may
be illustrated in the following rhyme:
Hush, little gator, don't you cry,
You'll be suit case by and by.
There will be observed, too, the
name of our state and the name of the
great battleship Florida. Shakespeare
has asked, What's in a name? A
rose by any other name would smell as
sweet" If there were no Florida, there
would be no battleship Florida.
grant you there would be a battle
ship, but it would not be the battle
ship Florida. To us the battleship
Florida is the greatest largest, most
powerful ship in all the world
Through the power of her guns, her
machinery, her Incompatible work
manship and through the intelligence
and courage and loyalty of her Off
GERS and men, the battleship Florida
win ever carry, throughout the world,
the sweet, gentle suggestion of sweet,
lovely peace as symbolized in the jas
mine and the orange blossoms repre-
sented on this beautiful service.
You will observe the American eagle,
the proud bird of our great nation, in
which every state has a personal in
terest and in which no state has a
greater interest than the state of
Florida.
The power and strength of our great
nation and the courage and loyalty of
our men and women to the flag has
been so thoroughly. established that
there is no nation or combination of
nations on earth who would dare to
invade our borders. There may be
some who. if we were unprepared,
might be foolhardy enough to try con-
illusions with us on the waters. On all
occasions, even when our navy was so
small as to be insignificant in its
armament and the number of its ships,
the navy has ever upheld the honor
and glory of our flag. Such results
could not have been accomplished but
for the men who built our vessels
strong and true and but for the officers
and but for the men behind the guns.
In our infancy, twice have we success
fully arbitrated with the foremost
naval power of the world. using the
persuasive arguments of shot and
shell. In our own titanic struggle,
among ourselves, We showed the world
that there could be no such heroes as
they who wore the blue and the gray,
and no such heroines as their mothers,
wives, daughters, sisters and sweet
hearts. 1t was in this war that
armored vessels were first used. In
our more recent contest with the old
Mistress of the Western Hemisphere
we showed how results could be &C
without Casualties" and how sailors
could be thoughtful as we'll as brave.
1t was Captain Cook, of the navy,
who, at the battle of Santiago. said,
Don't cheer, boys, the poor fellows
are dying" Brave and noble men are
ever generous. 1t was the same cap
tain to whom a wire was sent eau
tioning him to look out for the vessels
of certain fleet. He replied, I'VE
are looking out for Them
OF the three great nations, the Brit
ish. French and Spanish who have
done most in the discovery and settle
ment of this continent, Florida is the
only land over which the flags of the
three have f1oated. We have inherited