Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-01-19

3ected into the talk when the speaker
dealt In the "reminiscences his visi
here provoked. He told of the adven
Of the railroads to Ottumwa and sale
that the occasion Of the first train tc
Ottumwa left scarcely enough people
in Abba to milk the cows, as everyone
who could go, came to Ottumwa to see
the first train. Among them was his
parents who saw railroad train fol
the first time on the occasion of the
Burlingtons entrance to Ottumwa
His fathers double log cabin was sale
In those times and was used as land
mark and guide 10 the traveller through
that section.
His fathers yoke of oxen was humor
ously alluded to and he stated that the
expeditions on which the oxen had to
be relied upon as means of power
covered a. suffi cient length to permit a
young man to grow his first beard
This was not done to create laugh
10 much as to show the advance in
civilization that this vicinity in com
mon with other places has witnessed
Eddyville was made the center OF
much that was Interesting in the talk
of Senator Young He also recalled
his days as printers devil for the de-
ceased Aaron Melick for many years.
Welcome the Young Men.
Becoming semi-serious he alluded to
q poetic gem that for years was an OBJ
ject of interest to the traveller who
had occasion to pass the then well
known toll bridge over the Des Moines
river at Eddyville. The lines that
inspired him to grow sentimental for
the moment was painted in bold let
tiers for the view of the users Of the
olden time bridge and read: Five
dollars fine this bridge to pass, unless
you walk your horse mule or ass"
This sign remained for years on the
bridge, said the speaker, and only an
unkind flood destroyed 1t by washing
1t away.
The characters of the manhood
that made up the settlers of this vi
cinity In those days was dwelt upon,
and their descendants, said the
speaker, are the men who have made
Iowa and gives 1t promise of attaining
heights that are yet to be reached be-
fore her sun sets.
"Otthmwa," said he, has been
She has grown rich and prosperous
and done great things. But permit
me to tell you that you have not done
nearly as much as you should have or
could do l am glad to see that you
have brought your young men to the
fore. You young men must realize
that it is up to you to make Ottumwa
and you can do it II you will. You
must do it. I do not know how often
your Commercial association meets,
but I'll tell you that do not think 1t
meets often enough You have enthus-
iasm but not enough of multiply
1t by 80 per cent. We in Des Moines
when wel,egan to realize that we were
not growing fast enough, stopped lying
about each other and began talking
about Des Moines.
The California Spirit.
"Quit your knocking and devote the
time spent that way to boosting. Get
together and boost your town, talk
about 1t all the time and every place.
Knocking Is a habit and I sometimes
think 1t disease. Some men are
knockers to the extent of being brutes.
They knock every place and home is
a favorfte place for the knocking OF
the chronic knocker. His children, his
meals, his home, all come in for 1t and
the peace of others is destroyed. Quit
It and become booster. Intermingling
and cooperation among you men will
make boosters of you. Talking for the
town has done more for Des Motnes in
the last five years. than was done for
her in the twenty-five years previous
It Is what makes California what she
1s-boosting. Did you ever see wild
eyed California booster? Boosting mas
done something for that state; yes and
at the cost of Iowa. DO you Know
that California and her boosting has
taken $10O,0O0OO0 from Iowa annually
It takes the old tight wads from Iowa
who never did the state any good but
Insisted on knocking that which gave
them a fortune. and transplants them
in California where they get the Cali
fornia boost craze and come back 10
Iowa and glcat over the good things
that abound there but are ignorant OF
the treasure they left in Iowa. Have
YOU noticed the methods of these Call
fornians in getting CALIFORNIA; name
before the country and the world!
carload of oranges leaves Les Angeles
and the world Is Informed Of 1t by the
Association Press dispatches. Does
not a train load Of hogs or other tarln
products of Iowa merit just AS much
publicity? Does it get 1t? They IN
California live off tbs tourists, have
new men to pick new money from each
year and thus secure $100,000,000 an
nually from Iowa There are enough
men in this room tonight, if they will
exert with the right kind OF co-opera'
tive effort to make Ottumwa's popula-
ton 5000 more in 1911. You need
diversity of commerce, cooperation,
intermingling and boost for Ottumwa. "
The Best Career"
The young man was given especial
attention by Senator Young In his al.
dress and the chimerical political
career was one of the things that ne
was told to avoid.
"Build career for yourself young
men of Ottumwa, he continued. Build
q home, something enduring, some
thing that will give that which Is
worth striving for in life, and do 1t
BY your own hands. Fit yourself for
professions, mercantile pursuits, OF
whatever is your bent and do not be
rarr,ed awav with the thought OF a