The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1911-07-29
n TRIBUTE TO
THE PIONEERS

Those of iron will who never auailed
Those gentle mothers bound to them by love-
Firm rooted in that never failed,
They came. all trusting in the God above.
The of faith had the chosen place
Far seprate from the op pressor's hand.
They like harassed Israelites of old
To find sweet refuge in promised land
They scorned the unknown lay BEFORE
The peris of a desert unexplUred;
With fortitude their heavy they bore.
They came. stout hearts, and fear of abhorred.
To leave behind the its crime
And find place where they could breathe free air;
They'd venture all to find that happy cline,
And thther go, 1t mattered little where.
No fiery. pillar their steps by night ..-
No cloud to guide their wandering feet by day;
A pilot blessed with clear prophetic sight a
Let Israel unerring in their way
The time toled by many weary days;
They left behind unnumbered leagues of plain, ny"
They crossed the burning sands by devious ways,
And scaled the rugged hills their heights to gain
The unbridged that interposed its course
Would not suffice to daunt these fearless men,
They forded where it with turbid force,
Then took~their weary, westward march again.
to check the gna wing pain
or hunger; like a monster he did stalk
About the camp, and water came
To slake their thirst from out the smitten rock.
These modern exiles walked by living faith,
They cried see the hand of God
Enough for them to know he held their fate,
They bowed and passed beneath his heavy rod.
Some, uninured, grew faint beneath the load
And sank down lifeless on the ground;
They laid them down to sleep beside the road.
And left to tell each fate, one lonely mound.
They bore it all with wondrous forttude
Cheered by hope that's born of faith sublime
They strove for other generations good,
And left their impress the reign of time.
When night fell they would gather round the fire.
And all the days adventures laughing tell,
Then in one mighty chorus. rising higher,
They would sing out to the wild waste, 'all is WE'LL
At length they upon the chosen place
A decimated weary, heartsick band,
And when they looked upon its barren face.
They cried, "Oh, God is this the promised land
"Forbdding desoation everywhere,
desert place where savage roam.
And hunt the wild beast in his native lair
This uninvitng place to be our home"
1t place, for so the prophet said;
He thrust his staff into the scanty sod.
Then spoke these words with bowed, uncovered head
Here shall build temple God"
And then, anon. they furled the nations flag
Whose boosted justice proved no boon to them
But their could be no place for rancorous hate,
In these stouthearted patriot
They girded up their lons, all piled their strength;
The men they titled soil women spun.
Low, meagre hus they builded them length
TO shelter from the storm blazing
The crystal streams that ran I ,er idle way
Were turned aside upon the thrsting plain;
There came to give them solace that day,
slight proof that they had labored not in vain
Then followed years unremttng toll;
They battled with thousand things adverse,
Wrestling from the dry, reluctant soil
bare enough to weather through the worst.
But small things wrought in faith and hope tears
Things consecrated to noble end,
Rise in their towering strength in after years,
Whose magnitude there's comprehend
The pioneer camp becomes thrifty town,
Towns multiply spread upon the land,
They apace through all the country round
Then cities rear their towers fair and grand.
Now more star CLEANS out upon the blue,
Emblazoned there triumphant with the rest.
she sheds her genial ray upon the true
she has peer, the glory the west
All honor to those valiant pioneers
Who set'ther faces toward the sinking sun, sd
And saw, though dlmly through their CALLING tears
The laurels of battle fought and
Lewiston. Utah, Jply 24th, 1911 fsw la