The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1911-06-15
VESSEY'S SPEECH
MAIN FEATURE OF
YAMKTON JUBILEE
Governor Makes Plea
For Reign of Com
mon Rights
JAYNE is PRESENT
JAYNE is PRESENT
First and Present Governors
Form Striking Contrast
on the Platform

Il WI SAAS loklOlIlI
Yankton, S. D.-Hundreds of peo
pie are arriving by regular and spe
cial trains today fro mall section
of South and North Dakota to as
sist in the JuDllee closing of the semi
centenary of the states.
The throngs of people who hat
gathered at the band stand yester
day afternoon to hear the opening
addresses in connection with tn,
homecoming and reunion, were dis
appointed when H. Ellerman an
nounced that John Burke, governor
of North Dakota, would. be unabl.
t oattend the celebration. A tele
gram was received from Governo,
Burk after dinner saying he would
be unable to keep the engagement.
Senator Gamble also disappointed
the crowd. He is busy in Washing.
ton on the Lorimer committee.
Jayne Presses Button.
An elderly man, gray with the
wear and tear of years, pressed the
button which turned on thousands
o felectric bulbs all over the city and
made Yankton one grand panorama
of lights. Instantly the crowds gath
cred on the college campus, where
the opening exercises wer held. be.
gan to express their pleasure by
cheers and yells which. it is predict
ed, will last until the. close of the
semi-centennial Saturday night.
1t was DR.. William Jayne, of
Springfield, ILL.,, first governor of Da-
kota>territory, who flashed the light
all over the city. BY his side stood
Gov. R. S. Vessey, the present hold
er of the executive title. Standing
side by side the men presented a
striking picture. The former, worn
and gray after the battles on the
wester nprairie when the present
bountiful state was onl va wild prai-
rie, leaned for support on the young
er and more active executive who is
guiding the destinies of the state,
which now rolls in prosperity as a
result of the splendid work of the
early executive. 1t was a sight that
struck the sentimental natures of
the old and young alike who have
gathered in the first capital of the
state to celebrate the reaching of the
half century milestone.
Governor Vessey's Talk.
Governor Vessey in his address Of
welcome said:
eve have with us at this time
many of the pioneers of the original
territory of Dakota; in fact. the gath
ering in which we are participating
is an old settlers Homecoming and
reunion, and in passing it seems fit
that we pay them our slight tribute
of affection and gratitude. The tales
of the struggles and privation which
the early settlers of Dakota endured
can never be forgotten, for it was in
order that you and might occupy a
land second to none in our whole
magnificent country, that these hard
ships were undergone. Let us pause
for moment also and think of the
mothers who left the old homes in
the east and many of those they low
ed and came to the prairie where
they moved into log and sod houses
or little old shacks situate on the
barren plains peopled only by the
Indians and wild, animals. Recol-
lections of their sacrifices live in our
memories like benediction, renew
ing our jaded energies and squirting
us on to greater activity.
Presene Debt to Past.
"The debt we owe to our frontiers
man can never be measured, neither
the length nor the breadth, and the
gratitude of our hearts can we'll be
proportioned. By him the howl of
the wolf was often heard, to him the
hostile savage was not unknown,
and in his mind was even the inquiry
as TO whether or not he could with
stand the summers drouth and the
winters blizzard.
But now all is changed and the
old order of things has passed be-
yond. The same broad prairies
which yesterday were the habitat of
the buffalo. today furnish homes for
hundreds Of thousands and happy
men and women. The whistle of the
engine has superseded the call of
the wolf and we find the Dakota
which we know an entirely different
Institution.
Magic Of Dakota's Growth.
Inn many sections cities have
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