The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-05-19
JUDGE LOR|N CRAYS ADDRESS At
DEDICATION OF vERNONS THEATRE

sHssO sss
ment and encouragement, when at
times it seemed as though they must
! fall by the wayside, sick and sore,
the rains fell, the clouds broke away,
and the earth blossomed like the
rose, and Almighty God brought
/ peace and plenty.
! And we must not forget that dur
/ ing these strenuous times, when it
was openly debatable whether these
/ fertile lands were to be conquered
and subdued, and made to yield sus-
tenance to those hardy pioneers who
had the temerity to attempt this
task, or whether they should be al
lowed to remain the hunting grounds
of the nomadic Indian, thirty-nine of
the most hardy and strong of those
early pioneers laid down the imple-
ments of toll, the axe and the saw,
the scythe and the rake, and re-
| sponded to the call of their country,
and offered their lives in defense of
those principles which they believed
to be right, turning their backs to
mothers, wives, and children who
looked to them and only them for
means of existence, and who appeal
ed to the Almighty to witness that
| they could not, and should not be
spared, turned their faces to the
southland to do battle for the exist
ence of the nation, trusting to a
Divine Providence to care for those
who were left behind.
Here, today, are gathered those,
and the descendants of those of
whom | speak, and who have lived,
attended Divine Worship, and re-
ceived their education in sod huts,
bark tepees, and log cabins, gath
cred here for thepurpOse of rejoicing
over their past and present comforts
and blessings, the fruits of the in
dustry and frugality of themselves
and their kindred, resulting in -
prosperity, the door to which was
held open by a benificent Provi-
dence, and which has made it pos.
sible for all of us to realize comforts
and pleasures, which among many
others, may be enjoyed by owning
and occupying such substantial and
comfortable public structure as we
are now in.
The opening of this hall ought to
be, and must be, suspicious for good,
yes, indeed, for the best there is. 1t
is particularly significant of the good
will manifest all around us, and that
ought to be fostered and encouraged
here and everywhere. 1t is signifi-
cant of the feeling of unity, good
neighborhood and spirit of co-opera-
/ ton which ought to, and | feel must
prevail everywhere. And it is very
significant of the public spiritedness,
liberality, loyalty to home enter
prises, and determination to enjoy
and to let others enjoy the merited
fruits of their industry and frugality,
dominant in the minds of it's promo
tiers.
| Well may it be hoped that this
building, what it stands for, and what
it brings to you, will often, yes, very
often, bring together in friendly in
tercourse all of this people, not only
they and now, but now and hereafter,
their children and their children's
children for many years to come, so
that it may become a byword truly
spoken in the years that shall fol-
! low. "Do you not remember the
good times and delightful occasions
which we used to enjoy in Vernon
town hall?"
Thoughts and words like these are
a pretty sure index to the history of
! lives which have garnered by the
wayside something of the best and
richest fruits of human life and hui
man toll.
1t is needless to repeat that for the
many blessings of today we are very
largely indebted to the pioneers of
whom | have spoken, men and women
who are entitled TO the credit for
nearly all that is good among US. But
we cannot halt here, thinking that we
have reached the goal of happiness
and prosperity, and that we need not
go farther We cannot afford to sit
by and undertake to enjoy the fruits
of an industrious and courageous an
cestry Our ancestors made history,
and they made it well; but past his
tory is made and cannot be recalled,
neither made better nor worse.
But present history is being made
day by day, and year by year, and as
made, it must forever stand, and we
should see to it that it is made well,
because upon us rests the responsible
| ity, and to us must fall the praise or
the blame. And because the younger
generation are they who will best
enjoy this CHEEKY hall which we now
dedicate, | venture to suggest that
upon their shoulders, upon the young
and promising manhood and woman
hood of which this country is full,
and of which it is very proud, must
soon rest the entire responsibility of
making our history and making it
right, indeed, upon those shoulders
/ rest the fate of the nation.
There was never time in the
long history of this nation when
there was greater demand for hon
est workers and courageous leaders
in public affairs than now.
! Current literature is full of the dis
cOvery and exposure of corruption,
dishonesty and graft in public places,
both high and low, and while the
masses of the people applaud and al
most worship Roosevelt, Folk or
a Heeney because of the courage
which they have displayed in their
determined efforts to put down dis
honesty in high places, yet hundreds
~ IL