The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-06-12

pTlue, COuTteSy anu hiluHeSS, mutu
of which rs unknown today I'M the
mad rush for position and distinc-
ton. They were a people who be-
lieved in frugality, honesty, persever
ance and the dignity of labor, and
upon that built their superstructure
OF citizenship. These men and women
who became the pioneers of this
country were the young men and
women OF brain and Drawn in some
OF the older eastern states, or per-
haps In old England, Wales, Ire
land, Scotland, the Scandinavian
countries, or the Germanic prov
inces, or some other European
country. They were not the idle and
slothful people of the community in
which they lived, but were the
bright, enterprising, hopeful young
people OF the community. They saw
that the star or the Empire was
gradually pushing westward, and
that there the greatest opportunities
lay. The rainbow of hope across
their sky had one end resting In this
far away western country. They had
been told that under IL might be
found a pot of gold, and believed
implicitly In the old story and
started to find It, Day after day and
week after week, they trod westward,
and finally they reached the place
where they thought that one end of this
bow rested, and there they began. to-
dig. At first they were discouraged
and thought they had been lead by
a false hope, but as years went
by It became more apparent that
underneath the end OF the rainbow
they were finding the pot of gold.
II had not yet been made into gold
coin nor had IL the stamp of the
country upon II but II lay spread
out before them until finally after
years of patient digging they were
able to gather IL together, and some
OF them left Ii in large quantities to
their children. want to tell you
that they proved beyond any doubt
that gold may be found anywhere.
Perhaps not with a stamp Of any
kingdom, or republic upon It, but
virgin pure gold, which when separ-
ated from the dross give ample re-
muneration for any toll or efforts
that we may make.
These people were honest people.
Many times perhaps when hard
pressed by adverse conditions, they
might have been compelled to resort
to things that taxed their conscience,
but they were honest and when for
tune began TO smile upon them they
proved II. They believed that hon.
esty is the best policy, and | think
that 1t is no wide stretch of i'm
agination for us to believe that
these men and women, who settled
this portion of the state, were Just
as thoroughly honest in all their
dealings as any like number OF peo-
pie have ever been elsewhere
1T has been my pleasure at times
to come into contract with those who
were pioneers in this western coun-
try. / have been on the frontier with
them. | have entered into their lives,
| have witnessed their struggles,
helped them in their sorrows, and
advised them in their efforts / have
looked into the faces of many a
housewife who did not know where
the next meal was to come from
I have played with children without
shoes upon their feet, hats upon
their heads, or sufficient clothing to
cover their naked bodies. have
seen the man of the household when
he sat with his head between his
hands and wondered what the end
of his efforts was going to be. Dis
enlargement was upon every side.
have given him the work of en-
enlargement. I have helped him to
secure aid in his financial diff
culties. have stood him upon his
feet, and saw him start out with a
new determination to win, and I
have said to myself many and many
times after / have come into con.
tact with such people as these of the
west: that God has no better or
drawer man or woman anywhere.
you know we come to think in
times like the present along lines
Of military efforts. A few short
days ago the newspapers we're turn
ing out news from Mexico, and
American hearts were beating
wildly with patriatism as they read
the story of the Atlantic and Pacific
fleets, and of Funston and his men.
and everyone was ready to give
patriotic support to the head of
our government, and as we read the
story of Funston and the men OF
the fleets and their big guns and
the jackies on board, there seemed
to be some kind OF glamour thrown
about them that made them Just
o little different from other men.
just a little better than ordinary
citizens, but when we stop and
think OF the pioneers in a. conn
try like this, the men, and wamen
who took these virgin prairies and
built them into formsteads, into
cities and towns, into villages and
hamlets, on conception of them
grows immensely when we consider
how they took primitive conditions
and out of them worked a citizen
ship that Is beyond question the
best in the history of the world, we
are lead to change our ideal from
the soldier upon the battlefield. from
the jackies upon the battleship, to
the man who takes his place In
morning time and tolls until late
at night to build up great coun-
SASS I aaanaSSY A. ~ay 0aakl~an