The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-09-11

tiers all remember II, the one In
which candles were cast, the kind
of candles mother gave us boys to
light our way to bed on a straw
tick which preceded the mattress
and springs of today. :
yes, time has worked many
changes and the old muzzleload-
ing musket brought home by some
veteran from the Civil war, with
which the boys went hunting. has
given way to the modern magazine
gun which allows the pot hunter to
land all the game in sight, includ-
ing the wooden decoys of his brother
hunter and the tame ducks of the
farmer as we'll
The New Inventions.
With the advance of time we
have welcomed the telephone, the
automobile, electric lights, electric
trains, one Of the latter now running
into our own county, the linotype.
and a thousand other labor saving
and have increased the cost of liv-
ing to a point undreamed of fifty
years ago. We kick on our taxes.
They are far too high, but how
many OF us would want to go back to
the stage coach days when the mail
arrived twice q week and q daily
paper was an unknown thing outside
the largest cities. Back to the days
when the news of the assassination
of President Lincoln was brought
through the medium of a courier
from st. Paul, and the news was
put in type by hand under the dim
light OF a candle. Today similar
news is received by wire and is
placed in type by the greatest labor
saving machine ever invented, the
linotype. the operator running his
machine by electric power, and hav-
ing electric light to read his copy.
We do not want to turn the pages
back. Today with the rural routes,
the farmer has his daily paper, his
farm telephone and Is uneasy II
the carrier fails because of muddy
roads to put in his appearance or
II lightning knocks out the telephone
and prevents his calling up town
to learn the latest war news.
1.-The cream separator and coop
erative creamery have taken off an
other load and the day is coming
when the cooperative laundry will
give mother still more rest and
recreation. Some of us, perhaps,
do not realize the sacrifice mother
made for US.
Truly the old times are chang
ing, the old melodeon has given way
to the self-playing piano and the
kids follow the steam caliope OF the
circus as the Kaleidoscope passed
In quick succession along life's path
way. Still we are dissatisfied and
are longing for greater fields of ac-
complishment. Yet, pioneers,
You have been to your deep con-
victions true,
You have helped thousandfold
more than you knew.
You have done the work, 1t was
yours to do,
Oh, how grand 1t would be at the
set of the sun,
Could known that the work that
was mine was done.
Full welcome the travail and toll
of it all,
If at the close of the day can
hear the call,
AS the lights grow dim and the
shadows fall,
Rejoice, and be glad, for you did
not fail,
In the work that was yours on the
devious trail"
William e. Lee Spoke.
Hon. William l.. Lee, republican
candidate for governor. was intro
duced. He spoke briefly and did
not refer to politics. He said he
was very glad to be with the peo-
pie OF Blue Earth county. He had
every reason. to feel grateful to the
people of this county for what they
have done for him and he hoped
they will never have any reason
TO lose the confidence that they have
placed in him. while | make no
claims to being an old settler of
Blue Earth county" said Mr.. Lee,
yet I have spent fifty-seven years
of my life in Minnesota. know
something of the early days in this
state. know something of the
hardships and the struggles that be-
set the pathway of the early set
tiers. | have travelled in most every
state in the union and have travelled
abroad extensively, yet I have never
seen that state or country that looked
so good to me as dear old Mime
sofa. The sun does not shine as
bright elsewhere, nor does the sky
look so blue and the grass so green.
The atmosphere In Minnesota is
purer and the people are a grand
and noble lot.
Finds Prosperity Everywhere.
"Of late l have travelled consider
able in Minnesota. have found
prosperity on every hand-especially
so in Southern Minnesota, and this
is due to the diversified farming
which has been introduced. There
was a time in this section when the
farmer raised nothing but wheat,
ap1 tho rac,,lt ,,,ac that tho coil Va a .