Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1915-02-20

greet the representations of the ma
tions who have joined in the creation
Of this new city by the Golden Gate.
come as token bearer to speak
feeble foreword to the rich volume Of
his admiration for your courage, your
enterprise and your genius.
"The sculptors who have ennobled
these buildings with their work have
merely given full wing to their fancy
in seeking to symbolic the tale which
this exposition tells Prophets, priests
and kings are here conquerors and
mystical figures of ancient legend, but
these don't speak the word heard
My eye is drawn to the least con.
spicuous of all-the modest figure Of a
man standing beside two oxen which
look down upon the Court Of the Ma.
tions, when east and west come face
to face.
Towering above his gaunt figure
is the canopy Of his prairie schooner.
Gay conquistadores ride beside him and
one must look hard to see this simple,
plodding figure. Yet that man is, to
me, the one hero Of this day. without
him we would not be here. Without
him banners would not fly, nor bands
play. Without him San Francisco to.
day would not be the gayest city on
the globe.
"Shall ! tell you who he is, this KEY
figure in the arch Of our enterprise
That slender, dauntless, plodding,
modest figure is the American pioneer,
70 me he is far more. He Is the ad.
venturous spirit Of our restless race
Long ago he set sail with Ulysses. But
Ulysses turned back. He sailed again
with Columbus for the Indies and
heard with joy the quick command
sail on, sail on and on He landed
at Plymouth Rock and with his dull.
eyed oxen has made the long, long
journey across the continent
He described vividly tho hardshipl
encountered by the pioneer, and
added.
"Pityi He scorns It. Glory7 Hc
does not ask It. His sons and daughters
are scattered along the path he ha,
come. Each fence post tells wher,
someone fell Each farm, Frightening
now with the first smile Of spring, wal
once battle field whore men ant
women fought the choking horrors oi
starvation and isolation. His is thi
one glory-he found the way.n
Secretary Lane paid an eloquent tri
butte to the spirit Of the pioneer ant
to the sons Of the pioneers and wha
they accomplished in the winning o.
the west. In conclusion he said;
"In blue and gold, in scarlet an,
purple, In the green Of the shallow sci
and the burnt brown Of the summe
hillside, he has made the architectur,
Of the centuries to march before Thu
/ eyes Of his sons In column, colannad
and court.
Here, too, In this city Of the ney
nation, the pioneer has called togethc
all his neighbors that they may leari
Of each other They are to i've to
gether side by side for all time. TIL
seas are but a highway between IN
doors Of the nations We are to kno,
each other. Perhaps the gestures o
the pioneer may seem abrupt and hi
voice We know hardened by the winte
winds But HIS ncighbors win 800
come to know that he has no hatred .
his heart, for he is without fear, tina
he has no envy, for none can add {
his wealth.
'rhe long journey Of this Sigh
modest figure that stands beside tn
oxen is at an end, The waste place
, Of tho earth have been found. But at
I venture IS not TO end Here IN hi
house will be taught the gospel Of a
! advancing democracy--strong, valian
confident, conquering-upborne an
( typified by the Independent spirit q
, the American pioneer.'