The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1915-07-02


overarched by blue sn.o.
ated by islands OF forest; and our
beautiful region of lakes are unsur-
passed for restful and quiet beauty by
anything they have seen abroad; while
in other sections of the state Natures
rugged charm reminds them of Switz-
erlands grander scenery. There are
no manifestations of Nature, In Indl-
ana that are awe inspiring, but here
Natures VIC ce and beauty are elo
1uent of Ne ,ure's God and of his love
md compassion for the children OF
men.
Irdiana's Pioneers.
To this state, with these natural ad
yantages and with possibilities yet
greater than these, our fathers came
In search OF homes. They came down
the hill slopes and up out of the valleys
of Kentucky; from the plateaus OF
Tennessee; across the mountains from
Virginia and up from the CarOlinas
and down the Ohio from Pennsylvania
and the sea board states. They came
in search of wider liberty and larger
opportunities. Many of them had
light for their country's freedom in
.e Revolutionary war and took up
land granted to them as war bounties.
Hither they travelled in frail boats,
rudely constructed wagons and prfmi-
tive OK carts; and their journey to-
their new homes, through virgin
forest and trackless country, was
under conditions that severely tested
their patience, strength and endur-
ance.
These early settlers Of Indiana-our
parents and our granaparents-were
hardy, frugal and Industrious. They
we're rugged race and the strenuos-
ity they had to assert in locating
themselves anew only better qualified
them for the sturdy citizenship SO es-
sential to the proper development of
new community; and for that mat
ter, SO indispensable to a healthy and
progressive civilization.
Often the suffering endured and the
heroism displayed in these forest ex-
ploits-in subduing wild Nature and
wild men-surpassed anything wit
messed on the field of battle. In civil
lied war there are nurses to care for
the sick and wounded, and the sense
| OF duty and discipline and the excite
ment of the engagements to urge the
| soldier forward. But a man and his
wife, with their little family almost
| foodless, clothesless and penniless,
| burying all alone a child Of their af-
| fection in the heart of the primitive
forest, have little cheer or inspira-
| ton to urge them forward. They are
wont to linger by the new made grave
until. wounded in heart and broken
| in spirit they are compelled to turn
pursue their way 70 the little log
homestead. To plod on wearily. in the
midst of the silent forest that ever
reminds them of the lonely grave OF
their little one. Who, by any elo-
quence of speech can tell of the suf-
fering they endured and the heroism
! they displayed?
Home building in the new country
in Indiana. as in other states-was
epoch making. 1t was the planting OF
the seed for the civilization that was
to fvAlow 1t was the building OF the
log cabin IN the woods by one gen
Grafton, that later generation
might enjoy the palace on the bouIe
ward Ii was the endurance by the
farmer of the howliog OF the wolf and
the screaming Of the panther at the
cabin door. that we miyht enjoy the
strains of the orchestra in the park
We hear much Of the strenuous life
In these days. and vet neither the
builder OF modern city nor the ruler
OF state. displays the physical
, strenuosity our pioneer fathers and
, mothers did. in erecting their cabins
, and clearing their garden patches anC
, OF the earth 10 produce few bush
els of wheat and corn. Theirs also
was the strenuous life And we hav,
!. made our progress by standing upor
their shoulders Much of our strength
q and capacity We have inherited from
q, their virtues. What they felt anl
what they believed they transmitted
a to their institutions and TO us. The,
8 made It possible for us. their chill