The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1915-06-24
CITIZENS HONOR
GOV. J. N. DEY|NE
BANQUET AT NORMAL SCHOOL
IN HONOR OF PROMINENT CIT
IZEN, WHO LEFT TO TAKE
CHARGE OF TRAINING SCHOOL
AT MANDAN.

the eve of his departure for Mandan,
where he has taken charge of the state
training school for boys and girls. 1t
is not often that such an honor is paid
to one of our citizens as was tender
ed Mr.. Devine that evening and those
who were present will have occasion
to look back for many year to one
Of the most pleasant evenings they
have ever spent.
Promptly at seven o'clock, the
guests were ushered into the beauti-
full dining room Of the girls dormi-
tory, where covers had been laid for
more than hundred. Five were seat
ed at each table and seven course
banquet under the supervision of E. L.
Rowan, was served by the charming
students of the Normal.
Following the banquet, A. M.
Thompson presided at one of the most
brilliant programs of toasts ever
heard in this city. Mr.. Thompson re-
ferred to the guest of honor as man
who had given long years of his life
to the upbuilding of the state and es-
pecially to the Northwest.
F. B. Lambert, president of the AS
sociation of Commerce, appeared at
his best. He said that it was most ap-
propriate to gather at the Minot Nor
NAL school to do honor to Mr.. Devine,
for it is due more to him than anyone
else that this institution was brot to
Minot and to Northwestern North Da-
kota. He referred to Mr.. Devine's
long and successful career and pre-
dicted that in his present position, he
will make an even greater mark than
in the past.
Senator Albrecht of Anamoose, a
true friend to the Minot Normal
school, made pleasant address.
R. A. Nestos was introduced as the
former partner of the author Of the
constitutional amendment which per-
mitted this school to be founded. Mr..
Nestos was happy in his remarks.
Senator w. R. Bond responded with
an excellent talk. One of the best
toasts Of the evening was given by
Hon. VIM. G. Owens, of Williston, for
mer member of the house and present
states attorney from Williams county.
Mr. Owens waxed eloquent. He refer
red to the state as garden and to our
citizens as plants. He said that when
field appeared particularly adapted
for the development of certain plant,
it was taken up and placed therein.
He believed that the field at Mandan
was waiting for such man as Gov
ernor Devine, who is destined to do
the best work of his life training the
delinquent young men and women.
The speech by President A. G..
Crane was one of the most brilliant
of the evening" The following is a
summary of his response:
MR.. POSTMASTER: In endeav-
oring to select suitable theme for
this occasion, have selected from the
large number that might have been
chosen, some thoughts upon the power
of imagination. Our two graduating
classes have just presented the school
with two beautiful memorials. One of
them is large colored reproduction of
|'The Aurora" or "Dawn." The other
gift is the ornamental lighting fix
lures on the front entrance of the
main building Both of these gifts
deal with light and vision. One rep
resents the breaking of a new day
upon the darkness of night. The 9TH
er serves as a beacon and a guide
marking the front entrance Of this in
stitution Of learning. This institution
itself is established for the purpose of
spreading the light of intelligence and
dissipating the darkness of ignorance.
The power of imagination, usually
conceived as childish play of fancy,
is in reality something greater, more
useful and more noble. The great in
ventors were men who were able, by
the play of this marvellous faculty, to
take known facts and transform them
into the unknown. Thomas A. Edison,
knowing the heating effects of electric
current upon a piece Of iron wire,
knowing the possibilities of producing
vacuum, inmagined an incandescent
lamp and today we have these mar
velous tungsten lamps, the only rival
of the sun. By this same faculty,
poets have heard songs that as yet
have never been sung. Musicians have
been entranced by beautiful melodies
never yet heard by mortal ear. Paint
ers have seen in prophetic visions
beautiful paintings never beheld by
mortal eye. By the exercise of this
same faculty, architects and designers
have seen whole cathedrals and even
cities before one stone had been laid
upon another Statesmen, with the
visions of seers, from close study of
known conditions have foretold the
history of institutions. The first set.
tiers in North Dakota saw boundless
prairies inhabited by savages and
crossed only by the trails of buffalo
Through the power of vision, however
they saw these prairies inhabited by a
prosperous, progressive people. They
saw railroads, churches, schools, cities
and productive fields.
We are here tonight to do honor tc
a man who has had prominently this
creative power Of imagination. Thru
his close knowledge Of educational