The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1916-06-16
FLAG DAY PATRIOT
ICALLY OBSERVED
D. A. r. Mark and Decorate with Flow
ers Graves Of Revolutionary Sol
diers with Impressive Rites

Charles in 1920. and died at his home
in Pennington on September 6, 1886;
was buried in the cemetery in what
is known as the Carter place. His
grave, which by changes and the lay
ing out Of streets and alleys in Farm
ington, was left in an alley, was open
ed on the 9th of last month, and all
that remained of his body was re-
moved and inferred in this cemetery.
"This sketch Of his life, which |
have read, deals more particularly
with the militant side of his charac-
ter. but that he had much gentler
side, one OF two incidents l will re-
late attest. Shortly after he located
in this county baby boy came into
the world as his mothers spirit pass
ed out into the unknown. Captain
Caldwell and his good wife took the
motherless baby boy to their hearts,
lovingly reared him to manhood and
he became one of the best ard most
influential citizens of our county, and
his children, affectionately refer to-
Capt. Caldwell as Grandfather"
"About that time, back in Kentuc-
ky, youth Of only 10 and sweet
girl of IA fell in love, as boys and
girls will; they married against their
parents protests and were disinherited
for their disobedience. The young
man had gun, dog, horse and a
saddle. Saddling his horse, he strobe
his back, took his young wife up be-
hind him, and in some way they made
their way through from Kentucky to
Cook Settlement, They went direct
to Capt. Caldwell's who and his good
wife received them with open arms,
placed them in a little cabin on one of
his farms, gave them a cow and calf
and implements to work the farm,
and didn't charge them cent rent
until the young couple had saved
money enough 20 enter government
claim of their own. A grand-daugh-
ter of that young pioneer and his
courageous girl wife is now a resi-
dent of Pennington.
"My friends, it is not only beau
tiful and graceful act to pay tribute
to the hardy, honest, daring souls of
the new world who denied and defed
the ages-old claim that kings are cloth
ed with a divine right to rule, and
who builded for us here a government
founded upon the inalienable rights
of man to life, liberty and the pur-
suit Of happiness, but it is also a pa
triotic duty we owe to our coun-
try and the heroic men with whose
heritage of freedom we are so richly
endowed.
"And / want to pay just here a
tribute to that noble organization of
women, the Daughters Of the Amer
lean Revolution, for the splendid work
they are doing, and the sentiment that
inspires that work, to keep alive the
sentiment and fires of patriotism that
burned and glowed in the hearts of
their heroic and sainted sires. Senti-
ment is the inspiration, the touch
stone, Of all that is good, and true
and beautiful. l would parapilrase
Shakespeare and say that the man
who has no sentiment in his soul is
fit for treason, stratagem and spoils.
Men, in the busy marts of life, in the
struggling ranks of bread winners,
in quest Of the goal of selfish and
worldly ambitions, get lost some
times from their better selves, and
the sweeter, gentler emotions of their
nature, which make them but lit
| tie lower than the angels shrink
back into the closed recesses Of their
souls, until some great, impelling up
| heaval of their natures bursts open
the closed doors Of sentiment and
arouses them to unselfish duty and ac-
tion at the call Of humanity. But
our women, God bless them all, whose
mothering instincts are ever alive,
keep watch and ward ready to revive
in us all that is best, whether of vir-
tue, religion, patriotism, or the other
higher impulses of our hearts that
make for the betterment of the world
and lift the soul Godward.
"And so we find this gracious band
of women searching out the neglect
ed and long-forgotten graves Of our
i heroic Revolutionary dead, wreathing
their weed-grown wastes with flowers,
resurrecting their individual lives
and deeds and arousing within the
| living the sentiment and fires Of pa
triotism-for cen from these ashes
the wonted fires of patriotism rise to
rekindle and glow in our hearts.
"And do we not need a revival of
the sentiment of patriotism, OF love
for our country?
Breathes there man with soul so
\ dead,
Who never to himself hath said,
This is my own, my native land.' ="
aHas not that beautiful senti-
ment, so forcefully expressed by the
poet, lost much of its charm and
meaning TO us in our engrossment
with the material things of life ?
4 did not raise my boy to be sol
der, someone has put into the mouth
of a doting mother. No, nor did she
rear him to be shirker Of duty and
responsibility, but to be manly man,
with his face set against forceful ag-
4 gression, ready to defend his home, his
4 freeman's rights and his country,
whenever and however they are as
sailed. If ;ny people ever had rea-
son to prepare and keep themselves
i prepared to defend their country and
4 its sacred traditions, it is the SOW
ereign people who govern and rule