The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-07-07

with all mankind and the last ten
dollars l gave my wife made peace
with her.
"Ah, it matters not under what con-
ditions you leave the home of your
childhood days there are times when
the heart yearns for one more look
upon the house from whence you
came; and so today, amid the scenes
of long ago l am glad to be with you.
1.-The past rises before me like a
dream / see the faces of those good
old pioneer mothers-Mrs. Hinkley,
Mrs. Lulsdorf, Mrs. Maxfield, Mrs.
Pay, Mrs. Kron, Mrs. Shaubet, Mrs.
Fuller, my own mother and other
noble and splendid women, who came
here sixty years ago enduring the
hardships, suffering the privation of
the comforts and the conyeniences of
life, paving the way for the coming
of new civilization. l like to call
them Gods living flowers and blessed
is the memory of our old fashioned
mothers, not the women of today,
with all their society manners and
fine dresses, white jeweled hands
that never felt the clasp of baby
fingers, but they were dear old ia
shioned mothers, with sweet voices,
eyes into whose depth love light
shown. Their hands worn with toll
gently guided our steps in childhood
and smoothed our pillow in sickness.
And again say blessed is the memory
of our old fashioned mothers.
"And then the men who came blaz-
ing their way through the wilderness
to lay the foundations of this beauti
full city, will not take time to recall
them by name but their faces, their
forms, their looks are mirrored in my
memory. remember all of them, but
alas, some of them are gone, life's
battle is DER and they sleep beneath
the sod of the valley.
.But they are dead-though dead
so dear
Fond memory to her duty true,
Brings back their faded form to view
How lifelikea through the midst of
years
EACH Wei ISIlculUcIcu IdCC
We see them as in time long past,
From each to each kind looks are
cast,
We hear their words, their smiles
behold,
They're round us as Of DID,
q am proud of having been born
in Mankato. l. am proud of Mime
sofa, proud of her history and her
people and it has always been with
pride that l proclaim my citizenship
my birth and residence in the glori-
Gus state of Minnesota. l have
watched her progress since her in
ception of statehood, her development
all along these years and today she
appears one of the brightest stars in
the grand galaxy that makes the con-
stellatiOn of these mighty United
States. Minnesota is a great state.
Her resources are varied and many,
her agricultural wealth and her dairy
interests are unsurpassed by any state
in the Union, and up in the north we
glory in her mineral wealth, her
beautiful lakes, so many in number
whose cooling breezes and splendid
fish are attracting the attention of
people all over the land, people who
are seeking a pleasurable place for
rest and recreation, and by whose
coming are another source of profit
and development to our state. Not
only has Minnesota all the resources
of every other state but in addition
she has the prettiest girls of any
state in the Union. l may have passed
the age of attraction, but Thank God,
the eye for beauty still fingers with
me.
Nov my friends. do you realize
that with the life OF this city prin-
cipalities, kingdoms, and empires
have risen and fallen, forces of ma
ture heretofore hidden have been
evoled by the genius of man and
utilized for the benefit of the human
race? The giant steamships that
stride the boundless sea the railroads
that cross the continent, the tele-
graph, the telephone and the wonder
full development of electricity, all
within the life of this city. have been
demonstrated into practical use
eyes, this country has progressed;
it needs no potent fact only calm
survey Of the development of the past
to impress us with the realization
that this country, this state and this
city will progress on and on until
human life will simply be hop, skip,
and jump through an expanse of
time.
"And yet with all the worlds pro-
gress, development and advance
ment, today we stand aghast in ap-
palling amazement ard wonder il the
ciyilizing work of the centuries is to
be shattered by the bullets now
whizzing through the. world. But let
us hope that the pilot of this govern
ment will guide our ship along, the
coast of peace-and peace with Mexi-
co if we have to fiEht far it. "a
Fourteen years ago my father and
came here to attend the semi
centennial celebration OF the city Of
Mankato. General Baker. in his open
ing address on that occasion said:
Who shall stand here fifty years hence
to celebrate the centennial Of Man
kato? What governor, what illustrious
men of the state then and now shall
grace the occasion with their pres
ence?'