The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-01-29

All the musicians wore Indian cos
tune. Mrs. Parkhurst's ostume was
made after the kimono style, which
was the original form of Indian .ress.
( Her costume was deer skin color, en-
! broidered with beads.
The decorations for the rostrum
were Navajo blankets, an American
flag. and Indian baskets filled with
con table was adorned with gilt Las
| kots of peoples, and twiied with au-
turnn leaves.
The pageant closed with the singing
of the Star Spangled Palmer
| Mrs. Atkinson Presides.
Mrs. Fannie Cooper Atkinson of
| Parsons vice president of the club,
presided, taking the seat left vacant
| by the late Mrs. Eugene Ware, the
clubs president, whose death occurred
while she was engaged in the work of
preparing the plans for today's fes-
/ tivities. Mrs. Atkinson presented Mrs.
George Rose of Kansas City, whose
subject was the conservation of Kan
! sas Native Trees and Flowers"
/ Mrs. Rose spoke as follows: Mrs.
Ware knew Kansas. She had seen its
wooded hills and Slmpsed its prai-
ries. She knew its fat years and its
| lean years She remembered the
grasshoppers and that other scourge,
the prairie fire. Do you recall, you
who pioneered in Kansas. your terror
/ O. nc SleHI "a 14iO7S uSNOulllS |
| Let me give you one detail of a fire
| that ravaged Cherokee county in
those early days. A young mother
stood with a child at her breast and
another clinging to her skirts watch
! ing a glare that was not OF the sun.
! Husband and horses We're away.
No other human being in sight or
4 sound. Already the smOke-filled air
scorched her face. How could a wo-
man so burdened outrun fire that
/ rode on the wind?
! In that moment of despair help
came. Surely never knight in sill
vered armor looked so handsome as
the young farmer who galloped in on
! a pillow horse. He quickly backfired
and beat out the blaze; he fought with
head. and hand till the angry flames
swept around-and on. When he re-
turned 10 the blackened road with
face and hands blistered, that home
was saved.
A common enough incident, you
say. How does it concern this par
| ticular Kansas day? The young
farmers name was Eugene Ware
The young mother was his friend and
neighbours wife, a grateful woman
who never forgot.
Did you know, those of you who
knew him best, that Eugene Ware,
! lawyer, poet, statesman, first essayed
| as barefoot youth to make his for
tune raising onions in Cherokee coun-
ty? IronQuilPs poetry was in his
i heart, not in his crops or his boots I
4 have sometimes thought Mrs. Ware
| loved all things belonging to Kansas
because it was given to her to walk
with one who was so thoroughly
| Kansan.
Her Pioneering Days.
Mrs. Rose told of her life in WAN
dotte county in pioneer times and of
a person whom she called her young
man" who staked out a claim on
| Washington creek.
The young householder began stu
dy of native fruits, not with anv
thought of their propagation, but to
| test their culinary merits. The wild
strawberry growing in great abuh-
dance along the Santa Fe Trail left
nothing to be desired but size. My
young man has Ventured the opinion
that more Strawberries grew wild in
the state at that time than have grown
since under cultivation. Green goose
berries with plenty of sugar were a
table delight. Service berries were to
! be found and an occasional handful of
raspberries and ,blackberries Dew ber-
| lies were even more plentiful, nor was
he too grown up to nibble his way
| cautiously around the wormy redhaw
On one glad June day the boy found
a full-fruited mulberry tree. He shook
the tree, filled his chip hat to over
| flowing, and then in utter content
ment, sat down in the shade and ate
the last one of them.
She told about the elderberries
wild grape and crab apple, and the
c hokecherry pies they used to have
"On the whole" she added, there is
little to regret in the passing of native
fuits. The wild berries would respond
to culture, but the improved strains
are as hardy and more easily obtain
ed. The post oak grape, of which we
know little, is the missionary among
our native fruits. 1t is native to the
Ozarks, and by its Importation into
France, that country's grape crop has
been saved from insect pests. The
English walnut has been budded into
the black walnut; hickory nuts, hazel
nuts and pecans are native to Kan
sas; so We may yet see great nut
industry in this state. Pecan orchards
will become a good investment, espe-
cially in low ground.
Native Flowers.
: "Any mention of native blossoms
| begins with the sunflower. The golden
rod is next in abundance; the yucca,
butterfly weed, verbena, wild rose,
primrose and columb.ne, are worthy
of place in my lady'S garden. The
Kansas flowers do not all belong to
my lady Here is a masculine bou-
quet: Johnny-Jump-Up Unison weed,
| Sweet William to be offered to every
: William Willie or VIII in the state,
: ~ IL ~ NetA47 Iii 1AC SAASNiA
; have cooke burrs or Billy Buttons.
: Here is shepherds purse and Solo
= mons seal, of which an old record
, says, The root taketh away in one
l night any bruise, black or blue spots
gotten by falls or woman's wiIlfulness
l in stumbling upon her hasty husband
fists
The wild crab-apple, condemned as
a fruit, is redeemed by its flower. The
: nursery men will tell you they have
ornamental crabs much finer than the
= wild tree. Trust them not. You re-
2 member a great mans saying, ''God
might have made a finer fruit than
the strawberry but He never did
r That is the speakers feeling for the
., wild crab-apple blossoms.
$ Among the small shrubs are the In
f dian currant or cor l berry, more