Omaha daily bee., 1917-03-02
NEBRASKA GETS
! MEDE Of PRAISE
ON ITS BIRTHDAY
Notable Men of State Listen to
Addresses Honoring Memory
Of Those Who Builded
Commonwealth.
HISTORIC GAVEL Is USED
s. G. Bassett Presents One
That Raped Pioneers
= to Order. ~
Anrnncc nv = vYyHn omT 3
HISTORIC GAvEL is USED
ADDRESS BY J. L. WEBSTER
tFrom a star Correspondent. J

Lincoln, March 1.-(Special Tele.
gram.)-With the singing Of Amer
ica," led by the legislative male quar-.
tet, the exercises commemorative OF
the fiftieth anniversary of the admis-
sion of Nebraska as state were
opened at l0:45 this morning before
the joint session of the Nebraska leg.
islature, with Lieutenant Governor
Edgar Howard. presiding. Prayer was
offered by the house chaplain, Mr.
DavisA
Governor Neville in short address
said it was useless to deplore the
passing of so many things so init
mately associated with the early, his.
tory OF the state, but it was the price
of advancement and civilization.
The quartet, composed OF Senators
McAllister and Oberlies and Speaker
Jackson and Representative Shannon
was repeatedly called back after sing.
ing a song especially dedicated to the
Legislature and the old state house:
Z S. c. Bassett, president Of the His
torieal society, presented the lieuten'
ant governor with a gavel used by
the first territorial legislature.
General Nohn Lee Webster oi
Omaha was the principal speaker. He
reviewed the early history of the
state in an entertaining manner and
its advancement to the present time
The house chamber was comfort.
ably filled and the desks of the mem
bers were decorated with flags. Mo.
ton pictures of the ceremonies were
taken by DR.. Condra and his assis'
tant.
Historic Gavel.
In presenting the gavel to the pre-
siding officer, Mr.. Bassett gave thu
following history of the bit of historic
hammer.
. lii all legislative bodies a gavel i
the emblem of authority.
in the archives Of the. Nebraska
State Historical society was this gave
ased at the first session of the Ne
braska Territorial legislature and pre-
served as a historic relic by the late
Robert w. Furnas, and by him pre-
sented to the society. ~.
This gavel is of hickory, about ont
and one half inches in diameter, twt
and one-half inches long and with thu
bark on. The handle is a small hiek
ory limb with the bark on and whit
tied with a knife where it enters thu
gavel,
This gavel very, fttingly illustrates
i. the primitive condition of the time il
Nebraska when there were no turn
ing lathes and little Of ornamentatioI
in the erection Of buildings or of tool
or implements in daily use."' q.
Governors Address.
Following the presentation Of TIL
gavel, Governor Neville addressed th'
session as follows; --i
ave are gathered here in joint ses
sion to celebrate the fiftietli anniver
sary of Nebraska's statehood. Toda.
marks the transition, as it were, from
childhood most important stag
in the existence of state and man, to
period Of young and vigorous man
hood. The hardy pioneers, who shape,
the destinies Of our early state lif
need feel naught save satisfaction
when they contemplate the result
made possible by their sacrifices an
labors. -
"Not many states, in the first fift
years of their existence, have pro
gressed as has Nebraska. Few riva
us in productiveness or in the industr
OF their citizenship; few have less Q