The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-02
F5he NAIJ Woo
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running from quincy, heohuh w
Nauvoo and Burlington.
| When stranger remarked the
other day that the romantic features
| of Nauvoo history would supply bet
| ter material for the coming Illinois
centennial celebration than any pro-
duct of the imagination offers, he
was but giving concrete expression
| to an idea which in all probability
| has occurred to the minds of many
fsauvOoites. Being man well yersed
| in romance and history and having
made q study of Nauvoo history, his
| opinion may be accepted at more
| than the usual market weight and
value. Let US go further and suggest
| that today there is just as much
| romance in the Nauvoo environment
as ever there was. 1t may require
| some decades or generations for the
! full force of this observation to be
| felt. No less as to time than TO
place. distance still lends enchant-
ment. For instance, it was said some
years ago that Jos. Smith, the Nor
mon prophet, was not character in
| Nauyoo's history to be made the
subject Of a romantic play. His ac-
! tions and ambitions were sufficiently
Homeric, but they lacked the glamor
Of the ancient, the enchantment OF
centuries. Recent history of Maui
! VOC has been made by noted writer's
we may admit, and yet to the next
! century what we could and may be
doing here and now may possess
charm of romance not less attractive
| than are to us the deeds Of the Nor
mons and the Icarians in years gone
by. There has been, almost within
the past decade. change in Maui
VOC more remarkable than the sum
of changes that took place In the
| seventy-fve years preceding. In the
nrteen or twenty years or so Maui
/! VOC has developed from what we
night term a wooden business build
/ ing district to fine brick structures.
Is there no tinge or hue of romance
| In this story Of iron, this song OF
] cCnt rete, this epoc of human en-
! deavor to which even the humblest
of our citizens has contributed? Are
we not too prone, imagining our
selves comm onplace, to bark back to
"old, far-off, forgotten things and
battles long ago?" There are heroic
| personages walking Mulbolland and
other streets in Nauvoo todav-only
| we do not know them as such. We
| live too close to them. Probably your
next door neighbor may be wearing
| q halo when he becomes a wan0er-
| inK ghost of memory instead of
living human. AS to the romance OF
the Mormons. the stranger has dope
this city a good turn in calling at
| tention in such way to sec. OF
people who were in reality the fics.
| families OF Nauvoo. Those who fol-
lltwed them, who belong to historic
rather than prehistoric days, utterly
have obliterated the works of these
first builders on this side Of the Mis-
sissippi river in Nauvoo and have
! turned their labor into desolaton.
Nauvoo is now known as the "city
beautiful" chiefly because of our
splendid location and our people en-
gagged in the culture of fine fruits
and vegetables and other useful COM
modities. Let us express the hope
that the poetic imaginations OF this
| stranger will be introduced to the
people of Illinois at the coming cele-
| bration in December, 1913, to some
of the picturesque. historical and
natural features of the once largest
| city in the state.
Today is ground hog day. Now
watch if the old tradition of six
weeks more of winter weather or
vice-versa.
Miss Gusta Kemler had the plea
! sure of entertaining the Willing
| Workers Sunday school class of
which she is the teacher, at
o'clock dinner last Saturday evening
and the pupils had a delightful time.
There has been report circulated
about Nauyoo during the week that
Nauvoo fellow who left here a short
time ago was jailed, but later that
he skipped by the light of the moon
from the town in which he was en-
gagged, to parts unknown, with funds
obtained Illegally.
Nauvoo Rebekahs will initiate
large class tonight, Friday. After the
initiation they will enjoy a banquet
and general good social time.
The Baxter boys in Rauvoo re-
ceived word from their relatives in
Astoria, this state, that their brother
Dr. A. J. Baxter, was seriously i'll
with stomach trouble and pneumonia.
The Hancock County Press asso-
citation members should protest
against the so-called humorous
column of certain dailies and week
lies which have items holding US
country eds up to ridicule.
Some Of Nauvoo's people have sore
threats and are unable to talk in the
style to which they have been accus-
toned.
This new year would achieve popu'
larity in many quarters If 1t would
cut down the interval between now
and next year for the construction
of the Fort Madison and Nadvoo in.
terurban railway line.
Nauvoo and vicinity people should
not forget the horticulture meeting
in the opera house Friday and Sat
urday afternoon and evening of this
week. 1t will be an instructive and
interesting meet
Nauvoo's Score club members gave
one of the most delightful dances in
the history of the society last We'd
nesday evening in our opera house.