The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-01-19
TWO TRIUMPHAL
ARCHES

One morning eighteen years ago
the fleets Of two hostile nations met
In the waters of Manila bay, and
then and there one Admiral Dewey
proceeded to pound to pieces a
Spanish fleet that he had been anX-
ious to get at for sixteen years. In
1882 he had plead with the officials
at Washington to let him attack the
Spaniards in the Philippines, and they
had told him to wait. Sixteen years
he waited, and on the morning in
question, it was music to his soul to
of whipping the, enemy before break
fast.
Dewey at once became national
idol, and when he was slated to ar
rive in New York harbor seventeen
months afterward, the citizens Law
ished money on decorations and built
. triumphal arch for their hero to
pass thru, receiving meanwhile the
plaudits of the nation. They went up
into Vermont and bought the old
Dewey Homestead and handed him a
clear title to it. HIS married an old
sweetheart and he gave the Vermont
home to her, for hero loves to lay
trophies at the feet of the one he
adores.
When he did this his countrymen
backed up and were offended, for
they said they did not give the old
homestead to him to be given to
some woman. They were disguised
with themselves for having given him
the ovation at the triumphal arch.
In their enthusiasm they had been
preparing to do the arch in granite
and make it permanent, but now
they dropped that idea and critised
the Deweys because thy had found
1t irksome living in the old house
where he was born and moved into
modern cottage erected on the
place. Nothing that Admiral Dewey
could say or do was approved now
Everything was wrong, and all be-
cause he had been over-zealous in
passing honors over to his wife.
Out in Idaho is a town called
Blackfoot, and it's people sometimes
get enthusiastic, but usually they are
conservative to fault. In 1913
they were talking public park and
pleasure-ground, and some of them
became enthusiastic and considered
that it was more important that they
should have public park for the
four weeks of hot weather we have
annually than that the weeds should
be killed off about their homes
and in the streets. Accordingly they
held meetings and did committee
work, raised money, spent it, and liv-
ed in an atmosphere of idealism
and ragweed.
They planned to have a triumphal
arch at the entrance to the park, and
got as far as moulding the columns
to stand at the sides and support
the arch. In order that future gen.
erations might know just when this
triumph was planned, they cast in
everlasting concrete, upon the face of
the columns the date 1913" and got
ready to erect them. These columns
weighing four-thousand pounds a.
piece are still lying by the roadside
Just outside the main entrance ~on
the boulevard. In the winter they
are covered with snow, and in sum-
mer the ragweeds half reveal, half
conceal the fact that they are present.
Inside of the park the grounds are
very well kept, but for four suces-
sive summers there has not been en-
ough life in the park advocates of
the town to tip the two columns up
on end and lamp some earth around
them to hold them there according to
the original plans.
Blackfoot has banished it's booze
and is thinking of investing in water
to drink. There is talk of having
water for footballs and for sprink
ling flowers, burning buildings and
dusty streets. If the town buys or
builds water system, prediction is
made that citizens will take. a deep
,nal and civic interest in it, go
ing to the tap frequently and COM
planning sweetly If there is no pres
sure Prediction is made by leading
citizens, that the town will not forget
its water system for as much as four
years at time and there is reason
Necessity is the mother Of energy
with many portals, and the pumps
will have to be kept working or we
die. The whole town is going to do
some studying now, to see whether
it thinks it had better have munich
pal water or water that is privately
owned. In either case the town
should remember the arches.