The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-04-12
bH 4. CRAIG
REGRETS
\ High School Graduate In
|lforr,la is Unable to Accept
Invitation for Commence
ment Address.
WRITES FINE LETTER
How Much it Would Have
L.ant to Him to Have Come
to His Old Alma Mater
at This Time.

effort was made this year
nard OF education to secu
Hugh H. Craig of Riversit
mia for the commemorate
ar The commencement tt
vill he held Flag Day. and t
felt that Hugh Craig. a graC
the school, and a former Ke
Nv could do full justice to T.
on. They were greatly diss
A on learning that he would
to come. Judge Craig h
a this letter:
riverside, CAL. April 5, 1918.
VIM. Aldrich, Superintend-
Of Schools, Keokuk, Iowa
Dear Mr.. Aldrich: 1t was
a great deal OF reluctance
/ sent you a night letter the
inst, advising you of my in
ty to go to Keokuk to make
comm encement address this
ing June in response to the
flattering invitation given
bv the board Of education
agh you. I mad deferred re-
ng in the hope that I might
kble to arrange matters here
hat / could make a different
\, but realized that you should
an early response, SO l wired
when 1t became apparent that
build have to give up the plan.
court work has been very
" this year. and just at pres
/ am in the ninth week of a
which has crowded out a
number Of cases which have
j set for trial in May and
E. These people have been
ting to have their cases
I'd and in many Of the cases
Fould be a real injustice to
her delay their trials. l had
nght it possible that l might
bble to procure the attendance
mother Judge from some other
Of the state to take my place
ten days or two weeks. but
cannot have commune
d with a number of them, but
at that time OF the year
e is great activity in most of
courts of the state, clearing
the calendar in anticipation
the vacation period which
es in August and September.
(sequently my efforts were
bout avail. as all OF the judges
puld reach had their time re-
red for June.
know you will believe me
p say that this Is a very
disappointment to me. The
the place. the occasion, the
ciations, the time. would all
|bine to give me an inspira-
which / can never hope to
} duplicated. Since your in
|don came, have thought
Et 1t until / can say that l
never wanted to do anything
p in my life than to under
such an address. To 20 back
ny cid home, on commence
p day and flag day, and speak
the same platform where I
1uated twenty-six years ago, in
great year of patriotic en-
'or and inspiration, at the
Y time as your service flag
De presented, would give me
an uplifting inspiration, that
70 ! could not measure up to
great opportunity. yet am
mat l could do something
worthy than l have ever
note that one Of the gold
on the service flag is for
LeBron, and this gives to me
aded interest in the occasion,
ne and / lived across the
from each other for years.
eyed, fished, swan, camped
chummed with him until we
well into the high school,
ne went away to a military
y. Then our ways parted.
after many years the time
Some when he has made the
me sacrifice and / am com.
TO forego the privilege OF
BACK to his and my old
and of saying what l would
say about him and about
other loyal boys who have
good the great traditions
okuk in war time. There are
aay things ] would like to say
old friends there in these
umes in which we are liv-
have often been pressed
'erVice to talk on what now
70 De trivial occasions and
s, and now when a real
unity Is presented, / am in
position that I cannot EN-.
VI deeply sensible of the
ugh compliment which is
IN the invitation of the
ana ! ask that you convey
members my thanks and
regrets.
cordially yours.
HUGH III. CRAIG.
uperintendent was authorized
another speaker, and is on
Neut Tor several good speak
me occasion. A letter has
70 Governor Harding, from
reply has come, but the
nopeful that he will accept.