The Glenwood post., 1918-04-13

Washington we constantly hear 50
many things that are not so, that ]
like to come Lame as often as | can
and mingle among my fellow citizens.
1 always go, back reinvigorated in
health, strength and spirit, and forti
fled anew with the feeling of your con
fidence and appreciation.
"We are assembled here today to
celebrate the first step towards the re-
alization, the actual tulfillment of an
often cherished and long deferred hope.
We have been appealing to congress
and trying in our humble way for
twenty-five years to secure this fed
eral building. Congressman John c.
Bell and several of our United States
senators for many years had bills
pending in congress providing for the
purchase of site, or for the construc-
tion of building here. I first intro
duced the bill on March "a, 1909
Just fifteen days after was first
sworn in to congress at my first ses.
sion. I diligently pushed and worked
on that bill for four years before ]
succeeded in passing it on March 4,
1918. And then there were so many
other public buildings authorized ahead
of this, notwithstanding frequent i'm
portunities, that it has taken the treas
ury department and the supervising ar
chitect five years to get around to this
building after I had passed the bill.
And even now we are exceedingly for
tunatc because this is aboue the very
last building that the government Is
constructing during this war, aside
from the urgent war emergency build
ings. And now that our hopes are to
be realized, what contemplatious are
awakened in our minds as we gather
here today to lay the cornerstone of
the second federal public building ever
constructed in the western half of our
state?
"This is indeed an occasion when
everybody feels like congratulating
everybody else. 1t is the final realiZa
tion of one of the dreams of our early
days, and as a resident of this city for
nearly thirty-two years / want to con
gratulate and rejoice with all of you.
1t marks an important epoch in the
history of our city and county. To the
early settlers who, in years gone by,
sowed the seed which produced the har-
vest that today we commence to reap,
we owe debt of gratitude. And in
our rejoicing today let us not forget
the honor due the past. There are
many names that deserve more than
an honorable mention. ! would wish
we could have with us today all of the
old pioneers of Garfield county. Some
of them are with us today; others have
been cut down by the all-powerful
scythe of time and have gone from
their labors here on earth. They have
crossed the "Great Divide" that we
must all soon cross, and gone to their
reward above.
"The custom of Laying the corner
stone of public buildings with Masonic
ceremony is widespread and of ancient
origin, and its purpose has always
been, as it is today, to set apart from
commercialism, by prayer and conse-
Grafton, buildings devoted to educa.
tional, state and governmental pur-
poses. 80 today, in accordance with
these time honored customs, We have
laid with Masonic ceremony the corner
stone Of this edifice. We have conse-
Grated it in the usual way with grain,
oil and wine, emblematicai Of peace,
JOY and prosperity as An edifiee where
all the people, rich and poor alike,
shall forever receive just and equal
treatment at the hands Of our govern
ment officials. II Is indeed a day for