Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-09-18

came the folks of Missouri to honor
their great son. Governor Frederick
ID. Gardner of Missouri came at their
head way from jefferson City, to pay
the great son tribute. And what day
it was! In all Laclede's hosiery there
never had been such crowds in the lit
tie town. The crowds filled the little
park where the general fought his first
| battles, charging snow trenches and
attacking snow forts at the heSd of
| his army" of wooden sworded and
disphanned ACQUIRED children. They
! filled the little park did the crowds
! then overlooked into the streets. All,
what a crowd it was! And gathered
for one purpose to honor their gen
eral. For that is what he is to them
their John, their Johnny.
The governor spoke standing on the
bandstand the same bandstand part
ly the same, anyway-to which so
many, many years before General
Pershing then Johnny hung Captain
Loves goat. Said the governor:
Fellow citizens and people of Mis-
souri-Pershing We are here!
Would that the millions of brave
American boys now with the colors
could look upon this glorious scene!
| Would that they could feel the spirit of
love and devotion, admiration and con-
| fidence, that fires our hearts and our
| souls as we gather here at your old
home and birthplace
To-day we honor John ]. Pershing as
a man, as a citizen, and as a leader
of the American hosts on the battle
fields of Europe. The people of this
commonwealth pay tribute to him to-
day because he typifies the soldier, who
in turn, represents the uncomfortable
spirit of this free nation. This is a
proud day for the people here assem-
bled. 1t is a proud day for the people
of the community which has given to
the world this great soldier.
When General Pershing and the
American legions return to their native
land after the victory which is sure
to come on the battlefields, and which
will guarantee to our children and to
the coming generations the blessings
of liberty and freedom, they will be
accorded welcome hitherto unknown
in history. And Pershing-
Thou hast made him little lower
than the angels and hast crowned him
with glory and honor"
But, to go back.
John Pershing reached the military
prep" school, THE Rocks" safely.
Just north, up the beautiful Hudson,
he could see West Point. How the
| battlements of the great institution
must have impressed him. The gran
deur of them, of those huge, massive
gray stone buildings, like some me-
dieval fortress of romance, resting on
the heights above the river-resting
securely, yes. appearing as if they had
always been a part of those heights,
impresses everyone-fills everyone
with awe. There is that about them
once seem which stamps itself indeli-
bly, on the mnd--a brain picture never
forgotten. One may close ones eyes
and the picture is seen aga' as awe
some as impressive.
But West Point was not for John
Pershing quite yet Soon, but not
quite yet. So he worked and studied
while other young men, young men
| from every part of the United States,
young men stirred by the same ambi-
ti"n that stirred him. worked and
studied beside him. There it was, in
Colonel Huse's school, the roots of
| life friendships-such life friendships
as come at West Point among the
|