The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1922-08-31

Robert Mobley of Boise who came
was the next speaker. The party, he
said which left Corvallis, Ore, in June
1864, was composed of Mr.. Riggs, his
son Henry c. and daughter Ada, and
arrived in Boise valley the following
month. He said these reunions should
become an annual affair. He had met
on this occasion more old timers than
he had met in 20 years before.
William Coughanour of Payette
followed with "reminiscences and a
glorious tribute to the pioneers. He
spoiled his otherwies interesting ad-
dress by dipping into politics.
James Agnew of Boise said he
had spent his boyhood days in the En-
NETT valley and had waded the swamps
and gone in swimming with many of
his audience when they were young
sters. He was born in Boise 81 years
ago. He, too, hoped the pioneer
society would be kept alive and ad-
vocated including in its membership
the sons and daughters of pioneers.
A paper entitled "A Tribute to the
Pioneer" written by Mrs. G. B. Mains,
was read by Mrs. William Womack
Itsfollows:
AS we sit by our firesides surround
ed by the comforts, if not the lux
uries of life, it is hard for US to rea-
lize the obstacles overcome and the
hardships encountered by our fathers
and mothers, the pioneers; and that
only the time of our generation has
wrought such changes in the west.
We lrst see the western pioneer
crossing the plains in '49, joining the
mad rush for gold in California This
was composed chiefly of men and boys
attracted by the prospect of making
strike, but later we see immigrant
trains, consisting of large covered
wagons, containing the family goods
and the women and children, while the
men marched behind or rode on horse
back driving the sheep and cattle
which they were taking to their west
ern home.
1t is hard for US who came across
those same plains in our luxurious
Pullmans in less than four days to rea-
lize the terrible WEAKNESS and ex-
posure encountered by the first pio-
neers in long tedious ride of four
months in a heavy wagon drawn by
the slow plodding oxen, suffering
from the scorching sun-both man
and animals suffering-even dying
from the want of water so that their
trail was marked by their bleaching
bones, over the plains Added to
these sufferings was often mingled
the terror of the Indian war cry and
Theirs was no ordinary spirit, no
ordinay courage that could induce
men to leave the comforts of civili-
zation to face the dangers incident to
settling a wild country. 1t is that very
spirit and courage that charaeterizes
the civilization of the West and makes
the difference between it and that of
the East.
The early pioneers readily divided
into two classes. The first to come
was the prospector, who with his pick
and shovel and supply of bacon and
beans, goes off into the mountains in
search of the treasures hidden away
IN the earth, always hopeful, always
certain that next year he will strike
It rich; always certain that he has
great mine in view which only needs
20 be developed to make him a for
beings are they, always
,heered on by hope! He builds him a
og cabin with sod roof away from the
,enters (they are too crowded to suit
his liberty-loving being. who only
,omes to the settlement once a year
o lay in a fresh supply of bacon,
lour and beans). 1t is just such men
c har hn 10 terbt
yreat mineral resources and it is they
Who have made it possible to build
'ur cities, our towns, our railroads,
'ur smelters. In fact, to them is due
he opening up and development of
ur mighty and glorious west.
He was soon followed by our man
With plucky little wife and family
eeking home. He first takes his
Y into the timber and hews out the {
ogs for that shelter, and rude as it
nay seem, nevertheless it is a home,
or home is where the heart is. The {
ough table, chairs, bedstead, are all !
ewn out with that self-same ak. He
lust next clear away the sagebrush
nd get the water on his little patch
f ground and his crop put in lest the
eason be short. What Drawer sight
an be seen than the little wife toll
lg side by side with the husband,
ravely keeping back the tears of
and loneliness, doing her
art in building the home, that her
hildren may enjoy the comforts
'hich she herself has been denied. Oh,
oble SOUL no tribute too high can be !
aid to you. !
To this class of pioneers we are in
ebted for our rich fields of grain, our I
reat orchards of fruit-the finest in ?
lie world--our great bands of horses,
attle and sheep which add so much
our material wealth I
To our own generation belongs the =
tile log schoolhouse with its dirt l.
'of, its homemade desks, its dozen or !
, pupils, presided over by teacher, y
1T one of the colonial period as one y
light expect to see in the surround \
gs, but bright, well-dressed young :,
oman, often graduate of our east y
n colleges or universities, one who '
as quick to see the possibilities of
lr country and brave enough to en-
unter and overcome all the obstacles h
-.