Albuquerque morning journal., 1922-07-05

accomplish inadequately. Imagine
my surprise, yes. my amusement,
to read in an important metropoli-
tan newspaper that l was dining
the steel barons to shake them
down for the deficit in campaign
funds in 1920.
at would be good to talk about
Marion, just among ourselves.
know nothing more interesting to
any man than his own community
If he isn't interested he isn't a
good citizen.
"A century sounds like a long
while at first impression. but after
all 1t is only a little while. There
are communities in the world ten
or twenty centuries old not half so
important in world activities to-
day; perhaps they have contributed
to human progress infinitely less in
all their time than Marion has in
one century. Nay, in a shorter time
than that, for the Marion we boast
has been really only half a century
in the making.
"I mean no disparagement or the
older and earlier citizenship. Theirs
was a great and highly essential
work In blazing the way for the
present day civilization.
at required strong men ana no.
Bile women to turn wilderness lnto
worthwhile habitations. malaria
and ague sorely tried human bodles
even though souls cheerfully re-
sisted.
Fearless Colonists.
General Pershing has spoken
of the fearless colonists, and we
ought to revere them for the sur
nassing bequest of liberty and ma
tionality. but the builders of the
west. the men and women VINO
marched with the westward star
of empire were no less brave, no
less heroic. and were more proph-
etic. They sensed the greater pos
sibilities of which the colon1sts
had not dreamed.
II said a century seemed long
time in which to achieve, and II
is vet only little while. The ma
tion lacks four years Of boasting
a century and half,but discovery
came four centuries ago, and
century and half of colonial de-
yelopment preceded the national
beginning.
at was my fortune to partici-
pate in the tercentenary celebra-
tion of the landing of the Pilgrims
at Plymouth, a year ago, and there
was the constant reminder that
New England had preceded us two
centuries in the making of Amer
lea.
but there is rather more per-
sonal reason for the little while
view. | became a citizen of Mar
ion 40 years ago, almost to a day,
and have been resident of the
county just about so years. And
it all has the seeming of being but
q little while. Yet l could almost
qualify as pioneer.
First Impression.
"The Marion l first saw in 1882
had less than 1000 people, but my
first impression was that of very
much a city. in which / feared /
should be hopelessly lost. The in
dustrial awakening had not been
given notable expression. Edward
Juber had begun the industrial
march but he was still struggling,
as most industries struggle. before
they are firmly founded.
Probably Marion was country
fled as l felt, but / did not know
1t was my viewpoint, my limited
vision, which kept me from know
ing. You see. l came from the
farm and village, and the county
seat Of 1000 loomed big in my
vision, because I had seen nothing
greater. Surely, it looked ten
times as large as it does today,
though the Marion of today is ten
times larger than then and twice
ten times as important in its re-
lationship to the world of human
activities.
"This confession is meant to