Evening star., 1927-10-13
Special Dispatch to The Star,


PITTSBURGH, October 13.--At the
annual observance of Founders day
at Carnegie Institute, here today,
President Coolidge spoke as follows:
Ladies and gentlemen:
This occasion is an illuStra ton of
the power of expansion which lies in
sound and humane principles. 1t
seems IKE an immeaSurable distance
from an insignificant frontier fort to
an international art exhibition. From.
the. few struggling log huts of n trad
ing post in the wilderness 20 a manu-.
facturing metropolis producing an an
nual tonnage many times in excess of
that of any other city in the world
might be thought to require the de-
velopment of several centuries. From
the savage domain of still more saw
age men, under the uncertain and
disputed sovereignty of two kings of
the Old World. to an orderly munic.
ipality of self governing American
commonwealth, represents progress in
government usually covered by the
rise and fall of many dynastieS. Yet
that distance has been traversed, that
development has been secured and
that progress has been made by the
city of Pittsburgh in the short space
Of a little over 150 years.
These results have not been ac-
complished by any magic. They have
been Brought about by supreme eff
fort. by the making of sacrifices that
reached to life itself by the endur-
ance of long years of war and of un-
ending toll through many years of
peace. Our economics, our Govern
ment, are not the result of accident
or fortuitous circumstances. Dreams
and visions have played little part in
IL.
who could face facts and We're willing
to grapple with realities; from men
whose hands were hardened at the
plow, whose faces were blackened at
the forge, whose bodies had been ex-
posed TO .the fire of hostile forces.
These are the foundations on which
our country has been built. Our
order, our peace, our prosperity find
in them their main supports Out
of them has come the flower of our
civilization with its guarantees of lib
erty. its enormous material resources
its educational institutions, unfolding
into the beauties of architecture, of
sculpture, of music and of painting.
Characteristic of u. S. Life.
"All of this has been characteristic
OF the inner meaning and the triumph
of American life. 1t is eXemplified in
the history of every important CEN
ter of population and in the record of
every prominent man in the making
of our country. We are rather ac-
customed to think of Washington as
Virginia aristocrat. General of the
Army. President of the Republic, mas.
ter of the beautiful estate at Mount
Vernon, clad in silks and velvets,
as he is pictured by Peale or by
&fffa ~ His Saor I'D oil Of
these, but it had its beginnings under
much more arduous circumstances
It may well be a matter of pride
to the people of this city that
his earliest public service in civil
and military capacities is so closely
associated with this locality. He
first came through here in 1853 on
his way TO carry a protest to the
French at lie Boeuff against their
plan for the military occupation of
the Ohio region. His guide was
Christopher Gist, for whom one of
of your streets is named, and he had
the assistance of the Seneca chief,
Geuyasuta, fittingly remembered i'm
the designation Of your suburban
town. 1t was a journey OF great hard
ship. In the intense cold of Winter
they swan their horses across the
Allegheny. The return Was even more
perilous. A treacherous Indian guide
shot at Washington, who spared his
life and then travelled with frosted
feet all that night and the next day
TO escape from further attack. He
was thrown from a raft into the icy
current of the Allegheny and barely
saved by Gist from drowning. This
adventure has been c0mmemorated in
your city by the Washington Cross.
ing Bridge.
In 1854 Washington caused forti.
f1cations to be thrown up at the point.
which are still marked by the block
house built some 10 years later. This
post was almost Immediately taken
by the French and named Fort Du.
quesne. Washington led an expedi.
ton against it. but failed He came
here also with the ill-fated Gen,
BraddOck, who, by neglecting his ad-
vice, was surprised, defeated and
slain by the French and Indians not
far from the rear of this building.
But IN 1883 Forbes and Washington
captured those fortifcations. which
were named Fort Pitt, in honor of the
great English prime minister. The
ak, the spade and the musket plaved
a very important part in this locality
In the great struggle between France
ana england for the control of North
America. In the Indian uprising
under Pontiac the fort was again
under attack, and there was consid-
efapIe frontier warfare in this vicinity.
washington made the last of his five
Journeys here in 1870, when Pitts
oufgn, according to his journal, con.
sisted OF 20 log houses.
Far cnr,na ..1o..