Evening star., 1927-10-13
PRESIDENT SEES PITTSBURGH
AS REPRESENTATIVE u. S. CITY
Executive, in Founder Day Address, Cites
Climb From Wilderness Settlement
to Great Metropolis.

on the exposed frontier of the reso-
| lutte colonies. They were people ac-
customed to hardships who did not
hesitate to defend. with muskets in
| their ha nds. what they believed to be
! their rights. After the close of the
| Revolutionary War Pittsburgh be-
came a part of Pennsylvania. 1t was
of sufficient Importance to support
| newspaper in 1886, known as the
Pittsburgh Gazette. which has been
!. since published without interruption
and was lately merged in the Post
Gazette The little community hav-
| ing desire for educational facilities,
| the next year the Pittsburgh Acad-
envy was chartered by the Legislature.
/ This developed into the University of
! Pittsburgh. Soon post riders carried
| the mail between here and Philadel-
phia Commerce began to roll west
ward in covered wagons, followed by
passengers in stage coaches. But it
was not until 1854 when what is now
| the Pennsylvania Railroad reached
this city.
This American community, not
without the shedding of some of its
| blood, the enduring of many priva.
tions, and always by the sweat of its
brow, was gradually coming into exist.
ence. The pioneer stock were hewing
| down the forests, starting their set
| Elements providing for education, be.
| ginning their commerce, opening lines
| of communication. making ready to
write that wonderful epic of coal and
| oil and steel. paint that inspiring
| landscape of hillside and water front.
| decorated by gigantic commercial
! structures throbbing with the move
ment Of industrial life and surmounted
! by clouds and fire. They were making
practical application of the abiding
! principles of progress to the affairs of
this life. An almost incomprehensi.
BILE success was destined TO crown
their efforts.
People have come here from our
own country and from many distant
lands until the city with it's environs
has a population in excess of 1.OO0, 900.
Your manufactures of iron and steel
stand first in the world, and you hold
| leading place in coal and coke, in
glass and electrical machinery. Your
mines and mills produce an enormous
tonnage, which, it is claimed, exceeds
the total rail and water tonnage of
the five greatest seaports in the world
New York. Boston, London, Ant.
werp and Hamburg. You are the
| fifth city in the Nation in bank capital
and surplus. and your clearing. house
exchanges of $9.19S, 100000 for last
year put you in sixth place.
Representative Prosperity.
"Such development as has come to
Pittsburgh is representative of the ma
terial prosperity of many of our in
dustrial centers. It's rewards are
widely distributed by reason of high
wages among the great mass of the
people. While the ranks of unskilled
labor have not yet come into their full
| enjoyment. their condition is greatly
| improved over what they ever before
received. The question for the de.
termination of the American people
is no longer whether they will be able
to secure prosperity, but rather what
use they will make of their prosperity.
1t is only in its use that we can JUS
tify it's existence. The answer will
undoubtedly be found in the religion,
the education, and the art of the peo.
pie. But we have gone far enough to
see that the great mass of the wealth
Of our country has not been used
merely for selfish indulgence and os-
tentatious luxury. 1t has been used to
raise the life of the people into a
higher realm.
1t is in this direction that the lead.
ers of our ECONOMIC life have been
going. followed by the great body of
your people. 1t is this spirit which
has dominated the growth of your
community. 1t is apparent in your
stately edifices dedicated to religious
worship, in your school buildings, and
in your charitable and philanthropic
institutions. A fitting example of this
development is this beautiful music
| hall. Around it are similar institu.