Colby--Biographical material, 1817-1916, 1957, undated (Clara Bewick Colby papers, 1860-1957; Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, Box 1, Folder 1)

[Wisconsin State Journal] LOCAL MATTERS WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19, 1878. The ALUMNI REUNION, At the Assembly Chamber. Last Evening.

Year by year, as the Alumni of the State University becomes more numerous and noted, do the Alumni reunions assume an importance and create an interest second only to commencement itself. An evidence of this growth was found in the crowded state of the Assembly Chamber, last evening, to listen to the very interesting exercises.

In the abscence of Hon. J. L. HIGH, the President, Mr. A. S. RITCHIE, of Racine the Vice President of the association, occupied the chair in a very appropriate manner. Music was furnished by the full Captial City Band.

Stating in a few words the object of the assemblage, the President, shortly after 8 o'clock, introduced to the audience STEPHEN S. GREGORY, of Chicago, an alumnus of the class of '70, who delivered his address upon "The Golden Age" in a very fluent meanner, which held the attention of the audience throughout. We give it in full:

The GOLDEN AGE. Looking back through the long vista of the past, in the mellow light of history almost traditional, we may view again the splendors of the Roman empire and Roman civiliaztion, in the golden age of their fullest development. The lapse of nineteen centuries has not sufficed to efface the memories of the glorious period, nor to destroy the lofty monument then reared to the greateness and glory of the Latin Race. With the eye of fancy we may again gaze upon the Eternal City, seated on her seven hills, in all her original splendor and magnificence, and see her as when "from her throne of beauty she ruled the world." This was the period of the fullest development of Rome's civilization. Her armies were everywhere triumphant, her military superiority fully conceded. But she had for ages stood in the front rank as a great military power; the lofty patriotism and heroic valor of her sons had even then become historical. And in this single aspect, the age we are considering might not, perhaps, more especially challenge our attention than former periods of her history. But it was an age of great material prosperity and great intellectual activity - wherein the higher forms of literary composition were dilligently studied, and the great masterpieces of the language carefully

success. The undue desire for self aggrandizement and material prosperity is the great evil of our national character.

As long ago as Jason sailed away with his Argonauts in pursuit of the golden fleece, the love for gold was strong in man. "Quid non mortalia pectora cogis, auri sacra fames?" queries the pious Æneas. We are not, therefore, discussing any new passion of the human heart. But in the American people, it has been becoming, little by little, an engrossing and overmastering one, and is now a serious element of evil in our social and political economy. It is natural it should be so. We have had a great country to subdue, forests to fell, land to break, roads, railroads, bridges, towns, and cities to build and all nations similarly situated have had first to acquire that material prosperity which gives opportunity for the cultivation of the mind and the higher faculties of man. The pioneer must first build for himself a cabin to shelter him and his from the inclemencies of the weather, and then provide himself with necessary food. He cannot in the first instance sit down in the back woods and severly devote himself to his Euclid or Principle or to a careful study of the classics

Our nation has been a pioneer as it were, struggling for the simplest necessaries of life; and this struggle has been so successful, and our material prosperity has been so great, that it has come to be regarded, whether avowedly or not, as the chief end of man to secure the highest possible degree of such prosperity, and to roll up a large fortune the most commendable aim which he can entertain. Knowledge is power. We assent to this proposition, for it commends itself to our judgement, with the sanction derived from having stood in our copy-books and been traced by childish finger time out of mind. But what all know from actual contact with the world is that money is power, and that the possessor of great knowledge with no money stands but little chance of exercising a tithe of the direct and immediate power or infulcence wielded by him who has a great deal of money and perhaps as little knowledge as the law allows. I think it is EMERSON who says that a man who has sixpence is to that extent master of the world - he can buy whatever a sixpence will pay for, and if this is true of the possessor of sixpence, it is none the less so, and in the same proportion of him who has a million and what cannont such vast wealth buy?

We all recognize this power and treat him who holds it accordingly. Nay; we even go so far as to allow our judgement to be biased and our opinions of character to be influenced to a very considerable extent by the question, Has he money? To a certain extent this is legitimate, for the acquisition of wealth may frequently be due to the possession of characteristics in the highest degree honorable and commendable, and we may therefore, from the possession of wealth, infer the existence of these characteristics in him who has it.

But practically this is carried to a most unwarrantable degree. How plain are the faults of the poor and unfortunate, how hideous their vices, how glaring their short comings. And on the contray, how easy it is to discover the excellencies, the good points of the more favored of fortune's children, particularly those who lavishly

a few men, aided by the unintelligent selfishness, or the pusillanimity, of the greater number, would ultimately compel society to pass through strange vicissitades."

It seems to me that the distinguished foreigner, in penning these lines which display that close observation of the habits and manners of our people, characteristic of the whole work, was somewhat influenced by his knowledge of the history of his own country. There, Paris is France in a sense not readily understood here. A well directed mob that can gain possession of that metropolis and seize the public offices there can, as has been done repeatedly in the past, inagurate a revolution and establish a new form of government for the whole nation. But in this country, nothing of that kind is possible, nor is there any serious dissatisfaction with our form of government. It has stood the test of time for nearly a century without material alteration, and I apprehend that is is now more deeply rooted in the affections of the American people than at any former period in our history. But we have all learned very effectually that no form of government can be so wisely planned that if entrusted to the administration of incompetent and unfaithful public servants, it will meet the just expectations of its founders, and the danger with us is not of revolutionary attempts to change our forms of government, either national or state, but rather that those to whom we carelessly and indifferently commit public trusts shall prove recreant to their duty or incapable of properly discharging it.

There is no doubt but that our political duties rest lightly upon us. In many localities it really seems as if the office-holders and office-seekers were the only classes who took any interests in politics. As soon as an outsider begins to manifest any interest in the subject, it is at once suspected that he wants office; and generally he does. If you mention political topics to the business man, you perceive at once that his interest in and information upon them are quite limited.

The general opinion among successful men is, that he who devotes the most time to his business and the least to politics, will accomplish the greatest results. And the idea that he has any duty in the premises except to make the largest possible amount of money in the shortest possible space of time, never occurs to him. Occasionally his attention is called to some abuse of political power -perhaps by high taxes, and he indulges in a fierce tirade against politics and politicians caucuses, conventions and elections. Now, if he declines to take from his business the time necessary to enable him to do his duty in such matters, for fear of losing a few dollars, he must stand the consequences. It is a short sighted selfishness which leads him to attend constantly to all his own petty concerns to the prejudice of great questions of public interest, and leave them to the management of professional office-seekers and ward bummers. And yet it is to these classes that such questions are directly or indirectly relegated in too many instances, by a kind of common consent, and they seem to be thought to have a peculiar proprietary interest in government and public office. In these respects we need a political reformation, widespread and radical in it's character. We are becoming more and more selfish money-getting people. We have no aristocra-

proved public sentiment, literature and the arts shall then receive that acknowledgement and fostering care so vital to their fullest development, and all forces of intellectual effort meet with appreciating encouragement.

The scholar, the author, and the worker in every field of mental labor shall receive the fullest recognition.

Nor shall we take any steps backward in material prosperity, our commerce will still whiten with its sails the seas in every quarter of the globe, our granaries continue to feed the nations of the earth and all the great resources of our country to develop with increased rapidity. And here, in this western world, we shall see a golden era of intellectual and political development, of material and commerical prosperity, such as has not been possible in any former age or any other land: such as the sunny skies of Italy never looked down upon, such as even the history of proud Albion cannot parallel. And with a refined and ameliorated civilization we shall, in our political condition, fully realize the beautiful picture which the Latin poet has given us of his own state: "Asperatum positis metescent secula bellis. Cana Fides, et Vesta. Remo cum fratsi quirim Imadabunt; diral feno et compagibus artis Cloudentur Belilpertae."

After the applause which greeted the close of Mr. Gregory's remarks has subsided, Mrs. Clara Bewick Colby was welcomed again by a Madison audience, to whose great delight she read her poem, entitled "The Song of the Plains." We take great pleasure in publishing this production to our readers in full, assured that it will be gladly welcomed.

A Song of the Plains. In Delphic oracle, the fabled gods of old. By Pythia's mystic voice, to rev'rent seeker told The destinies of nations, and in verse made clear The unknown future, far as mortal man might hear, And oft the secrets dread of late the gods unsealed To man in visions strange, or these in dreams revealed And still, as then, a times the curtain is withdrawn, The veil is rent in twain which hides from us the dawn Of things eternal; and from the clogs of sense set free, The hidden springs of life our spirits clearly see. So, climbing ardently Parnassus' sacred mount, As poets oft of old, I sought Castalia's fount The muses' aid t'invoke: and hoping there to drink Rich draughts of inspiration, o'er it's rocky brink, Into it's limpid depths I gazed with passion, strong, And in it's clear stream saw the vision of my song. Deep in the crystal flood a glen appeared. From its green base rough snow-clad mountains reared Their giant heads, as if some spirit hand Had hurled them there in strength, and bade them stand

He ceased.

The fair Unktahe then arose. A crescent moon was on her head. A gourd. The earth to water, in one hand she held, The lightning serpent, emblem of the earth's Fertility, the other grasped. Her path A shining light appeared, like streamlets gleam On sunny day, but in the distance lost In mist and shadow; for Unktahe fair Not only rules the waters, but the night As well, and governs then the dreams of men, For when in morning's glow you rise refreshed, The spectres gone which frightened you last e'en. The burdens lightened which oppressed you sore, You feel new hope, new courage for the day, For noble deeds and lofty plans, be sure That this kind goddess by your couch has stood To waken thus she spake:

Great Spirit dread, Far westward is thy palace high from whence Thou send'st me to refresh this arid plain, I caused my streams to flow through all this land And on their banks I planted stately trees, And blooming shrubs, and climbing vines. With flowers I gemmed the prairies o'er, and set the stars, My jewels, in the clear sky close and low, Glad made the heart of every living thing, As in some swiftly flowing stream I worked Or in the gently falling dew, or oft In air above. I thus prepared the land To woo to its embrace the passers by; And then by night I whispered soft and low To the white man's heart in dreams and bade him seek The promised Eldorado in the west As through my land he passed in search of gold. I marked his path with flowers that sunward turned Their yellow disks, § that he might know the way, When fortune frowned upon him, to return Where kindly nature with unbounded wealth, Awaited patient long enduring toil. I warned the red man of his coming doom, Of slow decay and death, but bade him hope A savior from the east, and happier life In distant lands towards the sunny south."

Then glancing fiercely at Unktahe, he, The giant king, Haokah, forward came. One side his face was lucid red, and one An ashen gray. His hands held thunderbolts, Forked lightnings played around his horned head, He glared with wrath as though unwilling he Acknowledged aught above, then thus began:

"O Wakan, where the western breezes dwell, I live and brew the storms which terrify. Dread famine, wars, and pestilence, and fire, My children are. On wings of mighty wind, I traveled to and fro through this doomed land, Contending for it with thine other gods. I dried the streams and drove away the game, The Indian, forced by want of food, made war Upon his brother brave. I told him then To murder thy white children, and to shed The blood of women and of babes. I blew With my hot breath upon the prairie grass, and tall flames through the country swept, the trees,

The nature's lavish hand had scattered round. The trinity of fortune gathered there, Gold, toil and hope, laid the foundation fair Of lofty enterprise and plans sublime, To be perfected in the coming time. And high above the cities grandest sight, The halls of learning rose on every height. 'Mong these supreme, their culminating good, Nebraska's Alma Mater proudly stood With outstretched hands the children of the state To greet, and bid them seek within her gate To pluck the choicest gems from wisdom's hand And wisely use this free gift of the land.

Among the shifting scenes that thronged that vision fair, Thou too, our Alma Mater, bore a noble share. Montgomery, Cross, and Wells; and one whose name you guess(God bless where he is to-day) - with all the rest, A half a score or more - you know and love them well, Went hurrying by, but stopped with tender tones to tell, That neither labors, years, nor distance had decreased. Their loyalty to thee - and thus the vision ceased.

O! Alma Mater, whereso'er thy children stray, With longing hearts they think of thee, And those afar - in spirit meet with us to-day, And pledge unfaltering fealty.

For situation beautiful art though, the queen Of this fair city of the west, Thy name is still the spell which keeps forever green, Remembrances we love the best.

Once more thou send'st from out they wise protecting care, With promise glad, thy youngest born. Strong may they be for the world's work to do and dare, We welcome them our ranks to join.

And 'mong the guardians of thy present weal we meet Some faces old and dear; and some Are new; but all with honor for their work we greet, As o'er the land their praises come.

Thou of the silver hair and furrowed brow, whose hand Each class hath met with kindly grasp, Though sundered far in time, on common ground we stand, And bless thee for they honored past.

Long may thy life be spared the coming youth to lead, Befriend and cheer; then may'st thou see Heaven's portals open wide, and on thy reverend head God's benedictions showered be.

And we---the living--let us drop a loving tear At memory's shrine for those whom God, With gentle hand, hath taken for his own this year, We bow with sorrow 'neath the rod.

No idlers they upon the busy fields of life, And though their course was quickly ran,

activity - wherein the higher forms of literary composition were dilligently studied, and the great masterpieces of the language carefully elaborated The influence of Grecian letters and Grecian culture was then largely felt in Rome; and the great works of the Roman poets of this age clearly show the results of a careful study of the Greek masterpieces. The Romans at an earlier period of their history, occupied almost constantly with foreign wars and internal dissensions, had developed greater warriors, statesmen and orators, than they afterwards produced. But in this age, we find their greatest poets, historians and scholars.

The forum and the capitol had indeed ceased to echo with the lofty eloquence of Tully. But Livy then devised and executed his great work, the proud record of his country's glory. In this happy age, the genial Horace, on his little Sabine farm, sipped the Falernian wine, before his blazing hearth; and gazing on far Soracte's snowy height, elaborated those models of elegant versification, and those perfect specimens of lyric composition, which have delight all succeeding generations, and been his monument, as he himself foretold, "aere perennius." And the Mantuan, the immortal Virgin facile princeps among all the poets of his race, and almost I had said of all time, then gave to mankind his deathless verse. The Eclogues, the Georgies, in point of versification, as Addison tells us, the most perfect of all poems, and the eloquent and touching story of Æneas and his wanderings, in the heroic epic, "The Æneid." The ingenious and cultured Mæcenas adorned this age, a conrtly patron of letters and the arts. The learned Pollio was his contemporary, distinguished as a scholar and poet not less than an orator and historian. Besides might be mentioned Varius, Propertius, and a host of luminaries, rendered less conspicuous by the brilliant galaxy whose lustre has not been dimmed by the lapse of ninetieen hundred years. Augustus Caesar was then at the head of the Roman state - a sovereign than whom it is not possible to name from the whole catalogue of history one better fitted to act as the noble patron of all the arts, of literature and all forms of elegant culture, nor one more disposed to exercise his great powers in that capacity.

In a land so favored, and with such a civilization. It is not to be wondered that the age should have been golden in the rich treasuries of mind and intellect, in the advancement of commerce and the industrial arts, and in every form of material prosperity.

But there is another epoch in history, nearer, and I hope dearer, to every American, which may also be well termed a Golden Age - the Augustan period of English literature, when "Good Queen Bess" sat on the throne of Great Britain. This, too, was an age of great intellectual activity and much literary accompishment. It was the age wherein the gallant and courtly Raleigh sailed, philosophized and sang his rythmic [rhythmic] verse. It was the age of Bacon, of Ben Johnson, Shakespeare. An age which produced nothing lasting but the writings of Shakespeare, might well be considered a golden era in the history of mankind. They stand second only to the inspirations of holy writ, a mighty compendium of worldly wisdom and truth, of lofty and beautiful sentiment, expressed in the most powerful and appropriate language. They contain an anatomy of humanity, with all its passions, hopes, fears, doubts,

contray, how easy it is to discover the excellencies, the good points of the more favored of fortune's children, particularly those who lavishly display their wealth, and how indulgent we are to their faults. They find ways to win the favor of society, to purchase consideration from the law and immunity from the consequences of their evil deeds, even in those tribunals where, owing to the imperfections of all things human, the poor and unfortunate are too often denied that simple justice which they have the right to ask.

"Through tattered clothes small vices do appear: Robes and furr'd gowns hide all. Plate sin with gold And the strong lance of Justice hurtless breaks: Arm it in rags a pigmy's [pygmy's] straw doth pierce it."

There is no more instructive sketch in the vast collection which Charles Dickens has left a rich legacy to humanity, than that of Merdle, the great London banker, him with the dull red color in his cheeks, rather stale than fresh, and an uneasy expression about his coat cuffs, as if anxious to hide his hands - him to whom lords of the treasury, bishops, horse guards, magnates, distinguished laywers, and all the great people, hastened to pay homage as the greatest financier of the age; whose coffers were constantly filling with money, and as rapidly emptying to carry on the gigantic enterprises which his great mind alone could plan and excecute.

His operations were immense and always immensely successful. He was chairman of this, trustee of that, president of the other. The weightiest of the men had said to projectors, "Now what name have you got? Have you got Merdle?" and the reply being in the negative, had said, "Then I won't look at you." His reputation was European, his credit equal to that of the Bank of England.

Such was Merdle in the eyes of the world, when one night, without any warning, he killed himself and his fabulous wealth turned out to be a myth - and hundreds and thousands who had dealth with and trusted him were ruined in his fall.

Then people noticed his manner, his expression, his stupidity, his ignorance and his recklessness and lack of common business judgement. As Dickens sums up the whole matter: "He the uncouth object of such wide-spread adulation * * * the recipient of more acknowledgement within some ten or fifteen years, at most, than had been bestowed in England upon all peaceful public benefactors and upon all the leaders all of the arts and sciences with all their works to testify for them during two centuries at least; he, the shining wonder, the new constellation to be followed by the wise men bringing gifts * * * * was simply the greatest forger and the greatest thief that ever cheated the gallows."

This is a highly drawn picture. And yet who has not known some indigenous Merdle who, laying aside minor peculiarites, is easily recognized as of the same species with Dickens' original; some shallow, commonplace, pretentious humbug, admired and respected for qualities not his own and invested with attributes which be neither possesses himself nor can appreciate in others. And when, as sometimes happens, the tawdry veneering of yellow metal which has concealed his true character suddenly crumbles and his reputed wealth fades away like the "baseless fabric of a dream," how soon is he rated at his real worth? And how many there are, albeit before silent on the subject, who have always known him for what he was.

cal reformation, widespread and radical in its character. We are becoming more and more selfish, money-getting people. We have no aristocracy of birth in this country, and the tendency is constantly on the increase to supply its place by an aristocracy of wealth, aping the lofty trappings and outward show of hereditary rank. De Tocqueville's remarks already quoted are suggestive, when we consider that they were published forty years ago; and like many of his reflections upon our national peculiarities and tendencies, they seem somewhat prophetic. Notwithstanding all that may be said about the natural disposition of mankind, to reverence the past and depreciate the present, there seems to be but little doubt that mediocrity is oftener found in high places now than in former periods of history.

There is scarcely a session of Congress in which the deliberations of both houses are not disgraced by exhibitions of ignorance and incapacity on the part of some sitting there, sufficient to bring the blush of shame to the cheek of every American.

Even in the Senate of the United States we see men whose ignorance upon the great questions of finance, political economy and governmental science is most painfully apparent. We need not dwell upon the disgraceful exposures of the past few years, involving men high in the councils of the nation, and of all shades of political belief, which are yet fresh in the minds of all.

They furnish conclusive evidence that most serious mistakes are constantly made by the people in selecting their public servants, and are the strongest arguments in favor of that much talked of political reformation, which we all anxiously await. To hasten this, we must begin at the foundation. A more generous and enlightened public spirit must be cultivated. The demoralizing influences of the sordid pursuit of gain must be counteracted by the culture of the finer and better portions of man's nature. Undoubtedly, one of the most powerful agents to this end is education; not merely common school education, but that higher education which develops and fills out the mind in every direction, and moreover, fits men to grapple with and master great political questions. It is said, upon how good authority I know not, that there are at the present time fewer men graduated from our colleges than there were twenty-five years ago. If true, it is a significant circumstance, and well illustrates the tendencies of the age.

Prof. Price, of Oxford, in a lecture on education, stated it as his belief that England owed her proud position among the nations of the earth to the extensive study of Greek and Greek authors by her statesmen. Without yielding assent to the somewhat startling assertion, we may safely say that higher education carried on in this country as in England, could not fail to be productive of the most satisfactory results. And everything that can be done in educational centers of this land and elsewhere to divert the general mind from the pursuit and blind adoration of riches to loftier and less selfish aims, is most earnestly to be desired. Nowithstanding our national pride, a comparision between the intellectual development and civilization of England and our own land, it must be admitted, is not altogether favorable. Probably among the masses of the people some degree of education is more common here than in England. But the proportion of thoroughly educated men is undoubtedly vastly smaller, and the scholars and savans of that country are for the most part rather

Their giant hands, as if some spirit hand Had hurled them there in strength, and bade them stand Stern guardians of the trysting place below, And of the secrets none but gods might know. Dark pines are stately firs of lordly height Enclosed this hidden glade so strangely bright; While sounds of gently murmuring waters heard, Mingled their tones with those of sweet voiced bird; The plaintative whip-poor-will, the turtle dove; A song of blended joy and pain and love. This was the "Garden of the Gods" where meet, When slow-revolving cycles are complete. The guardian spirits of the western plain, To give to him by whose command they reign, Account if they their trust have well fulfilled, And worked in all things as their master willed. Raised on a granite throne sat one who wore The plume of power; his hand a sceptre bore Dim outlined 'gainst the sky. No mortal proud Was he, but like some grand majestic cloud, Through which the noonday splendor shines, his form The likeness bore of mingled sun and storm. This was Wakonda- the supreme unknownThe greate "Above," the spirit whom alone The western nations worship as the source Unseen of all existent spirit force. To him the lesser guardians of the West Their homage paid, and thus their speech addressed: And first Heyoka from the North spake forth; "Wakonda, mighty one, to thee I bow, Upon my mountain high, the pole star near, I dwell alone and rule the seasons there. Far south from Britain's country on the north, and westward to the Rocky Mountain's top, There stretched of old a prairie vast and wide, Nebraska named*; and over this broad plain Thou placedst me to guard and keep for thee. There, from the sacred thunderbolt long since Were born my children brave, Dakotahs called+; A name which means allies or friends, because While strong in war, peaceful and good they were. A happy people they and one that saw A power benign in all of nature's works. To them the birds were symbols of the winds, By whom the gods to earth their mandates sent; The dawn they worshipped, for from thence there came. The light which drove away the gloomy shades, And freed them from the hostile powers of night, The corners four of Heaven most sacred were. To these, and to their spirits, the four winds, They altars built, low mounds in form of cross, Or bird with wings out-streteched, in token that They lived by these the source of life and health, From these they learned the sacred number four To hold in rev'rent awe. In all their fasts And feasts, at birth, in death, in war, or peace, The number four must be considered: else No good might they expect. Four souls they deemed Were clothed in mortal garb, and after death One sould was free to roam o'er all the earth Assuming other shapes; and one must stay Around its home, and in the guise of bird, Might hold communion with its former friends A third must in the body stay to guard It so that sometime a new form might spring Therefrom: and for this reason they preserved The bones with care and buried them in mounds;

With my hot breath upon the prairie grass, And tall flames through the country swept, the trees, The food, the houses burning. Homeless then The people were cast out, with all the slow Increase of years in one fell moment lost. Hal how I laughed as the mad flame swept along And with its fiery arm embraced to death The helpless mother and her babes. In scorn I said 'Where now is Wakan? ho (who) has given This land to me." Then by a strong west wind I brought from mountains far the locust fierce. I blew them o'er the land so that the sun Was darkened, and they covered the whole earth, Destroying every herb and all the fruit And all green things, so naught to eat was left; And famine, with gaunt face, stalked in the homes, And drove from therce the suffering, starving men. O, what a wail of anguish there arose From this poor stricken land. It made my heart Grow mad with joy, because when they had dared Defy my power, they met their just reward. But all this, Wakan, have I done in vain. A stranger god than I pursues my steps, My children he has bound, and under foot He tramples them and laughs my power to scorn In place of war and desolation, peace abounds; And when I send my storms to blast, behold! The earth looks greener than before. If thou Secure, canst know what 'tis to chafe against The bars of adverse fate. My former power To me restore." His angry speech was done.

Wauhkeon then, the brightest of the gods, And ruling spirit of the present time, Stood forth. On him the light of early dawn, The star of morning on his forehead shone. The birds broke forth in sweetest songs as thus He spake: "Spirit by whom all things exist, All homage be to thee forever paid. All other gods, what time their work is done, Shall vanish into naught; but thou shalt still Securely reign o'er all created things When for the furtherance of thy wise plans, To this fair land from far though summondst me, I came; and girded with they strength, I have Subdued the powers opposed to they design. Thy messages of mercy I have given Unto this downcast people, and with faith And patience they have born their ills, and now They garner up their harvests. From afar Thy children I have bought to till the soil, And now they live content in happy homes. Nebraska rivers sail my boats and turn My mills with ceaseless whirr. All up and down The country's breadth I've laid my iron roads On which my fiery, tireless steed conveys The wealth and commerce of a properous state. Thine altars rise on every hill and point. Their tapering spires to heaven; and thy best gift To man, the knowledge of they works, and thee May find a place in every home and heart."

Then Wakan spoke with grave majestic words: "Ye guardian spirits of my fair young state, Ye have done well. Heyokah from the north, 'Tis well that thou did'st stand the red man's friend, To lead him in the hunt, to mingle in His sports, to fight his battles, to protect Him from his foes, and teach him of his gods.

We bow with sorrow 'neath the rod.

No idlers they upon the busy fields of [life?]. And though their couse was quickly run, And they too early taken from this world of strife. 'Twas grandly finished, nobly done.

Let us, like them, with faith and courage do our part Of the world's work in sun and rain; So shall the Master say, at last, "Well done brave heart," And joyful we shall meet again.

*The Territory of Nebraska originally included Colorado, Dakotah, and Idaho. +To the Dakotahs belong the principal tribes of the Northwest- the Sioux, Otoes, Pawnees, etc. ‡Origin of the Indian Summer. §The trail of the gold-hunter is still marked by sunflowers. !The tribes that have been removed to Indian territory are increasing in numbers and are partly becoming civilized.

[Upside Down Chart for the "Statement of the Condition of the Amity Insurance Company, of New York]

wherein the gallant and courtly Raleigh sailed, philosophized and sang his rythmic [rhythmic] verse. It was the age of Bacon, of Ben Johnson, Shakespeare. An age which produced nothing lasting but the writings of Shakespeare, might well be considered a golden era in the history of mankind. They stand second only to the inspirations of holy writ, a mighty compendium of worldly wisdom and truth, of lofty and beautiful sentiment, expressed in the most powerful and appropriate language. They contain an anatomy of humanity, with all its passions, hopes, fears, doubts, desires and questionings, so fully pictured that he who will may seek them, and there behold himself as in a mirror, and no less faithfully portrayed. Any other age, the names of Beaumont, of Fletcher, of Selden, of Cotton and Johnson, would have sufficed to make famous; and they closely follow, although non passibus aequis, those more familiar names which occupy the foremost place in that remarkable age. Under the long and peaceful reign of the last of the Tudors, the English nation, notwithstanding some internal intrigues, enjoyed an era of unexampled material prosperity and great intellectual development. But this age has long since passed away, and with it the great geniuses who adorned and made it memorable. And here, "on this bank and shoal of time," in our own country, then an unfamiliar wild, we are enjoying what may well be termed another Golden Age, an age of the most luxurious materialism: an age of palace cars, palace hotels, and residenses, of gorgeous equipages, and all the brilliant livery of wealth; an age which taxes the inventive spirit of the most ingenious and inventive nation of the earth, to minister to the real or fancied wants of its highly artificial civilization.

It needs not to recount the unparalleled growth and development of this country particularly to those now living who can recall the time when the spot upon which this magnificent edifice now stands was virgin soil, unprosed save by the moccasin of the Indian or the light tread of the startled deer; nor to dwell upon our steamboats, railroads, sewing machines, reapers, mowers, telegraphs, telephones, and a hundred other devices, successfully employed to lighten labor and enable man to compel the forces of nature to do the work which, a few years ago he unaided performed. All these things are familiar to us; and I take it to be an undoubted fact that the average well-to-do American citizen of the present, actually enjoys more of the comforts and conveniences of life than were at the command of a monarch of one hundred years ago.

Nor is it necessary to suggest the infinite value of the free institutions we enjoy and the large part they undoubtedly play in securing to us this material prosperity with which we are favored.

But it is not merely in this aspect that I propose to consider the subject; for I hold that this age is strictly and literally a golden age in that the yellow dross, as it comes sparkling from the mine, is the one first great object which we have constantly in view and pursue with unremitting zeal. We are a nation of gold seekers. Gold and what it will buy we are struggling for, and we make how much a man has, the measure of his

as of the same species with Dickens' original; some shallow, commonplace, pretentious humbug, admired and respected for qualities not his own and invested with attributes which be neither possesses himself nor can appreciate in others. And when, as sometimes happens, the tawdry veneering of yellow metal which has concealed his true character suddenly crumbles and his reputed wealth fades away like the "baseless fabric of a dream," how soon is he rated at his real worth? And how many there are, albeit before silent on the subject, who have always known him for what he was.

But we must not quarrel with humanity; we must take men as they are. The luxuries, comforts, influence and power which follow riches have ever been sufficient to stimulate mankind to the greatest efforts in their acquisition and will be to the end of time, and it is well that it is so. For the honest pursuit of wealth by legitimate means is not to be discouraged nor condemned. The accumulation of property in the hands of individuals is absolutely necessary to the existence of society as at present organized.

But that feverish haste on the part of our people to get rich, which drives them to think and work for nothing else, to neglect body and mind and every duty they owe to their fellows in order to attain this end, is destructive of individual and national character. It corrupts the integrity of business men, induces selfish and overreaching dishonesty, and justifies almost any means by the end reached, provided results are large enough. It induces false notions among the masses; ren ders those who earn their living by personal service discontented with their lot, and establishes a false and injurious standard for judging of men. And I have no doubt it is in part, somewhat indirectly perhaps, responsible for those communistic notions now so prevalent in our land.

And further, this engrossing pursuit of private ends, involved in the constant effort to accumulate wealth, has another aspect that it is well for the statesman to carefully ponder. It has already been productive of much harm to us politically, and still more seriously threatens us.

De Toequeville, in his well known work upon the institutions of this country, speaking of our people, says: "Moreover, whatever profession men may embrace, and whatever species of property they may possess, one characteristic is common to them all. No one is fully contented with his own fortune; all are perpetually striving in a thousand ways to improve it. Consider any one of them at any one period of his life, and he will be found engaged with some new project for the purpose of increasing what he has; talk not to him of the interests and the rights of mankind; this small domestic concern absorbs for the time, all his thoughts, and inclines him to defer political excitement to some other season."

And again: "When the social conditions are equal, every man is apt to live apart, centered in himself and forgetful of the public. If the rulers of the democratic nations were either to neglect to correct this fatal tendency or to encourage it from a notion that it weans men from political passions, and thus wards off revolutions, they might eventually produce the evil they seek to avoid, and a time might come when the inordinate passions of

can be done in educational centers of this land and elsewhere to divert the general mind from the pursuit and blind adoration of riches to loftier and less selfish aims, is most earnestly to be desired. Nowithstanding our national pride, a comparision between the intellectual development and civilization of England and our own land, it must be admitted, is not altogether favorable. Probably among the masses of the people some degree of education is more common here than in England. But the proportion of thoroughly educated men is undoubtedly vastly smaller, and the scholars and savans of that country are for the most part rather in advance of their brethern in the same fields of labor on this side of the Atlantic. The execution of the laws is there more certain and inflexible, and the administration of public affairs more intelligent and efficient. The public men of the nation seem to cope more vigorously and profoundly with the great social and governmental problems of the age than do our own statesmen. There, although Merdle's original may undoubtedly be found in London, a large body of men has always existed removed above any necessity for this arduous pursuit of gain, and fitted by birth and education for intellectual research and literary labors. And largely as a result we see that their civilization has reach a fullness and completeness of development to which our own has not yet attained.

If it was necessary that we should always be a nation of money changers merely, this hasty retrospect might occasion gloomy reflections. On the contrary, while it may serve to remind us of some weak points in our national character, it need suggest no serious forebodings. For the thoughtful portion of our people fully realized that there are nobler pursuits than that oaaf riches, and that something more is necessary to national greatness than mere material prosperity. And such ideas, because they are true, will florish and prevail with wonderful rapidity.

At peace with all the world, and with little prospect of foreign complications or internal dissensions our financial affairs again established on a sound basis, we shall find our opportunities for cultivating the mild arts of peace boundless. The dark cloud which now casts its threatening shadow over our land will soon pass away.

For communism is a growth foreign to our soil, and cannot flourish amid our free institutions and increasing enlightment [enlightenment]. It is destined to soon disappear with the turbulent spirits who are now it's apostles.

Those educational institutions which already exercise so potent an influence in our land will multiply and increase, their halls and chapels be thronged with eager seekers after knowledge, and their power for good constantly extend. The standard of individual and national character will be raised, business integrity will be more fiercely insisted upon, the people's demands upon their public servants become more exacting.

Realizing more fully than we now do, that we are all vitally interested in the administration of political office, we shall gradually acquire the habit of looking after public affairs with the same care and attention we now bestow on matters of private concern, and of holding public officers to the same strict accountability we require of our private agents. With increased culture and im-

The number four must be considered: else No good might they expect. Four souls they deemed Were clothed in mortal garb, and after death One sould was free to roam o'er all the earth Assuming other shapes; and one must stay Around its home, and in the guise of bird, Might hold communion with its former friends A third must in the body stay to guard It so that sometime a new form might spring Therefrom: and for this reason they preserved The bones with care and buried them in mounds; and e'en the bones of game they likewise saed and ranged in circles round, that in the days To come, the prairies might be stocked anew. The fourth, the highest soul, when freed by death Went to the sun, the red man's hunting ground, Along the milky way, the path of souls. The thunder was to them the voice on high, Which bade them know corn-planting time was near; And to the sky, thy home, when 'round the fire In council gathered, the first puff of smoke Ascended with 'Wakonda , this to thee!' I taught them thus, but Wakan, more than all, I taught them, O, World's Heart, to honor thee As the unknown 'Above' and present in All signs and symbols of an unseen power. With them I roamed the prairies wild, in chase Of the mild-eyed deer or bison fierce. Their game I preserved from the baleful effect of the moon; To battle with their foes I led them forth; Their bands I strengthened in the thickest fight; I placed the eagle plume on the proud head Of him who first laid touch on fallen foe In council grave was I, and wild in sport; In war was followed an in peace obeyed, And when the harvest o'er, my huge pipe filled, I puffed the purpling smoke from far north down, Enwrapping all the land with mellow haze.‡ Their yearly feast the brave Dakotahs held, And worshipped me as source of every good. But spirits hostile to my rule have come Among my people and corrupted them, And turned their hearts from me away. Their strength Has weakness grown since devastating wars Have cut them down in the first flower of youth, And white men from beyond the dawn have come And bought our lands, and paid for them with blood. Among my people they sowed seeds of woe, And e'en my power to their service yoked. My children heard and heed my voice no more, But as some giant oak, into whose heart Disease has crept, will flourish for a time, Then one by one the branches fade and fall, Until a bare and withered trunk it stands, For the first storm to fell, e'en so decay, With slow and certain blight has seized upon The red man; and the nation which agone, Flourished with branches wide and rootlets deep, Now tottering stands, and in its leafless age, Casts out a shadow of its coming doom. Wakonda, thy Dakotahs look to thee For help. Let loose thy fiercest thunderbolts Upon th' invaders' heads; and let the braves Their fathers' lands and graves once more possess."

Thine altars rise on every hill and point. Their tapering spires to heaven; and thy best gift To man, the knowledge of they works, and thee May find a place in every home and heart."

Then Wakan spoke with grave majestic words: "Ye guardian spirits of my fair young state, Ye have done well. Heyokah from the north, 'Tis well that thou did'st stand the red man's friend, To lead him in the hunt, to mingle in His sports, to fight his battles, to protect Him from his foes, and teach him of his gods. But grieve not that thy work is well nigh done. The red man needs must perish from these plains Because the march of progress he prevents. The world must prosper though a nation cease; But I, their Maker, will not them forget; Not all shall die, a remnant shall be saved, And in a Southern clime shall strong become, And learn the arts of industry and peace.

And thou serene Unktahe, bless the earth With they continued rule; they streams shall run More swift and clear, they dews more kindly fall, The grass shall spring at they approach, And flowers bloom beneath thine airy tread, And in the silent watches of the night, When thou shalt whisper in the dreamer's ear To lofty enterprise and noble deeds, Thou shalt inspire him. Haokah, I have need Of thee, for war, and fire and pestilence. And famine dread, are but the kindly scourge To teach man his dependence on his God. Stay now thine hand, nor put it forth again Till I command, which never will I do Unless all gentler means shall fail to build Me here a commonwealth of strong and pure and noble citizens. O star-decked spirit, Wauhkeon from the Orient! Over all This land far to the Occident extend Thy away: until no more in crowded marts Shall man by fellow-man be made to mourn. Till each shall find his place; and happy homes Shall cover all these prairies; till to God Each heart shall joyful pay it's homage due, And man to man show only love and truth."

And then the vision changed. Before me fast Nebraska's plains in panorama passed. The west and north bore by their wealthy freight Of untilled land where buried riches wait The open sesame of patient toil. Where wooden streams, the ores, the fertile soil Invite the pioneer; while oceans green Of undulating prairie covered seen With flocks and herds, the growing wealth display Of those persistent ones who "came to stay" Then east and south the liquid disk passed o'er In like luxuriant beauty clothed, but bore An added charm, for here the kindly hand Of art assisted nature, and the land Was dotted o'er with signs of human skill. Here strove the agriculturist to till The earth, and won from her a rich reward. And here Pomona kept her friendly guard O'er fruits that thrice have borne the palm away From those of other states; and cities lay Enebrined in verdant wealth, with beauty crown'd

The New-York Times, Friday, March 20, 1891 BY THE WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE LEAGUE The parlors of the Park Avenue Hotel were crowded las night on the occasion of the reception extended by the New-York City Woman Suffrage League to Mrs. Clara Bewick Colby, editor of the Women's Tribune. Miss Corinne Flint, violinist; Miss Hattie B. Judd, pianist, and Miss K. Pieczkouzka-Schulté [Pieczouka-Schultze], cellist, enlivened the proceedings in the early evening with solos and concerted numbers, following which Mrs. Lillie Devereux Blake welcomed the guest of the league. Mrs. Colby responded in a few well chosen words expressive of her confidence in the ultimate success of the woman suffrage movement.

Miss Susan B. Anthony took up the theme where Mrs. Colby relinquished it, urging her hearers to renewed energy and perseverance in the pursuit of their self-appointed quest, and Dr. Lucy Waite of Chicago concluded the parallel by predicting that if the women of this country but possessed their souls in patience they would yet control its politics.

Among those present were Dr. Jennie Lozier, Capt. Savage, Mrs. Ravenhill, Miss Brown-Spear, Mrs. Esther Herrman, Mrs. Anna Randall-Diehl, Mrs. Sidney [Rosenfeld?], Mrs. Marguerite Moore, Mrs. C. C. Goss, Miss Mary Anthony, Mrs. Justus O. Woods, and Mrs. T. B. Wakeman.

A RECEPTION TO MRS. C. B. COLBY.

A reception was give by the New-York City Woman Suffrage League to Mrs. Clara Bewick Colby, Editor of "The Woman's Tribune," at the Park Avenue Hotel, last night. About 500 persons were present. An address of welcome was made by Mrs. Lillie Devereux Blake, president of the association. Mrs. Colby replied in a few well-chosen words, and was followed by Miss Susan B. Anthony. A choice programme of classical music was performed by Miss Corinne Flint, violinist, and Mrs. H Pieczouka-Schultze, cellist.

Among those present were: Miss Katherine Blake, Mrs. Elizabeth Grannis, George C. Bartlett, Dr. Jennie Lozier, Mrs. Ravenhill, Miss Mary Anthony, Miss Brown-Spear Mrs. Esther Herrman, Mrs. Anna Randall Diehl, Mrs. S. Rosenfeld, Mrs. Marguerite Moore, Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Goss, Justus O. Woods, Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Wakeman Dr. Lucy Waite of Chicago; Miss L. Gilbert, Dr. R. A. Gunn, Robert Lozier, Miss Lozier, Miss Dougherty, Miss Theresa Barcalow, Mrs. Mildeberger, Mrs. R. A. Clapp, Mrs. Caroline Jenkins, Mr. and Mrs. Walter Logan, Mr. Chittenden, Mrs S. E. Fairman, the Misses Fairman, Moses H. Sawyer, of Mystic, Connecticut; Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Thomas, of Bayenne, N. J. ; Mme. Oalyo, Miss Blanchard, Mrs. John J. Judge, Mrs. William Sumner Wyse, and Dr. Elizabeth Johnson.

BRILLIANT LECTURER TO DISCUSS 'NEW TONIGHT'

MRS. CLARA COLBY TO GIVE TWO MORE INTERESTING TALKS

Mrs. Clara B. Colby who appeared last week under the auspices of the Home Reading Circle and delighted a large number of Racine people with her address on "The Philosophy of Henri Bergson," will give another equally interesting lecture Monday evening at 8 o'clock at the home of Mrs. Fred Osius, 1003 Lake avenue, on "The Radiant Center; the Philosophy of New Thought," a paper prepared for the International New Thought Alliance congress in San Francisco recently.

Men are especially invited to hear this intensely interesting talk. A silver offering will be taken.

On Tuesday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock at the home of Rev. Olympia Brown Willis, Mrs. Colby will give "Interpretations of Walter Whitman's Poetry," on which subject she has a remarkable grip, being intimately acquainted with the poet's noble works. A charge of 25 cents will be make at this time. Mrs. Colby, who has been visiting Mrs. Willis will leave Wednesday morning for the [east?].

MRS. COLBY IS GIVEN FAREWELL RECEPTION

Mrs. Clare Bewick-Colby, president of the Portland Fellowship and editor of the Women's Tribune, who leave shortly on an extended European trip in the interest of women's suffrage, was tendered a brilliant farewell reception last night at the home of Mrs. Jacob Schwind, 583 Fifth street Mrs. Colby will first go to London, where she will attend a demonstration looking toward the securing of national suffrage for the women of England. This will be a notable gathering, and many of the most prominent women suffragists in the world will be in attendance. From London she will go to the international conference of women suffragists to be held in Holland, where the work which is being carried on for the freedom of vote for women in all countries of the world will be discussed and plans laid to further the movement. While absent she will visit many other European cities. Miss Florence Sullenberg, secretary of the Portland Fellowship, will accompany Mrs. Colby and get as her private secretary.

Telephone 1119-19th Sr. Intended for [Circular] "O wad some power the giftie gi'e us To see our sel's as ither see us."

HENRY ROMEIKE, Inc. 33 Union Square, Broadway Cable Address, "Romeike," New York New York The First Established and Most Complete Newspaper Cutting Bureau in the World. From Public Opinion Address New York City

WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE SCHEME: Mrs. Clara Bewick Colby, of Washington, is at the head of a novel movement looking to the furtherance of woman's rights. The aim is to maintain a strong organization of women who will as a party endorse such of the candidates nominated by either of the great parties as may declare themselves for woman's suffrage. The league which is to be formed will take a census of women who pay taxes, and the roll thus made up will be published and make the basis of a protest to the legislature against taxation without representation.

FROM NEBRASKA Grand Picnic to Be Held Tomorrow. Mrs. Clara Colby Chief Speaker Los Angeles [June?] 1901

Several hundred persons from Los Angeles are preparing to attend the annual picnic of the Nebraska State association to be held at Verdugo park tomorrow, and the members of the association believe that they are very fortunate in having the services of Mrs. Clara Colby, editor of the Woman's Tribune of Washington, D. C., to address them.

Mrs. Colby is acknowledged to be a speaker of rare ability, and she has a reputation that makes her a welcome orator on all such occasions. She is here for a short tie with Miss Muller, the Englishwoman who is to speak at the Woman's club house tomorrow on the suffragist uestion, and the Nebraska people are glad to give her a hearty welcome. Her hoe is in Beatrice, Neb., alhough the publication of which she is the editor is published in Washington, D. C.

Judge Groff, Judge Morris, ex-Governor Cosper and others will speak at the celebration tomorrow.

The train will leave the Salt Lake road depot at Terminal station at 9 a. m., and the picnickers will go down prepared for a day of solid enjoyment in the open air.

MRS. COLBY TELLS TALE OF MIRACULOUS THORN Herald

History of Glastonbury Abbey and Legend of Christmas Bloom Are Explained.

The history of Glastonbury Abbey and the miraculous thorn was told yesterday afternoon by Mrs. C. B. Colby, chairman of Congressional work for the Federal Suffrage Association, in a lecture at the Oxford Hotel. If was the first of the series of lectures which Mrs. Colby will give during this month.

The lecture was of great interest to many Washingtonians, as there is in the Washington Cathedral at St. Albans one of these plants, which bloom only at Christmas time.

Tradition says that the famous "Glastonbury" tree sprung up on the place where St. Johns with his followers stopped to rest from the hardships of his journey to England. In the times of Henry VII, when monks of the abbey were driven from their home and made to suffer hardships, this thorn kept up their spirits and greatly influenced their faith.

Mrs. U. S. Grant leaves here at noon tomorrow for Ormond via East Palatka.

Mrs. Colby, editor of Women's Tribune, Washington, D. C. making a visit here, is to lecture on woman's suffrage in Jacksonville tomorrow. Mrs. Colby is a lady of rare ability, and in graceful manner shows the charming as well as comfortable features of the "reform" dresses.

Col. [Marcvite?] Correspondence of [name] Feb 12 1895

FALSE STATEMENT ------------------------------

A Morning Paper Says Things With Malicious Intent, That Are Only Absurd --------------------------------- Dec 11 1903

The Morning Sun said this morning that THE EXPRESS had not mentioned the inquisition which former AdjutantGeneral Colby is undergoing at the hands of the federal grand jury for the reason that Mr. Colby is a stockholder in this paper and the "ruling spirit of that concern."

The charge is so palpably false as to be absurd. All of our readers know that we have printed the authentic reports sent out by the press associations. We are not of the disposition, however, that believes that a man is guilty as soon as he is accused and Mr. Colby has not been proven guilty of the charge against him, instead one of the principal witnesses in the case is an employe once discharged by him who since has openly expressed the animosity he feels for his former superior.

Again, when an old citizen of Beatrice is attacked we feel that the leading newspaper of his town should go slow in spreading malicious, and maybe unfounded, rumors concerning him.

As one of the residents of our city, Mr. Colby is certainly entitled to this much consideration, which in truth is but simple justice and due to every man, and it will be remembered, in this connection, that heretofore we have said absolutely nothing concerning the alleged investigation that is to be made of the Beatrice postoffice appointment.

It is absolutely untrue that Mr. Colby has, or ever did have, any stock in the Express Publishing Company or that he is represented in the conern by any person or persons.