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Tribute to Nebraska

For 35 years the pupils who attended district school near a small New England village have been holding an annual reunion. This same school building has been standing there for over a century, and so strong is the memory of school days at this old school that it has drawn to these reunions former pupils from almost every state in the union.

It was the writer's privilege and pleasure to be present this year at this reunion and to meet her nesides many relative and friends, her first teacher, now a snowy haired, dear old lady.

It is the custom of each prodigal to boast of the state of his or her adoption and when it came this member's turn, she paid the flowing tribute to Nebraska:

"As I stepped from the train at the little city of K - last evening. I said to myself, "This is my own, my native land, and I am very proud and happy to be a native of New England, but if I had not been born here, I had rather have been born in Nebraska than in any other state in the union."

As a child I was taught, along with the catechis, that "Boston is the hub of the universe," but as a matter of fact if a great wheel were drawn upon the map of this "America, the beautiful" with one edge of the rim on the Atlantic and one on the Pacific, and the spokes drawn in at right angles, the center or axle, around which the rest of the world revolves, would be in the very heart of Nebraska, the wonderful.

Nebraska that has on its eastern edge the largest smelting works in the world and on its western border the most marvelous deposits of fossil renaius of prehistoric animals in existence.

Nebraska, whose new state capitol building is a marvel of modern architecture and whose stately tower will soon be kissed but fleecy clouds and greeted by airplans only.

Nebraska, the home of that great orator and statesman, William Hennings Bryan: J. Sterling Morton, the founder of Arbor day; of General John J. Pershing; of Colonel Cody (Buffalo Bill); of John Neihart, poet laureate and author of"Hugh Class" and "Songs of Indian Wars;" of Robert F. Glider, whose busy brish as immortalled the landscape of our state; of Eilla Cather and Bess Streeter Aldrich; of Grace Abbott; of Dt. Olga Stastny: of Minnie Freeman Penny, heroine of the bizard of 1888, and of Francis Ford and Elia Peattie, past presidents and charter members of the Omaha Women's club.

Nebraska, The sate that has furnished these United States more near presidents than any other state in the union, and the only flying grandmothers; and Nebraska that defeated the daylight saving law.
E.W.H.

Tribute to Nebraska