The Leon reporter., May 27, 1909, Image 9

About The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930

Image provided by: State Historical Society of Iowa

                
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The M. E. church was crowded to its
utmost capacity Sunday evening, the
occasion being the preaching of the
baccalaureate sermon to the class of '09
•of the Leon High School by Rev.
Charles Arthur Coakwell, pastor of the
Leon Christian church. The church
was beautifully decorated with flowers
for the occasion and the graduating
class attended garbed in the regulation
cap and gown. Rev. Coakwell preached
a powerful and eloquent sermon and we
publish it for the benefit of the many
who were'unable to gain admittance to
the church.
"Majestic Aims and Their Achievement."
•*fery day is a fresh beginning every morn in the
world made new." tiaug the poet.
This is a beautiful creed of hope. It
makes room for a fresh start in life,
•when yesterday's failures have well
sigh over whelmned us.
Longfellow, as well, as indeed, do
most of the poets somewhere, gives
-expression to the- same truih in his
"Ladder of St. Augustine."
"St. Augustine, well hast thou said,
that of our vices we may frame a ladder,
if we will but tread beneath our feet,
-each deed of shatr-G. Nor deem the
irrevocable past as wholly wasted,
wholly vain, if rising on its wrecks, at
last to something nobler we attain.
In the realm of character, possibility
as obligation, what a person may and
-can do he ought to do. Lowell makes
Mfe an obligation when he says," "Life
is as a sheet of paper white whereon
•each one of us may write his word or
two and then comes night."
I realize that before me tonight are
future men and women. You are em
barking upon life's rugged way. There
Are many struggles before you. How t©
.help you meet thein is my problem.
Behind you are the ages of progress,
around you are millions of your fellows,
•everyone of-whom have some individual
purpose and privilege. Before you are
•years teeming with golden opportuni
ties and rife with conflicts. You are
-called upon to choose that quality of
life that will beautify and adorn you
before your fellows. To achieve this it
is necessary for you to have a definite
aim. As such it will be your inspira
tion beckoning you each day to do
your very best.
A beautiful soul makes a beautiful
body, and a twisted body ia no more re
pulsive than a twisted soul. High ideal
ism is natural, goodness, uprightness
and truth are inherent. Therefore in
my theme tonight 1 only ask you to fol
low the easy not the difficult and com
plex. The natural and innate not the
foreign. Majestic aims are absolutely
necessary to a complete, purposeful
life, the life that would surmount and
extinguish all difficulties. The life that
•would be grandly and nobly true. That
life that would leave the world richer,
fuller, more desirable, because of its
having lived therein. That life that
bas mankind at heart and Qod's up
rightness in hope. The life that would
be remembered by deeds not words.
Humau souls surcharged with such
ideals cannot but be the world's masters.
Would'st thou be slave or serf? Then
give no heed, but if thou would'st
master, victor or king be then harken.
Lowell gives it to us in a nut shell
•"Not failure, but low aim is crime."
Three words serve us here, purpose,
perseverance and patience.
Carlyle expressed it thus "The mai
without a purpose is like a ship without
a rudder, a waif, a nothing, a no man.
Have a purpose in life and having it,
throw such strength of muscle and
mind into your work, as God has given
you."
The mistake many make, which always
beckons failure, is that they regard not
God.
It is ever true that while "man pro
poses God disposes." Providence has
nothing high or good in store for him
who does not resolutely aim at some
thing high or good. A purpose in life
is the eternal condition of success. The
secret of every successful life, of Sir
Isaac Newton, Christopher Columbus,
George Washington, Wellington, Wilber
force, Stephenson, Morse, Grant and
Stewart, is perseverance.
Wellington, while directing the bat
tle of Waterloo, said to his officers:
"Hard pounding, gentlemen, hard pound
ing, but we shall see who can pound the
longest." Perseverance gave to Wel
lington the Victory and glad home
coming, while the lorn of battle gave to
Napoleon the obscurity of St. Helena.
The virttte of patienoeis most difficult
to achieve. Many a man has passed oat
BACCALAUREATE SERMON
Preached to the Class of '09 Leon High School,
on Sunday, May 23d, by Rev. Charles Arthur
Coakwell, Pastor of the Christian Church.
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Special channel reach construction.
Special dash brace.
Special shift heel brace.
Special shifting rail.
into the dark night of human oblivion
because he lacked patience.
Enthusiasm is a potent factor in life.
It is thesoul of man in action. Many
illustrations can be brought to mind.
A few will serve: Jenny Lind charmed
her hearers because of a purposeful
object in life. Human souls and their
betterment were her goal. Patrick
Henry was able to make his hearers
catch the enthusiasm that thrilled his
breast. Michael Davitt, some few years
deceased, at the age of 10 saw his wid
dow mother thrust from her humble
cottage by a merciless landlord. At the
age of 25 destined to fifteen years of
penal servitude for championing the
cause of Ireland and her oppressed.
Later on elected to the house of com
mons by this same people, where he
continued to do battle for his people.
Living in poverty, dying in poverty, his
all was spent in enthusiastic purpose
for his country. At his demise all the
world knew of his sacrifice and gloried
in his life. Thus history records the
true value of a noble aim and its worth.
The high and lofty appeal to all human
hearts as the element natural to their
well being. It is the atmosphere of
oxhileration, and the food of content
ment. Many of us were boru in health,
hence we lovo health. Disease is foreign
to us. Therefore we despise it, whether
it be of tho mind or body.
Immanuel Kant, the great philosopher,
asks, "What are the aims that are at the
same time duties?" They are the per
fecting of ourselves and the happiness
of others. We want aims that can never
grow vile and which cannot disappoint
oir hopes. We all have our day dreams
of what we want to be, to do, or to have.
To this end it is imperative that we
first learn to know and govern our
selves.
Says Shakespeare, "A man may smile
and smile, and be a villain too."- There
are men and women everywhere striv
ing to regain lost ground, battling with
their own bad natures, and with every
struggle and triumph impressed deeply
with the fact that "He who ruleth his
spirit is greater than he that taketh a
city." Bad people are the exception,
good people are the rule. It is natural
for people to lean toward the upright.
Love and sympathy are a part of the
Divine plan for men.
That very law which moulds a tear,
And bids it trickle from its source
That law preserves the earth a sphere,
And guides the planets in their course.
As doth the marvelous in nature ap
peal unto us in its 'development, like
wisa the outreach and growth of the
human possibilities in their far-reaching
effect.
I am no mere worm of the dust. I am
a living, vital, throbbing soul encased
in a house of clay. I see, I hear, I feel,
I know and understand. I shall live
on the body, only, dies. There are no
limitations, for I am an eternal soul. Let
mo live to gladden and succor let me
yearn to help let me be useful let me,
daily, bring to the storehouse of civiliz
ation, some new gift of worth. This to
me is the quality of appeal that should
ever have our ears and hearts.
Soul conquests come to one as a mas
tery of purpose. The superiority of
heart over brain is a pre-eminent fact,
and yet how bare is the cathedral of the
heafrt, and how the devotees of the
bram do jostle in the effort to be first
at the altar.
Men axe coming to idealize intellect.
Brilliancy is placed bofore goodness
dexterity before fidelity. Intellect
walks the earth a crowned king, while
affection and sentiment toil as bond
slaves. When the historian calls the
roll of earth's favorite sons, he causes
these immortals to stand forth an army
of great thinkers.
Great minds are exalted, great hearts
are neglected, but the throne of the
universe is mercy not marble, and the
name of the world ruler is Great Heart.
Ideas of the iniquity of slavery floated
throagh our land for three centuries,
yet the slave pen and the auction block
still cursed us. Later these ideas were
backed by an onslaught of the heart and
slavery perished. Back of the Emanci
pation Proclamation stands a great
heart named Lincoln. Back of Africa's
new life stands a great heart named
Livingstone, back of th& Sermon on the
Mount stands earth's greatest heart,
Jesus of Nazareth. Impotent the in
tellect without the support of the
heart. The shores of time are strewn
with wreckage of so oalled great
thoughts.
Intho»e far off days when the-over
seers of the Egyptian king scourged
W'+t
80,000 slaves forth to their task of build
ing a pyramid, a great mind discovered
steam. Intellect achieved an instru
ment for lifting blocks of granite to
their proper place. In that hour
thought made possible the freedom of
innumerable slaves, but tke heart of
the tyrant held no love for his bonds
men. The age into which you step is
far dilTerent from any other. Our age
has heart and sympathy allotted to it
alone. The age of Cicero was ever
fraught with cruelty as was the Gre
cian and many others in their turn.
Even in Shakespeare the springs of
genius were not in the mind alone but
in the heart. The heart of the great
poet could not see the apple blossom
without hoping that no unkindly frost
would nip it, could not look upon the
lucious grapes without wishing that no
hailstorm would despoil or destroy.
Likewise when he looked upon the
youth, in innocence, embarking on life's
rough way. His heart would long for
success and prosperity.
Or the bride on her way to the altar
always touched the heartsprings of his
life making them to (low out in sym
pathetic tenderness for her well being
and happiness. With him depth of
mind was depth of heart.
The great factor or principle of reac
tion in life's character must be met. To
the mystery of life and death must be
added the mystery of growth.
Rocks cannot grow, diamonds do not
grow nor dust. But a shrunken bulb
becomes a beautiful lily, a tiny seed
becomes the giant tree. Men are nure
or less familiar with all the forms of
nature, yet this familiarity does not rob
them of their mystery, no jeweler ever
plants a watch expecting to reap a
harvest of stem winders. No engineer
would think of planting a cannon ball
in hopes of growing a mogul engine,
yet if this were possible it would not
be more wonderful than the seed be
coming the plant or mighty pine.
Not greator than taking the life of an
infant, and through the three score and
ten yoars of allotted development,
formulate the giant philosopher or
mighty philanthropist. Opportunity is
possibility possibility is obligation,
whatever a man can do, that is what he
ought to do.
The joy of achievement or hopes
harvest is "The Summun Bonum" of all
ambition.
The soul is monarch of three King
doms man lives at once in the past, the
present and the future. Memory presides
over yesterday, today is ruled by
reason, tomorrow is under the sway of
hope. What you truly hope for today
you will be tomorrow.
Some one has said that life is like
unto a vine, its trunk manifest in the
present, its roots deeply buried in the
past, its branches throwing themselves
forward, ripening fruit for days yet to
come.
God governs men through the regency
of hope.
Its scope and inspiration are measure
less.
Alexander the great had hope but it
was shortsighted, while he had in his
power the nations of the world, yet his
own life was running rampant in un
restrained passions. The worlds for
which he sighed were to be found in
his own being. How different the pious
Simeon of New Testament time as he
held the Bethelem child in his arms for
blessing. He, with others, had long
hoped for the fulfilment of prophecy.
Realizing the joy of his hope achieved
he sang from a greatful heart "Now
lettest Thou thy servant depart in
Peace for 1 have seen the Glory of the
Lord."
Likewise Paul "1 have fought a good
fight, I have kept the faith." These are
the outbursts of purposeful souls at
the end of the journey. Having laid a
foundation of hope, let not the material
eclipse the spiritual.
The late President McKialey was
greater in his moment of death than in
all of the achievements of his wonder
ful life. His dying words, "His will be
done" portrayed to the whole civilized
world, the possibility of being a de
voted, spiritual man in high office.
He beckons us on. At your grave, be
it early or late, should be laid a finished
life. So live that your very presence
will make bad men good.
William Ponn gives us a never dying
call to the fuller life of aim. "I expect
to pass through this life but once,
there is any kindness or any good thing
that I may do to my fellow beings, le*
me do it now. Let me not defer it. I
shall pass this way but once."
In closing let us learn with Symonds,
"Soul, rule thyself, on passion, deed, desire,
Lay tliou the laws of tky deliberate will,
Stand at tUy chosen post, faith's seatinel
Tlio' hell's lout lefions rliif thee round with flie.
leara to endure. Dark vigil hours shall tire
hy wakeful eyes regrets thy bosom thrill
Slow years thy loveless flower of youth shall kill,
Tea, thou shalt yearn for lute and wanton lyre.
Tek is thy guerdon great thine the reward
Ot.tfioM eleot, who, seornlag Circe's lure,
Grown'early wise, living light their Lord,'
S[asterswithslavesMake
lashed celestial steel, ih«ie walk secure
not over their heads the pure
Heareos bew, aad guardian seraphs wave God's swerd.
4
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THE LEON REPORTER, THURSDAY. MAY 27, 1909.
A Few of the Reasons Why
The Velie is the First and Best Line on the Market Today
It has the special single reach gear, something not found in 2nd grade work
Special spring wagon body construction.
Specjal plugless body. Plugs cannot show for there are none
Special steel corners Can't open up for they are bolted through the corners.
These are a few of the reasons why the Velie is head and shoulders above all competition. Come in, see and compare the Velie
with any other line. When you compare them the Velie will do the rest.
O W S E & O W S E
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LA MOM PLEASANTON
3E 3E
OFFICERS
President, J. P. Hamilton
Vice-President,Henry J. Vogt
Cashier, A. L. Ackerley
Assistant Cashier, S. G. Mitchell
Assistant Cashier, Carl Monroe
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A Few Reasons Why
The Farmers & Traders State Bank
OF LEON, IOWA
Is a good safe place to do your hanging
With assets of nearly $500,000.00, or one-half million, and a paid up capital
of $50,000.00 and none of it is borrowed or exempt for personal debts of the
stockholders as you will note by the assessed value of the bank.
Their surplus and discount accounts amounting to over $16,500.00 are profits
they have accumulated and added to their business.
Their Directors have offices in the bank building and are not wrapped up in
a lot of outside matters. The old saying "too many cooks spoil the broth" is
true in banking.
Below we give you the value of the banks of Decatur county when the asses
sor comes around, as shown by the assessor's books in the county auditor's office:
Farmers & Traders State Bank, Leon $55,876.00
John W. Harvey, President. Thos. Teale, Vice President
State Savings bank, Lamoni, Iowa $38,700.00
Wm. Anderson, President W. A. Hopkins, Cashier.
Farmers State Bank, Lamoni, Iowa $27,524.00
Thos. Teale, President. Orra Teale, Cashier
Weldon Savings Bank, Weldon, Iowa $25,792.00
F. L. Hall, Cashier
First National Bank, Garden Grove, Iowa $23,000.00
C. S. Stearns, President. J. W. Stearns, Cashier.
Citizens State Saving Bank, Decatur, Iowa $20,800.00
Wm. Woodward, President. E. W. Townsend, Cashier
Exchange National Bank, Leon, Iowa $19,000.00
J. P. Hamilton. President. A. L. Ackerley, Cashier
State Savings Bank, Grand River, Iowa $18,700.00
A. L. Ackerley, President. J. C. Brothers, Cashier.
I Decatur State Savings Bank, Decatur, Iowa $10,000.00
J. H. Hill, President. J. C. Cozad, Cashier.
Bank of Van Wert, Van Wert, Iowa $ 9,796.00
W. F. Blair, President. E. 0. Stearns, Cashier.
Farmers Bank, Grand River, Iowa $ 9,000.00
J. Switzer, President. A. L. Switzer, Cashier.
Farmers & Merchants Bank, Pleasanton, Iowa $ 8,800.00
Wm. Woodard, President. J. W. Chew, Cashier.
Farmers Bank, Davis City, Iowa $ 6,000.00
S. Radnish, President. 0. L. Frazier, Cashier.
I Valley Bank, Davis City, Iowa $ 2,000.00
J. N. Gates, Cashier.
Conservative people who desire to do business with a bank in
keeping with their ideas are invited to look over the list of
our officers and directors which appear above. We think you
will find these men representative, reliable and competent.
Bound together by no ties except the successful management
of this bank. Consider this matter thoroughly. It's a busi
ness proposition of much importance .to youMr. Depositor.
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DIRECTORS.
J. P. Hamilton
H. J. Vogt
J. W. Wailes
Stephen Varga
A. L. Ackerley
C. W. Hoffman
E. G. Monroe
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