WALLACE TROOPERS MEMORIAL.

Western Star, 3 May 1904, Page 3

WALLACE TROOPERS MEMORIAL.

UNVEILING CEREMONY. The Wallace memorial to the fallen troopers was unveiled on Saturday by the Mayor, Mr J. C. Thomson, M.H.R., when despite the heavy rain and strong westerly wind blowing, and the fact that only very short notice was given of the ceremony there was a large attendance of the public, many being from the country, and among those present were relatives of the fallen troopers. Mr Thomson said he regretted the weather was so unpropitious, but was pleased to see the large attendance. The order for the stone had been given about 18 months ago, and the delay in its erection was not due to the committee but to the fact that the stone was made outside the colony. Had the monument arrived at an earlier date, the committee would have arranged for the presence of volunteers, but it was thought that now that, the war was a matter of history, public interest had passed away, and so it was decided to make the ceremony local rather than provincial. Regarding the proposal to erect a monument, he said itoriginated with Mr H. H. Twemlow,who had suggested the idea to him and in consequence of the suggestion, circulars were sent out to various gentlemen in the district asking their hearty co-operation, and how they responded was shown by the very handsome monument they were unveiling that day. The collectors in the different parts of Wallace were Messrs W. Hart. Round Hill : E. J. otevens, Wild Bush; 0. Goode, E Smythies and Willett, River ton ; Laurie, Oraki : Erskine, Papatotara; A. Weir, Thornbury ; Dyer, Mossburn ; Milue, Te Tua ; Scobie, Eastern Bush ; M McKay, Scotts Gap ; J. B. McLean, jnr., Flints Bush ; D. Mcintosh, Fairfax ; J. R. Bell, Fairfax ; D. Reidie, Groper'a Bush ; W. J. Perry, Wakapatu ; T. Scott, Clifden ; W. Affleck, Drummond ; and J Nuttall, Longwood. The total amount collected was Lll6 16s 9d, and the Riverton Patriotic Committee donated LlO, making the sum L 126 16s 9d. The monument cost LlO5, the sum of L 5 was awarded as a prize to Messrs Bergamini and Reid for the best design, and after paying advertising and printing expenses, there would be a balance in hand with which to lay out and fenca the ground near the monument. Wallace had reason to be proud of the fact that it was the first district in Southland to erect a memorial, and the best thanks were due the collectors for what they had done. The relatives of those to whose memory the beautiful monument was erected could take the attendance as an indication of the feeling of the people. The soldiers were dead, but they were not forgotten, and the inscribed column would perpetuate to generations yet unborn, the fact that there were sons of the Empire in this remote corner of the world who, at the call of their country, went boldly forth to do and to die. All honour to them—all honour to the memory of Troopers D. F. Mcintosh, Fairfax, of F. H. Goode, Riverton, Seth Kyle, Mossburn, and D. B. Ferrar, Otautau, and Alexander Scott, Clifden. May their memory be kept green so long as a British heart beats beneath _ a British breast. That was no time to discuss the questions which had arisen subsequent to the war. They were there to recognise the sacrifice the sons of Zealandia had made. They had given a rare and spontaneous testimony of affection and devotion to the flag for which they had fought and died, and under whose shadow they were now sleeping in what their bravery had helped to make British earth. No articles of war called them to the field, nor were they roused even by the menace of military disgrace and disaster to the land of their homes pnd their birth. They went in response to those promptings of that sentiment which all down the centuries had contributed to the glory and to the solidarity of the Empire of which they formed an important part. The motto on the monument was "The path of duty was the way to glory," and its lesson had been finely expressed by Shakespeare when he said "Let all the ends thou aimest at be thy country's, thy 3od's, and Truth's." It was not for him to recall the past—the military fervour, the sad parting, the heart-breaking news of death. That would only be opening new sores, and renewing dried tears. The departed were now in the land where the tramp of armies was never heard and the sound of battle never comes, and he would conclude by quoting the lines with slight alteration penned by Lord Tennyson on the funeral of the Duke of Wei-

lington : They are gone j but we believe them Something far advanced in state, And that they wear a truer crown Than any wreath that earth can weave them. Sing no more of their renown, Lay your earthly fancies down, And in the far off land we'll leave them, God accept thorn; Christ receive them. The Band, under Mr J. W. Moore, then played " Days and Moments Quickly Flying" with excellent expression. At the commencement of the ceremony they played " God Save the Prince of Wales." The Mayor removed ths covering from the stone, and the National Flag was run to half-mast. The lettering on the stone reads :—Wallace Troopers' Memorial ; Erected by the people of Wallace in memory of troopers who lost their lives in South African war, 1899-1902 ; " The path of fluty was the way to glory." On a fourth- face appears the names of the troopers as given by the Mayor in his address. Mr W. R. Pankhurst, the mayor elect, said the best thanks were due the promoters, and the memorial was a tangible expression of the feeling of the people who had liberally contributed towards its erection. The committee who had to do with the selection of the stone were the Mayor and Messrs J. R. Mills, A. E. Willutt, W. M. Tarlton, W. Gunn, R. McCallum, E. K. Srnythies, and G. 0. . Cassels, who had acted as secretary. All would agree that their choice was a beautiful one. In regard to the troopers f.ll that could be said had been said by the Mayor. To the relatives and friends of the young men who gave their lives in defence of the Motherland, they would know from that day's proceedings that they had the sympathy of the pbople of the district, a sympathy that had been demonstrated in a practical way by the I erection of the monument to perpetuate their memory. I Mr J. R- Mills, chairman of the committee, said the large attendance was evidence that the young men who had sacrificed their lives were not forgotten. Tt was pleasing to know that all parts of Wallace even the remotest, had contributed towards the monument, and the committee thought that the nest way to show the relatives what the county thought of the action of their noble sons. The Mayor had not said anything about what he had had to do with its erection, and it was only just for him to say that it was largely due to his energy that the funds were raised. Re had known the parents of Trooper Mcintosh before they were married. They were old residents 1 of the district and worthy settlers. He knew the sorrow they fait at their great

loss, the sorrow all the relatires of the fallen troopers felt, and the consolation they had was that they had the full and heartfelt sympathy of all in the district. Their sons had gone forth at the call of duty to participate in a great struggle, and the spirit of the fallen would abide with them while the monument would serve to remind younger generations that from this, the most distant part of His Majesty's dominions, there were sons of the soil who spontaneously volunteered for active service in a distant part of the Empire, where they now slept, having given their lives to the cause ot the Empire. The Band played God Save the King, which concluded the proceedings. THANKS. Sir,—-On behalf of my wife, myself and family, I wish to sincerely thank the ladies and gentlemen of Wallace who so liberally contributed to the beautiful monument placed at the Athenaum, Riverton,_ in memory of our brave boys who forfeited their lives for King and Empire in the Boer war. To Mr Mayor Thomson for his very able and effective address on unveiling the monument, to Mr Mayor-elect Pankhurst for his very emotional remarks, and to Mr J. E. Mills for his very expressive and applicable address, I tender my sincere thanks. To each and every member of the committee who so ably and unselfishly carried out their self-devoted duties I tender my sincere thanks. I felt at the time of unveiling it my duty to return thanks, but I also felt that my emotion would overcome my remarks, consequently I deferred my thanks till now ; but I am Bure the will will be taken for the deed. Again thanking all and sundry.—l remain, yours very sincerely, D. Molntosh, For Self, Wife and Family. Culblair Farm, Fairfax, May 2nd, 1904.