DAIRY ASSOCIATION, 315 



of Missouri farms there is a veritable gold mine of rich yellow butter, 

 or a gusher of pure, rich milk in the wealth of the blue grass that covers 

 the land. And some men won't even let their wives and children work 

 the mine. 



You have been told too often to need repeating of the wonderful 

 revenue of our sister state, Iowa, on the north, from her dairy product. 

 But I want to add to this that after making butter for years and bring- 

 ing down to Missouri to sell, a thousand of those men came down into 

 our own beloved country during the past year, with their pockets bulg- 

 ing out with the revenue from the dairy, and bought at what we consid- 

 ered a high price a thousand of these farms on which were gold mines. 

 A thousand better dairy farms than they ever saw and have sent our 

 people south and west to Oklahoma. And simply because they have 

 never asked themselves the question, "Where are we at?" 



Last Monday morning a hundred thousand traveling men left their 

 homes in the discharge of their duties, as they scattered in every direction 

 and tonight a hundred thousand wives and three hundred thousand 

 children are asking, "Where are they at ?" 



Tonight there are fifty thousand homes desolate, where food is 

 scarce, clothing is scant, and the coal bin is empty. The wife and chil- 

 dren are shivering with cold and starving with hunger. The husband 

 and father is gone, and with trembling voices and tearful eyes, this host 

 is crying, "Where is he at?" 



Did you ever stand on the platform of the depot and watch a rail- 

 road train come in? It's a beautiful sight and we never get tired of see- 

 ing it. The engine, the baggage and express cars, the coaches, the din- 

 ing car, the sleepers, all works of art. There are many employes on 

 this train, each performing his special duty. The most conspicuous and 

 the one who seems most important is the conductor. When the train 

 stops he gets oflf and walks along the platform with the impression that 

 that is his train, and with a bearing and carriage that would indicate the 

 whole road was his. He wears a uniform that is perfect in fit and not 

 a spot on it. His shirt front is immaculate, his diamond pin dazzles your 

 eyes. He wears a beautiful cap. His patent leather shoes are a perfect 

 mirror. His.hands are soft and white, his hair is parted in the middle 

 and his moustache is curled to perfection. He is the observed of all ob- 

 servers, he is the envy of all the boys. He is admired by all the ladies. 

 In fact he is monarch of all he surveys. In the glitter of this man's ap- 

 parel and in view of his conspicuous position, we lose sight of an impor- 

 tant personage connected with that train. It is the engineer. 



I view him with perfect admiration as he sits in the cab of this ma- 

 jestic engine, as it stands puffing and blowing and letting off steam and 



