ADDRESSES OF MAJOR LACEY 291 



If in talking about old times and about the old settlers 

 today — for I am bound to give them at least a little of 

 my time — I want to have a detail made to prove all that 

 I may say. 



When I was in the army Mr. McEntee, a quartermaster, 

 had a man detailed that he called his affidavit sergeant, 

 and whenever any harness, tents, mules, or other prop- 

 erty was lost the loss was established by the evidence of 

 the " affidavit sergeant," and the quartermaster's ac- 

 counts were relieved from further responsibility. 



If I go back into antiquity and tell my tales out of 

 school, that the new generation or new-comers may 

 doubt, I think that Nick Hoit would be a good man to 

 have detailed as the "affidavit sergeant" of the occasion, 

 and we can prove it all up by him. 



If any of the statements are unusually hard of proof 

 the detail might be strengthened by adding Billy Martin 

 and a later recruit, Captain Joe Evans, to the detail. 



But, first, in looking over the faces around me today 

 we miss the kind old smile of scores of the men and 

 women, good and true, that gathered here thirty-two 

 years ago. 



Thomas Lee and John S. Lee have gone to their last 

 reward. Uncle Tommy McClure, whose heart was ever 

 cheerful under adversity, and who was a veritable Mark 

 Tapley in his ability to be happy under difficulties, is 

 under the sod. Dr. Boyer, who was a pioneer of pioneers, 

 and a man of immense brain power, has gone out from 

 among us mourned and regretted by all. Uncle Van De- 

 lashmutt, one of the brainiest men of his day and genera- 

 tion, and a member of the convention that framed our 

 first constitution, has fought the good fight and by reason 

 of strength reached the full fourscore that man may 

 possess. 



The witty Willis Wilcox ; the dignified, able, and brave 



