346 MAJOR JOHN F. LACEY 



years that our city has been on the map. In the fullness 

 of time the beautifying of this plat of ground has been 

 brought to our attention. 



If you visit Florence they will show you the wonderful 

 statue chiseled by Michael Angelo for the merchant 

 prince, Cosmo de Medici, who has made people forgive 

 his excessive wealth by the good things he has done with 

 it. 



Our public spirited citizenship has combined to pave 

 and beautify this park. J. D. Edmundson, out of his 

 prosperity, has given us a priceless statue of Mahaska. 

 Our old-time citizen, Sam Baldauf, will long be remem- 

 bered by the beautiful fountain that commemorates his 

 name and which we dedicate today. 



Admiral Frank F. Fletcher has sent to his native city 

 the Spanish mine which now stands near us, and which 

 is probably a duplicate of the one which destroyed the 

 Maine ; and near by will soon be placed upon a suitable 

 pedestal the relics of the Maine herself, which he before 

 you, recovered from the mud and ooze of Havana Harbor, 

 procured, also, by the same gallant sailor. 



The big guns which stand by it, it was my personal 

 good fortune to ' ' borrow ' ' from Uncle Sam to add to our 

 city's decorations. It is true that they are only loaned 

 but our good uncle will never call for their return: like 

 the $28,000,000 of public land money deposited with the 

 states by the general government nearly eighty years ago, 

 the loan will remain permanent. 



In this square many of the greatest men of the nation 

 have spoken to our citizens : Burrows, the eloquent son 

 of Michigan; Henry Clay Dean, the erratic extremist; 

 Ben M. Samuels and Samuel J. Kirkwood, in their great 

 campaigns for the governorship of Iowa; and various un- 

 successful candidates, including the eloquent and versa- 



