64 ILLINOIS STATE DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 



Oh, the days of my childhood! 

 I miss them somehow, 

 The meadow, the wildwood, 

 The old brindled cow. 



For then she was simple 

 And modest and coy, 

 A sweet Dotty Dimple, 

 And I, a mere boy. 



But now we've "expanded"— 

 Myself and the cow, 

 'Till at last we have landed 

 In this glorious pow pow. 



Grown with butter-fly action, 

 From poor little grubs, 

 We're a gorgeous attraction 

 For Dairymen's clubs. 



I propose to give you first some personal reminiscences, then an idea 

 as to the character, results, and responsibilities which the Spanish war 

 has left upon us. 



It seems but yesterday since at our tremendously crowded armory on 

 Michigan Avenue at the head of 1458 of the brighest boys in this State, 

 the biggest regiment that answered to the President's call, I marched out 

 of the crowded armory into a still more crowded street and took up my 

 way to the station. A band of 100 pieces had volunteered to lead us, and 

 I was just thinking we would break the record and give a splendid march. 

 We had started and probably got on half a block when I looked back 

 and was amazed to find out I was clommanding, not a regiment of 1458 

 men, but 10,000 men, women, children, and babies, for as we started out, 

 the fathers, mothers, brothers, sisters, and sweethearts, mainly the sweet- 

 hearts I think, broke into the column, locked arms with the boys, or put 



