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About The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip. (Portland, Or.) 1923-1927 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1925)
APRIL 1925 WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE AMERICAN? By Roselle Mercier Montgomery This little interpretation of what it means to be an American was read before the Manhattan Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution on the twenty-fifth anniversary of its founding. — The Editor. Page Nineteen THE UNITED AMERICAN Each tablet and each monument mark well That we, remembering, 'have raised to tell How they were victor here—how there, ■they fell! Bow your uncovered heads in reverence deep Beside the honored places where they sleep — The memory of their deeds forever keep! Learn to respect, all ye who cannot share The brave inheritance we proudly wear As heirs of those who lie so silent there! They dreamed and dared — and died, when need arose. In true Americans their red blood flows! Who fail to honor it, we call — our country’s foes! Around a foreign group the question ran: What does it mean to be American? And I have answered it as best I can. I I Overbeck-Cooke Co. I BROKERS Stocks, Bonds, Grain and Cotton | Members .Chicago Board of Trade. | Portland: Board of Trade Building. | Pendleton, Ore., Walla Walla, Wash. E Direct Private Wires to Logan & | Ryan, of New York and Chicago. | | | = | | niiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiuiiK ^xiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiniiuiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit What does it mean to be American? Around a foreign group the question | VALUABLE GLASSES | ran — There is a real but often unsus- | I strive to answer it as best I can! | pected value in certain things you i 1 buy. | What does it mean? I look across the The Honor and Integrity of the | years . . . | firm from whom you purchase your | I see them come — but through a mist | Eye Glasses is worth many times | of tears — | more than the price paid for the | Our gallant forbears, full of hopes and I glasses. | fears! Your surety of Satisfactory | | Service depends entirely upon this | I see them leave behind for conscience’ | real but unpaid for value. sake, i For your next pair of glasses see f The homes they loved, the ties so hard to break — | D. CHAMBERS & SONS | Their questing, wondering westward FATHER | VISION SPECIALISTS | way to take. By Edgar A. Guest | 167 Broadway Portland, Ore. = I see them face and fight the wilderness, I used to wonder just why father ^iiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!iiniirnrr!i iiuiiii huh iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniinc^ Never had much time for play. Undaunted by its dangers, its duress, ¿iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig And from its wildness wrest and win I used to wonder why he’d rather CLASSIFIED Work every minute of the day. success. I used to wonder why he never Professions —Business •I see them take their living from the Loafed along the road an’ shirked; soil--- | _________ ATTORNEYS__________ | I can’t recall a time whenever The men and women joined in homely Father played while others worked. 1 NELS JACOBSON | toil — | 806 N. W. Bank Bldg. Main 4416 | Where they then planted, now our heart My father didn’t dress in fashion, Sort of hated clothing new, roots coil! DAVID E. LOFGREN The style with him was not a passion, | 1030 Ch. of Com. Bldg. Brd’wy 0462 | II see them build their homes, their house He had other things in view. ?iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii>iiiiiiiiii!iiiiiii!iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiim£ of prayer, For boys are blind to much that’s going ^umiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiinfiiijiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHipe I And when its bell rings out upon the On about ’em day by day. air And then I had no way of knowing The place to trade I II see them kneel in simple worship What 'became of father’s pay. there! For all I knew was when I needed I I hear the drums of War’s alarum beat, The Jeweler Shoes I got ’em on the spot; II see them seize their arms, rise to their And everything for Which I pleaded 266 Morrison Street | feet, ^»iKxtiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiminn^ Somehow father always got. I Their enemies — and Liberty’s — to MlllllllllinillllllllllllllllllllilllllllllllUllllllHllilllllllllllllllililllllllillllllllllllllllllllllll^ I wondered, season after season, meet! | Phone Main 1165 Why he never took a rest, I I see them face and conquer every foe, And that I might be the reason Then I never even guessed. I see great cities rise, a nation grow, To whose broad, breast Earth’s eager I saw his cheeks were getting paler, DENTIST pilgrims go! Didn’t understand just why. | Regular office hours every day i I saw his body growing frailer, To be American — is to be one Evenings by appointment Then at last I saw him die. In whom these brave inheritances run — ■ 805-807 Journal Building The rest had come. His tasks were ended, A worthy daughter, or a noble son! Calm was written on his brow: = Cor. Yamhill and Broadway, Portland, Ore. | And ye, who seek America today, My Father’s life was big and splendid. ^iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiit? To succor you, to wipe your tears away, And I understand it clearly now. ¡¡HuiiiiuiiiimiiiiiiiHimimiiiiimiiiiiiiumNiiiiuiiimmiiinniiuiiiMuunHiimiiiiiiiitt Must come as they came, in that older day! Employer: “Don’t you bother your | Phone Main 4389 Their questing made a noble pilgrimage, head about fame, Pat. It rarely comes I DR. LEIF UNDERDAHL I Their daring wrote a bright, illumined to any of us until after we are dead.” DENTIST Pat: “Faix, an’ o’im willing to shtay page — 1 Plate and Combination Bridge | Their dreaming is our country’s heritage! here and wait for it.” Work a Specialty New pilgrims from the lands beyond the Office: 1221 Selling Building Uncle: “If you are good, Charlie, I’ll sea, | Sixth and Alder, Portland, Oregon = give you this nice bright new penny.’ If true Americans you wish to be, Nephew: “Haven’t you got a dirty I Reg. Office Hours Eve. by Appointment | Take them to be your patterns, Tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiin.s old nickle instead?” reverently. A NEW LINE Forget the Old World wrongs and Cash Paid for false teeth, dental, gold, “Do you suppose hardware stores could tyranny, platinum and discarded jewelry. Reject the new, base use of Liberty — sell golf suits and motor togs?” Hoke Smelting & Refining Co. “Of course! — Don’t most of ’em carry Read well the page they .wrote in Otsego, Michigan clothes lines new?” —Harware Age. history! Place Your Orders With The United American Advertisers—and Tell Them Why STAPLES Dr. Harold G. Trommald