Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-06-19

Here meet In ties of brotherhood
Those who the world have tried,
Those who have felt its heat and storm,
Its folly and its pride
And those to whom the world is yet
A vast untrodden plain,
On which are garnered laurel wreaths
And golden sheayes Of grain.
few have passed the spring OF life.
The noontide of their days
on few the horizontal sun
Has cast his level rays;
And some have reached the mountain top
And stand like giants there,
With outstretched hands to aid the weak
And help their burdens bear.
High up above the smoke and mists
That shroud the plain below,
They stand on life's great vantage ground,
Their heads white-capped with snow,
And watch with calm, yet anxious breast,
The hopes and fears of youth.
Who, toiling at the mountains base,
Are climbing up to truth.
SO, too, our hearts in heaving Joy
Cling round this banquet board.
And into friendships stainless urn
Her golden streams are poured.
Here brighter grow those golden links,
And stronger far that chain,
That binds with bands Of lasting strength,
LIES loveliest refrain.
SO, here, when thrice twelve moons have grown,
And thrice twelve moons have waned,
When fowery spring DER winter fierce
Has thrice in splendor reigned,-
Then may We gather here again
In friendships holy cause,
And feel with hearts as light as now
The spendor of her laws
THE FOUNDER OF THE SOCIETY.
Rev. Chas. G. Fisher INDUCED in some
pleasant and interesting forecasts of the 80
ciety's future. and at the close Of his address
announced that he presented the GBtheans
with portrait of his father, the founder Of
their society. Instantaneously was drawn
the veil from a handsomely framed portrait
of the late Rev. DIR. s. r. Fisher, which
hung on the wall just behind the president
and as its familiar features and the excellence
of the work were recognized there was loud
applause A few extracts from DR.. Fishers
autobiography tell very completely the story
of the society's origin.
"When entered the seminary (theologi-
cal-then at York, Pa there was theolog-
cal society among the students. 1t lacked
however, interest; and to remedy this, and
also to excite among the students more or
less of a missionary spirit l sought to attach
TO 1t "society Of inquiry" My efforts were
successful. The society was organized, the
constitution for which was drafted by me,
considerable interest and proved, / have
reason to believe, beneficial TO its members.
1t had reading-rOom attached to it. In which
were placed some of the leading periodicals
of the day. The society continued to exist
in the seminary, and is believe, still there,
though necessarily considerably modified as
To form through the influence OF time and
change of surroundings"
DIR. Fisher had been graduated from jeff
erson college, Cannonsburg, where there
were two literary societies, and he deter
mined to organize at least one in the school,
for debating exercise. He took a leading
part in its formation, as related in Rev. DR..
Gerhart's history, already published In the
INTELLIoENcER, and i was called the
cluded to organize two societies, and the
membership had been divided between
them, DIR. Fisher relates, "both divisions con-
tended Tor the privilege of appropriating the
the old name Diagnothian.' As had antici-
pated such a acontingency, had provided for
II. quietly told those with whom i was
associated, that they should allow the other
would adopt another, which considered
equally appropriate. The suggestion was
asSented to, and thus the first question be-
tween the two societies was settled" DIR.
Rauch suggested the name of Goethe for the
other society.
"Both societies rs organi7si, immediately
set themselves earnestly u work. Efforts
were at once made to secure the nucleus Of
library A committee was appointed TO wait
ON the citizens of the place, 70 solicit contri-
buttons from them for this purpose, which
proved successful, SO that In q short time
several hundred volumes were secured.
Remarkable progress was made by both
societies In short time. They held an an.
niyersary celebration rather by way Of