The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1886-06-24
MIcnIGAN's JUBILEE.
Celebrating the Fiftieth Anniversary
Of Her Admission Into
the Union.
The Splendid Record or the State Since
Its Birth Entertainingly
Reviewed.

correspondent at the state capital
furnishes the following account of the
semi centennial exercises held there on
the 18th inst:
The boom of cannon rang heavily
through the city at Z o'clock a. m. A bat
terry had been stationed in front of the
Capitol, and gun followed gun in rapid
succession until the national salute had
been fired. BY o'clock the city was
packed with rapidly increasing crowd.
and the streets leading into the city were
blocked with farmers teams. There were
many prominent men mixed in with the
throng. At $50 the handsomely uniformed
Cassopolis Band marched down the ave-
nue. and swung mp toward the Capt.
toll. II was followed few min
utes later by Spross' Knights of Pythias
Band, and the crowd stampeded
for the Capitol in the wake of the music.
The Cassopolis Band halted on the front
portico and played selections from the ma
tional melodies, while the chorus of one
hundred and thirty school children filed
down to their position on the steps below.
When Governor Alger stepped out on the
first landing as presiding officer of that
section of the three meetings that were To
be conducted simultaneously the crowd
was solid mass extending from the lower
steps nearly across the entire front of the
Capitol lawn. At the end of the first num-
Der by the children prayer was offered by
the Rev. George Taylor, of Lansing, and
the chorus followed with "The Red, White,
and Blue"
When the song had ended the children
retired and their place on the steps was
taken by the members of the State Pioneer
Society, and Gov. Alger, who remained
with head uncovered despite the broiling
sun, stepped forward and read his welcom-
ing address from manuscript. he well
coined the great throng gracefully and con-
graduated it on the present epoch in the
history of the State. In fifty years the
Commonwealth, he said, had grown from
its infancy into the front rank in the States
of the Union. Michigan could not be
otherwise than great with her great men
and women and her grand institutions and.
resources. There were now men and
women in our midst 10 whose energy
and determination was owed III
large measure that which was now en-
joyed, and to them was owed a debt of
gratitude that could never be repaid. The
Governor spoke with intense feeling and ear
nestness of the gallant Michigan soldiers
whose blood had stained every battle field
of the war, and made n scathing allusion to
the recent triumphal trip of JEFF Davis
through the South. There was no place,
he averred, in this country for the seces-
sionist, the nihilist, or the commune. Let
children be taught to look up to but one
flag, and that the stars and stripes.
At the conclusion of the address the Hon.
| Witter j. Baxter made brief address as
the representative of the Pioneer Society.
The Hon. c. f. Grosvenor then related in
n clear, concise manner the most interest
ing points in the financial history of the
State, which, although only fifty years a
State, is out of debt; has vast resources al
ready developed, and public buildings ade-
quate TO the wants of many years to come.
His address was followed by one on the
mineral resources of the State, delivered by
Prof. Chas ID. Lawton.
The second section of the meeting, held
in Representative Hall, was presided over
by the Hon. Henry Chamberlain. The hall
was crowded long before the initial number
of the programmed selection from "Tro-
vatore"-was rendered by the Twenty third
| Infantry Band. Michigan's semi centennial
hymn, written by ID. Bethune Duffield, of
! Detroit, and set TO the music of Kellar'
American hymn, was given with superb
effect, followed by Judge Cooley's historical
address, which was made peculiarly inter-
estng by its reminiscent sketches of Michi-
gan men of great prominence.
Perhaps the most attractive feature Of
the programme was the singing OF Judge
Chapman's original ode. LAND Of the
Lake." by Nine. Clemelli, Mrs. Tilden,
! Messrs. Slocum and Rice, and the chorus.
The music, arranged by Prof. Roney, is of
a high order. John Campbell, whose ad-
dress followed, combined the rare qualities
of being historically accurate and yet enter
tanning in his review of the history of the
Michigan judiciary, and the meeting closed
with the singing of The Star Spangled
Banner" by Nine. Clemelli, accompanied
by the chorus and the twenty third Infan-
try Band.
In the Senate Chamber the meeting was
called TO order by the Hon. Henry Frolich
Ex-G Begole, the Hon. q. NJ. Barnes,
and John J. Adams, one of the two sur
viving members of the first Constitutional
Convention, occupied the Speakers stand
with Mr.. Frolich. The exercises
opened with n selection by the Spross
Knights of Pythias Band, followed by a
solo by G.. V. Slocum. Ex-Gov. Felch
vas introduced to the audience as one of
the oldest officers and ablest Governors
now living in Michigan. His address on
the Executive was followed by the solo
Let me like soldier fall, by Mr.. IL. L.
De Sale. The Hon. j. j. Adams address
on the early Legislation of Michigan fol-
lowed, and the meeting closed with solo,
"Springtime." by Mrs. Tilden and "Michi-
gan. Ny Michigan" by the Arion Quartet.
The exercises at the fair grounds were
held at the agricultural hall and grand
stand simultaneously, and were opened st
the hall, the Hon. s. T. Read presiding,
with an overture by the Twenty third In
fanty Band. This was followed by an adj
dress on Fish and Fish Culture" by Mr..
j. II. Bissell. The Hon. Edwin Willis,
President of the State Agricultural Col
lege, delivered an address on the educa-
tional advantages and Advancement of the
State. Reformatories and charities, and
the mechanical arts as developed in the
State. were treated by Levi l.. Barbour and
James w. Bartlett, respectively. The Hon
r. II. Hinchman called the meeting Mt the
grand stand to order. Addresses followed
on agriculture, by the Hon. William l..
Weber; horticulture, by the Hon. Charles
w. Garfield; on the military, by Gen. JohS
Robertson. The programme was inter
spersed by music.
In the evening the Senate Chamber and
Representative Hall, as we'll as the CORR.