Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-07-16
An Event in OurHiSto
Celebrating the Centennial of
 the Northwest Territory.
BIRTHDAYS OF THREE STATES.


 His Merits Recognized Only at this Late Day-Great Arrangements to Make the Occasion Memorable One-Speeches by Prominent Men.
 MARIETTA O., July 16-The celebration which commenced here yesterday, and which | Is to continue till Thursday night, is to com memorate in splendid and fitting way the centennial anniversary of the origin of law, | government and civil institutions in the | Northwest Territory. From this territory, l the first ever erected in this country, have l beeh carved the rich and potent states of | Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wis | consin. The centennial celebration is an official one, and is the work of the five states formed from the Northwest Territory. One hundred years ago Gen. Arthur St 1 Clair formally inducted into office as | governor of the Northwest Territory, and the
 machinery of government was set In mo- | tion. The first settlers had only been hero l since April of the same year, and the total | white population did not exceed 800. Before | St Clairs arrival and inauguration martial | law prevailed, but soon as he took up the reins of government courts were eStab blshed,
 civil officers appointed and wise laws made | for the government of the territory. ~a | The most distinguished secretary of the l territory under St Clair was William Henry Harrison, who was also the first territorial delegate to congress- Harrison and St. Clair 1 are the two greatest historical personageS | who are being celebrated here this week. Gen. Harrison has impressed himself upon | the west as the giver of a remarkable law. l He was more of a statesman than he has | sometimes been given the credit of being.
 He saw, as far as other men did a century | ago, the needs and possibilities of the west,
 and be had the genius to devise plans for | meeting them. He secured tho adoption of a ! resolution to subdivide the surveys of the l public lands, and to have offered them for sale | in small tracts, measure of such great value | that it, more than any other piece of legiSla-
 tion, became the efficient means of rapidly | peoplng the west. Before Harrison'S reSo- | lution was adopted lands were held in vast l tracts by speculators, and the actual settlers | were cheated, imposed upon, and found 1t n | matter of difficulty to obtain a foothold un-
 less they had large means.
 | It is to fix the gaze of this ambitious gen I ernton upon such laws and law makers that | tho centennials are being held in Ohio this l year.
 Governor St. Clair, whose high career will
 be handsomely exploited by Senator Evarts,
 of New York, Senator Daniel, of Virginia,
 Gen. Thomas Ewing, Senator Thurman, l Governor Foraker and other orators of note,
 during the week, was man worthy the hon.
 ors that are being paid him at this late day.
 He was the trusted friend and coutidant of l Washington, and gave to him su sgeStons of l great value at many important times durin z | the war of the revolution. He was q daring l commander, a generous patriot, who gave his
 whole fortune to his country. When the
 Northwest Territory was formed the Conti-
 mental congress took it's own president, Arthur | St Clair, and made him governor of the new l colony beyond the mountains. He found a ! wilderness peopled by savages and he left a state that speedily outstripped most of the
 thirteen original ones in opulence and i'm, ! portance. Neither Ohio nor the other west
 ern states have ever had more distinguished
 governor than Arthur St Clair
 When Ohio was admitted to the Union St. \ Clair returned to his home in the Ligoniel valley of Pennsylvania. He had lordly estate there, but as late as 1Sl0 creditors got
 | judgment against him for supplies which he had purchased for the Continental troops al
 the request of Alexander Hamilton He was forced to sell his home, and was left destitute . He had already tried to have congress refund certain large sums which he had advanced tc the armies, but though his claim was a just | one he was not able to get it allowed So he , was reduced to beggary by the government to which he had given the best of his life ant t t all of his fortune. He took up his residence in a rude log cabin, and supported himsel $ and family by selling cakes and pies tt Il people who travelled the highway by which he lived, and the hero of dozen bat ties, the companion of Washington, the gov
 ernor of the first territory, the president O. the last Continental congress, died in miser, t and want
 Il Thirty-seven years after his death congress voted his heirs a large sum of money ant - | today 1l0 nfYar ha t of region which has controlled to a greater
 degree than any other section of the countr,
 the destnies of the nation, St Clair is receiv l. ing the homage of a hero.
 The city glows with radiant decorations ', A score of ornate arches, rich with flags ', bunting and silken streamers, span the street
 like glittsring rainbows The residences an, shops are more thoroughly and artisticall l, decorated than one often sees in an open nj display of mural ornament. The decoration l, do not look ephemeral and cheap, but as It they were the efforts of skilled hands an liberal expenditure. The green and lovel public squares and parks of which Mariett
 has many, and most of which are the er g gazing work of the ancient mound builders t, are dotted with the white tents of soldiers l, and the warriors of to-day tread over tn r. knights of departed race
 By the riverside on the bank of the Mu
 | klngum, wh1ch Is the most picturesque Strear
 in the central states near it's junction wit c' the Ohio, has been erected spacious an | slightly auditorium, in which the exercise 'e are held. It is a substantial building an e has a seating capacity of 5000. The aud rs torium is fitted with an enormous stage upo ST which a radiant historical pageant is to | It produced some night during the week. pr, III senting in a picturesque and truthful wa m strong scenes from pioneer life in the wes er This will be the most unique elaborate an 10 splendid entertainment of the kind ever pr ~ duced in the country.
 II The music for the celebration is being flu O. nished by the famous Elgin band, whic n- played at both national conventions, and
 the military band from the Columbus ba
 racks, which was ordered here by Gen. She
 idan after his illness, a token of his inte 'h est in this great historical celebration. so The celebration had a pleasant openir 'n here yesterday afternoon. Eight tAousar al people gathered in the auditorium to see u es exercises opened by the rendition of tunef g. centennial ode compos d for the occasion