The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1888-05-17
Gods First Temples.
"He Who Makes Single Tree Grow Where
None Grew Before, is Benefac-
tor 20 Humanity"

columbus Journai.J
Logan, O., May l0.-The Hooking
Sentinel, in q recent issue, takes excep.
ton to what was said in the State Jour
nal regarding Arbor day, and goes on
to say, THE tree is the enemy working
people must overcome. 1t stands a
barrier to the opening of farms, TO the
building OF cities. 1t Is the habitation
of owls and ghouls. 1t has no relation
to wheat, corn" etc. Trees seem al
most human in sociability. They crest
the lofty hills and catch the first light
Of the morning and are the last to look
upon the dying Cay. They go down
into the dark glens and valleysto drape
the nakedness of the rocks with their
shadows ; they cover the nlains; they
WOO the clouds from afar and make the
plying heavens dissolve in rain when
the parched earth is painting with thirst
and the harvest is diving for water
mighty rivers have their fountain heads
in the forest. and it is through the
checkered shadows Of the woodland
that the tide passes that repienishes
the exhausted springs and waters the
1b 10 tuC ltSCS ludi Iut
traveller in strange land. They re
silent guardians of the hallowed graves
of our dead. They thrive in the sun
light, shiver in the cold and moan in
the storm. Many people can count
some venerable or beautiful tree among
the remembe bered companions of child
hood and the still cherished friends of
mature years. Many a mans heart
throbs with unusual emotions when he
comes back after long absence to the
house of his fathers and sits again be-
meath the shade of the same old tree
which extended its sheiter:ng arms
over him in childhood. sTLen again,
there is many tree whose story will
the country. The o.d elm on Boston
Common is more sacred and historic
than the battle monument which hu-
man hands have reared high OH the
neighboring hill. The ancient tree in
Cambridge under which Was ington
drew his sword for the first time st the
head OF u Continental army carries US
back by continuous life 10 the time
when the earth shook and the heavens
thundered with the throes OF a new
birth and the giant child Of the West
was born into the family of nations.
History informs US that in the public
square OF Swiss town, fenced in with
iron, stands tie trunk of an ancient
lime tree. Ask the passing citizen
what means the care with. which the
tree is kept. He viii tell you that it is
the nations monument The life of
that tree runs back four hundred years,
to the day when the liberties OF the
land were staked on the field of Morat,
when the invading legions OF France
were broken and scattered by the i'm
petuous charge of the brave mountain
eers. A young viliager ran bleeding
all the way from the bloody field to tell
the news. When he reached the town
he had only breath to shout the word,
Victory" and fell dead upon the spct
where the tree row stands. The living
lime branch which the messenger had
used for a staff in climbing the kill and
fording the stream, and which he still!
held in his li;eless hand stained with
his life blood. was planted on the spot
and grew into tree whose whispering
leaves in summer and whose naked
branches in winter have been singing
victory" for four hundred years. 1t
Is well said "He who makes single
tree grow where none grew before is a
bcnelactor to humanity"