St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1889-05-02
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WASHINGTON CENTENNIAL.

| How St. JOhnSbury observed LHe LSVeHI.
The centennial of Washington's in
auguration was observed in this
place by the ringing of the bells in the
morning, by union services at the
| South church at 9 o'clock, by high
mass at the Catholic church, by the
planting of an elm at the Academy,
and by planting trees in private
grounds. The Athenaum was hand
somely decorated with flags and
bunting and many of our citizens
flung their own flags to the breeze
while flags floated from the Court
house, Grand Army hall, Academy
and other public buildings. The
schools and Academy were closed
and several of the stores and the
banks and the post office during most
of the day.
at the South Church.
lust before the services commenced
here 226 school children, accompa-
MED by their teachers, marched two
abreast through Main street to the
church led by two little drummers.
Flags were displayed in front of the
church and large flag covered the
pulpit. The attendance was very
large and the service a most interest
ing and profitable one. The intro
| ductory exercises consisted of the
reading of President Harrison's proc
lamation by Rev. E. T. Sandford
scripture reading from the fourth
chapter of Deuteronomy by Rev
John Ward and prayer by Rev. F. E.
Dawson. A quartette consisting of
Messrs. Tyler, Humphrey, Silsby and
Brooks sang the 23d and Oath
Psalms.
The address by Rev. E. T. Fair
banks was an ingenious historical
review of the events that led up to
Washington Inauguration and the
solemn ceremonies of April 80, 1889.
OF the two events, the declaration of
independence and the inauguration
OF Washington, said the speaker, the
latter was much more important.
1t was easier to throw off a foreign
government than to put on a new
one The revolution disposed of a
monarchy. A worse thing now
threa eatened-anarchy. The states
were bankrupt, jealous of each other
and ready to form independent king
dOms AS in the revolution, so at this
critical period, Washington was the
commanding figure. AS early as
1871, before the war was over, he
wrote about forming a lasting union.
This was the burden of his thought
until the constitution was drafted in
Philadelphia and signed by him as
president of that convention Sept.
II, 1877. In January, 1879, Wash
ington was elected president and
March 4 set for his inauguration.
The members of Congress were so
tardy in arriving in New York that
the inauguration was postponed un-
til April 80. On that day brief relig-
ious services were held in all the
churches of New York at o'clock
and after the inaugural ceremonies,
which took place at noon, the first
president of the United States walk
ed to st. Paul's church where servi-
ces were conducted by the chaplain
of the Senate. The speaker closed
with a tribute to the Christian presi-
dent that founded our national gov
ernment and to the Christian presi-
dent that 100 years later holds fam
lily prayers in the White House every
morning at o'clock. The address
contained a ''digression, where the
speaker gave many interesting as
well as amusing incidents of 100
years ago, including numerous ex-
tracts from the papers published in
those times. The service closed with
singing America" by the audience
and the reading of sentence from
| Washington inaugural address by
Rev E. T. Fairbanks.
At the Academy.
At the conclusion of the services at
the church the Academy students as
sembled in the yard to plant their
| Washington elm. The informal cere
mony was witnessed by number of
spectators while over the heads of
all large flag was waving in the
breeze. The tree was planted near
ter the elm was placed the school
Joined in singing America, ""March-