New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-07-11
THE SPOT MADE GREAT BY THURBER

We often wonder how many Of the millions
who recognize his greatness and revere his worth
really know where Thurber came from. what
favored spot produced and nourished him, and
amidst what scenes he emerged from plmply
adolescence into the uxuriant splendor Of his
completed manhood or course we refer to Henry
T. Thurber. the Censer-Swinger, Laureate and
Major Domo Of the Consecrated one. Re know
him. 10 be sure We know that fate with sudden
snatch has lifted him 10 eminence; we bask in
the radiance of his eagle eye and rise ana ran
with the unduntions ~ his bowy name. but
who has considered the hallowed spot which gave
him birth and who computed the volume OF our
debt 10 It.
And yet Monroe I'm Michigan isn't much TO
look at quic, little place. tucked away under
the caves Of Detroit. TO speak. and utterly for
gotten by the maddlng crowd that frets and
fumes within gunshOt Of It's silent streets Mon
roe does not suggest the thought OF anything az
vast as Thurbcr. II presents pastoral and
peaceful scene The neighborhood is one Of grass
and birds and flowers and lambs. one can fancy
Sirephon with his pipe and Phyllis dancing 10
l,s note among the cOwslips and the daisies
fancy almost ANYTHING DELIGHTFULLY."- innocent and
green but hardly Thurber. one has 10 remind
himself that Monroe Is both an arena and
,erest. once # was called Frenchtown. though
Tim, vas long ago and once on the occasion OF
the battle Of Raisln River It was scene OF
dreadful carnage Ten years ago II boasted OF a
population ~ 5000 To-day II has population
Of 1000 and II "stl growing" In its youth X
y,s n rival OF Toledo and Detroit. Now rich In
"reminiscences and IN emgrants. II rivals only
Carthage senator Christiancy dwelt there at
one time did also our present Secretary OF
Agriculture the whimsical and garrulous Nor
ton The famous Indian fighter. Custer was once
FORGOTTEN there aud booked for four-leaved clover
an tho sidewalk Thomas W. Miner. the Admin
lstration bard author Of Grover c." Hail the
Conluerlng Cuckoo Comes" and other parox-
ysms was weaned there on homemade milk
David S Barry. the well-known journalist. and
the great mans Boswell. gathered In Monroe
the material for his now famous history OF the
Presidents private secretary.
But why multiply these claims on greatness
when in simply showing that Monroe produced
Thurber we have with one sentence b"ggared
culogy We might 60 on indefinitely showing
that Monroe gave to the world the Showcase
mctte crew of oarsmen who crossed the water
and would have beaten the cracks Of England
had they taken paregoric AT the proper time
showing that Monroe Is the only American town
give by solemn ordinance the freedom OF the
municipality To cows. pigs goats and other VAL
liable domestic animals showing In fact n thou
sand other evidences " Monroe's peculiar virtue.
But. az we used TO say in Frenchtown. "A quo!
bon" We know enough and more than enough
,o endear the village 10 hearts forever. We
know that Il laborcd and brought forth Thur
her that Thurber has been loaned to the Nation
without collateral, and that he IL in our midst.
as II were going to and fro as the Pantata may
direct but always in evidence and within hear
ing.
And knowing all this. we turn our eyes with
gratitude toward Monroe toward some sacred
spot We bless that fair pastoral vale Its quiet.
its grass grown streets. its milky ways. even
the red topped boots that Trurber wore and the
pigs he played with on his fathers soop. We
fee to Monroe in n manner OF speaking. and
from the stress and fury of this parous time
and amidst the drowsy silence which Thurber
has done 20 much to produce we lose ourselves
in dreams.