New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-08-17
THE BRYANT CENTENARY.
EXERCISES COMMEMORATIVE THE POETS
BIRTH HELD AT cUMMINGTON.
A LARGE ATTENDANCE OF HIS ADMIRERs-AO.
DRESSES BY PARKE GOODWIN. EDWIN
r. BROWN. CHARLES ELIOT


NORTON AND OTHERS
Cummington, Mass, Aug. l6.-Peasant skies ana
the presence Of distinguished speakers and poets to-
cether with the desire to do honor to the memory OF
william Cullen Bryant, have drawn hundreds OF
visitors to this little town to-day and the centenniA
observance of the birth 81 the great poet has been
a complete success. For this the townspeopie are
profoundly grateful for they have been prepar'ns
for the event since last March
The exercises to-day were held IN peautilui grow
a few rods beyond the Bryant homestead. 1t was
az this homestead that Mr.. Bryant passed the iass
twtive summers OF his life, and here ne spent inc
days Of his youth and young manhood IL was 10
these woods too, that "Thanatopsis was written
In the grove where the exercises took place the
visitor to-day see the traces OF the initas Gus
on the trees by the Bryant boys
The exercises to-day consisted Of an address OK
welcome by Lorenzo II. Tower the librarian OF ths
Bryant Library, behalf OF the townspeopie' ana
then Parke Goodwin. Of New-York who was asso-
cated with Mr. Bryant for many years, ana VINO
married his eldest daughter, was mace the pfes'u"s
officer
Mr. Goodwin on taking the chair. delivered briet
address. and then introduced Edwin r. Brown. OF
Elmwood, H. native Of Cummington, ana the
orator Of the day. Mr.. Brown spoke eloquentiy'
and lis address occupied something over an hour 10
delivery. Speaking OF Bryant's mother. he said:
No Greek Roman matron OF heroic days lei. :
more spotess record Of a busy lie tnah tne poet
mother To her example ne dttIlDuteu
herence in ripper years to ne great RUE co All
without regard to person she was IN pers shs ,S as
Still an expert Rorsewoman and could vault from the
ground into the saddle. l., s,s ,.,..
rambles about the places here, never climbed over
the stone fences. but Placing his hand on the Top;
induced her boys to set the good example plant
Ing naples and ems by the roadside The Poets Ss,y
three solid years, without the break OF day
one entry is Of especial interest on TINS
Two days later the record is: November 5. 1874
Clear: wind NV: made Austin coat; sat up al
day; into the kitchen: Mr. Dawes died..
John Howard Bryant eighty-seven years
old, the only surviving brother OF the poet anu
himself a poet of recognized ability, read his
brothers poem OF THE Rivuet." and followed It
with two compositions Of his own the nFst peaS
"A Monody," written in 1878. Just after the DEAN
e Ma% cu Witch 1' for the
After the singing OF some OF the oid iamiii i
pn M the a dre %a4a q Ho MT
of the Republic" an adjournment was taken ior
After luncheon which for the unlimited guests wa:
tn the f qrm aga nd q
given by distinguished men and women. Amons
hem and in Of h 0d
ley Warner. President G; s Hall OF Cla r,t I'M
hs t Rev JoSe haSr Of
shire Gazette" in which paper Bryant lirs' poea
"S Mrs pu Juia Ward Howe was present and read
poem written for the sxtieth birthday OF the poes
and first read at the Century Club in New-York. To
this Mrs Howe had added several stanzas appro-
pirate 10 the present occasion,
John w Hutchinson, the only surviving MEMBER
Of the famous family of singers whose stirring
songs created much enthusiasm In the old Adolf
ton days was also present by invitation. ana sang
| ''Old Friends Are the Truest.
| In the course OF his remarks Professor Norton
| said: ,,,-, 4. .. -,
I'm the long Bryants fame is likely to rest on
| a few poems one OF the greatest services wnicn
| a poet can render to his people Is TO make their
land dearer TO them. This Is what Scott ana Burns
aid for Scotland. Wordsworth for the English lakes'
and II is what Bryant has done for Western Massa-
| chusetts His best poetry Is the expression OF me
| faith the sentiment, the ideals OF this peope OF
| Western Massachusetts. He uttered for them what
| they had within themselves, but were incapable OK
expressing He invested this region with charm
of poec association which will make its pleas
| shall first rest upon IT,.