The morning call., 1894-03-31
Celebration in All the
Public Schools.
ENTHUSIASM AT LINCOLN.
Professor KnOwlton'S Address on
the Martyr.
CHILDREN SALUTE THE FLAG.
Lessons of Patriotism Which the
Young People Eagerly Learn and
Will Practice in Future.

Patriotic day was again celebrated in
the public schools yesterday. REGULATIONS
and prose readings from the speeches of
the patriots formed the substance Of the
celebration in most OF the schools.
At Lincoln School the celebration was
particularly fine and was witnessed by
School Director Rosewald. the author Of
the resolution setting aside a certain day
for the exercises. The assembly-room of
the Lincoln School was crowded with chill
dren, teachers and visitors. all of whom
joined in the opening hymn, America"
Professor KnOwltOn then delivered an
interesting ten minutes address on Abra-
ham Lincoln. In substance he said:
This is not the first time l have spoken
of Lincoln IN this hall. When oGr School
Department officially accepted aud for
mally inaugurated MeZZara's statue of
Lincoln, which stands in front of this build
ing il was my privilege and honor to take
part in those exercises That was on
April IA, 1866, twenty-eight years ago next
month.
The observance of this day marks a
new epoch in the patriotic history of one
department. 1t celebrates the formal re-
Yiyal of loyalty. 1t is "A pleasant thing 10
i've In securing the passage Of the res0lu-
ti0n here to-day. lie is also the organizer
of the public school orchestra. which /
propose should be regularly christened
The RoSewald Public School Orchestra.
and that II be continued from year to year
in honor of its gifted and patriotic orig-
natOr. Let rs celebrate loyalty day as
the Greek boys used TO do more than 2000
years ago. They used to hear stories and
speeches and poems and songs in honor of
their most famous heroes and their grand
est men. Let us do likewise. Nothing
could be more appropriate for these eXer-
clseS to-day than few paragraphs about
that great man, that most noble patriot
that martyr, President Abraham Lincoln
that most illustrious man who was the
savior Of our country. as Washington was
its creator and Grant its defender and
guardian.
'Linc0ln's bOyhoOd was not only very
humble. but very, very hard. Not one of
all the hundreds who now attend this
school-not one of all the thousands who
have attended it-has or had b0yhood as
hard and as humble as his. The very
poorest bov who comes here is richer than
Abraham Lincoln when a boy. lie sleeps
in better place. He has better food. And
the homeliest boy here is a great deal
hanfsomer than Lincoln was.
ct, spite OF all that, and in spite of
many more obstacles than we have time
t0 name, ne rose 10 the highest height. He
became the greatest American.
HE used 10 say himseIf very often in his
later life that one single line of Gray's
Elegy very perfectly described his own
early life. That line is:
The short and simple annals OF the poor.
Whenever we read that line after this
let US think Of Lincoln's boyhood. and let
us thank God for two things-frst. for the
noble and most encouraging example which
Liucoln set for even The humblest and the
poorest OF us; and second, that even the
very poorest of us is actually better off
than be was when a boy.
when ] call him he greatest American.
do not forget Washington. Compared
with Lincoln Washington was q born aris
tOcrat. He came of a high family on both
sides. He had wealth. He never person.
ally knew the meaning of want or poverty.
The man who climbs from the sea level
TO the highest peak of Mount Shasta has
done greater thing than he who is
already more than hall way up the noun
tain before he starts 10 climb. Through
all his sad and hard youth Lincoln met and
Overcame obstacles ten times more diff
cult than any or all that ever stood in the
way of Washington.
Through all his young manhood WASH
ington had wealth. family. leisure. educa-
ton and friends. Lincoln lacked all of
these. His fathers house was worse than
the poorest shed in the humblest back
yards of our city, ana his father knew so
little of schools or schooling that he could
hardly write his own name. His mother
was pale, slender, sad-eyed little woman,
he loved her more than tongue can tell or
pen express. All through later life be
used to say, All that ] am aud all that /
hope TO be or & become | owe to my angel
mOther-blessings on her memory The
schools of his time and place were scarce
and poor. The vision OF such a school as
this which we attend The free public
school so fifty named in honor OF the great
cham pion OF freedom. and the great martyr
of freedom, would have seemed 10 him a
glimpse of heaven itself. Let us ever
honor the memory and emulate the life Of
Lincoln"
After Professor Knowlton's address the
following programme was rendered: Ten
minute talk. Abraham Lincoln" Pro
fessor knowltOn; The National Flag"
Robert Atken; recitation, "Our Country"
George Perkins; 1.-The Greatness of Wash
inRton," Daniel Lynch; washington
Day." II. l.. Moulthrop; "Lincon's Ad-
dress ..T , at Gettysbbnrg," Ed MOrrissey;
washington" Joseph Basch; Patrick
Henry's Address" Harry Danner; Wash
lDRt0n to the Present Generation" Charles
Davis; National Monument to Washing
ton. James Bride; song, "Star-spangled
Banner; sau.ing the flag
mercial High School where class exercises
were held, there being no assembly room.
Readings were given from Lowelps Ode
and the addresses of Lincoln and Wash
ington. Director Rosewald addressed each
class. contrasting American and European
sentiment in the matter of liberty.
The other sch FOOLS throughout the CITY
had exercises on the same general plan.
Some complaint was caused by the word
ing OF the resolution passed by the Board
OF School Directors. In the resolution the
last FRIDAY of the school month is set aside
for patriotic exercises. Yesterday was lot
the last Friday of the school month, which
has only four weeks, but of the calendar
month. Director Rosewald got mixed up
on his own resolution, and the result was
that not all the schools celebrated yester-
day. A new circular wN be sent out ex-
planning the mistake, and hereafter the
day will be celebrated on the last Friday
OF the calendar month.