Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1894-03-01
A BIRTHDAY TRIBUTE.

mafA Twain Pays 8 Characteristic Tribute
to the Father of His Country Mt . Town
HAN Dedication at Fsirhaven, Mass
The Eject Of Washingt0n's Example at Q
Critical Period In Watermelon Time, and
the Speaker Proud to Acknowledge the
Obligation.
NEW BEDFORD. Mass, Feb. 23.-To-
day the eighty-second anniversary of
the incorporation of the town of Fair
maven was made most memorable
occasion to the townspeople by the
1ormaF presentation to the civic cor
poratlon of the new town hall which
cost S5O0,00 and is the gift of Mr..
Henry II. Rogers and family. Mr..
Rogers is an officer of the Standard
Oil Co., and Fairhaven is his birth
place.
About ten years ago he gave the
town building which is among the
hnest in the state. Last year Mr..
Rogers gave to the town, as a
memorial to his daughter Milicent,
one of the most beautiful library build
lngs in this country, and with it an
endowment fund of 100000, and the
town waterworks, just completed,
were built largely by his aid. The new
town building occupies an entire
square opposite the library building in
the center of the town.
Samuel L. Clemens mark Twain)
was one of the speakers invited to par
tlclpate in the ceremonies, and after
an address by Gov. Greenhalge, was in
troduced and spoke as follows:
By thoughtful and judicious allotment Of
the privileges OF this occasion. each speaker
has been appointed to the function best suited
to his capacity, his character and his credit in
the community. Chief of all the speakers and
the most eloquent. stands the building itself.
1t Is Its easy office to declare to you the love of
Its builder for the town which was her birth
place and the home OF her girlhood. It may
be trusted to stay and be understood and be
applauded from the heart and to occupy the
platform longer than anybody else, and make
the only speech that Will be printed right in
the papers.
Yes, it is the only speaker OF US all. gifted
and popular as we try to let ON to be, that can
dare stand up here and undertake to hold your
unfatigued attention for 100 years. Why. we
could not do it for forty. We all recognize
the value Of this building an example and O
suggestions suggestion to any who are moved
by love OF their fellow men to make gifts to
them OF hospitals, or town halls, or libraries,
to build these things while they are alive not
wait till they are dead If you do it
while you are alive, 1t is really
done, and well done; but II you
wait till you are dead there is but barren re-
suit and a divided profit; you get credit for the
intention and the lawyers set the money. The
stomachs of the lawyers OF this land are dis
tended to utter discomfort with the eleemosy-
nary architecture that they have swallowed.
In all this world there is no joy like to the joy
. lawyer feels when he sees good-hearted. in
considerable person erecting free library ora
town hall or hospital in his will. He smiles
the smile that only he knows how to smile and
goes into training for the anaconda act.
ADVICE TO DEAD MEN.
Perhaps no one has ever known dead man
to try to do even the least little simple thing
without making botch of 1t. The truth is, a
dead man ought to lie stin and keep quiet and
try to behave. But you can't teach him that;
you can teach him any useful thing Every
thing about him is perishable but one thing.
and that is his inability to accept the fact that
circumstances over which he has no control
have limited his activities.
And, first and last and all the time, it is i'm
possible to make him understand that there is
nothing very large or fine or generous in spend
ing his own money on himself and building
hospitals with his clildren's cash. Why, some
people do seem to get duller and duller the
deader they get. Oh WELL perhap.aits no mat
ter; it is the way they are made: Probably
the mistake was in making them at ALL
mean IL 1t was m1Stake-l aMs no Judge
of that-but 1 would not leave it to them.
It was a pleasant and patriotic thought
grace to Fair Haven on the natal dayof Wash
ington-George Washington, first Of all Amer
icans-George Washington, the fatker OF his
country-George Washington. the father of
those who can not lie. The family has dwin-
died . good deal. But am left yet: and when
look back over the waste OF years and call up
the faces of the others and know thaEI shall
see them no more in this life and that must
remain now solitary and forlornly conspicuous
to the last, the sole remnant of that old noble
R1nI n t<p31f Ion
sonnet
What I owe to Washington no words Of mino
can tell He was my model from my cradle up
All thas am-morally speaking-1 owe to his
example. Even in my tendereSt voush his
spirit was ever near. to guide and succor me-
The first time I ever stole a watermelon in
my life-T think 1t was the first time-lt was
the thought of Washington that moved me to
make restitution-restored me to the path OF
rectitu1e. made me morally whole again When
sorry-npt specifically. but deeply andhonest-
~ sorry
WASHINGTON SAVED HIM.
Then came the thought of Washington and
Isaid to myself. What would w Washington do?
What would George Washington do II he had
stolen watermeion-green oue-he wSuid
make restitution That is what he would do
And that is what did. rose up spiritually
refreshed and strong. and carried the waser-
melon back to the farmers wagon andrestoTed
1t to him. and said the merit was not mine, but
Westinghouse
And then felt that inspiriting Something.
that electric thrill, that exaltation wh1chs re-
wards.dhty dome, . moral victory won: mO1al
heroisna, added to ones stock of dear and
precious memories; and told the farmer he 4
ought to be ashamed of himself, going around
working off green watermelons on people that
had confidence in him, and made him give me
a ripe one for it. And he was ashamed and said
he wsuld not ever do 1t again. Sa,I forgave .
him. For when a person has done wrong and
Acknowledges. it and is ashamed OF 1t, thaA is i
enougiIfor me.
1t was, Washington that saved ne at shat;
time. He has been my guardian angel sser
since-and has had m active careef,:.I am glad
and proud to bare an opportunity. at least, to
hela celebzate his memory and do honor To his
noble name.
In the. distribution OF the priv Heges &C this
platform was appointed to TEN per rthe.glare
of the gay and thoughtless- oratory of
those others with the wholesome sAsdow,
of o. few words of sober advice
ferthereis q time for such things. and it is :,
meet th1u we recognize this tru II and rest our
spirits with intervals of seFiousnesas and
soaemnay. And so. my advise to yoa-yes,
more, my supplication-is tnaa yon live as
Washington hved-l1ve as I have liTed-and
BUILD ysur gift halls and he sfeitals xhiie you
still live and can build your aaart, a well az.
your money, into you gift.
-Morlxmen were Busy, DIR. some
weeks. at the white marble anoh ,erecs.-
ed on Washington square. New Yor1s
CITY,. at the beginning-of FiHth avenue
(cou,nsenOratinp the. oentelsniAl a nri-