The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1895-05-24
The Picnic.
Lines on the Lebanon School Picnic
May II, 1896.

Lines on the Lebanon School Picni
May II, 1895.
The sweet May noon was bright and fresh
not cloud was in the sky,
we marshacd again on the old school walk
the Kidgeway Butte to try.
Bright faces sweet as the breath Of morn,
shown up with d smile of delight.
Az Welnfmed N our hands our Alpenstocks
and looked on the distant height.
The Professors call for attention came vel
known was its ringing rhyme.
Ihe band played up merry air.
and toward moved our line.
we marched through the street where the
people stood, then East to the river
bridge,
lhere halted to rest and cheer the flag,
then clambered mp the ridge.
The stars and stripes were at our head,
tne band played in the time
sweet Voices echoed tal-lo-ho,
y. the hills threw back the chime.
lhe willamette valley before Us spread
Kept Widening to our view,
untll we reached the mountain crest, when
our march TO halt, we drew.
We viewed the scene with thoughts Of Joy
| While we stood u the upper air;
1 And gazed on the valley thai spread beneath
\ With fields aud cities fair;
For ~ all the world is 10 iairer SPOT
70 be the home Of man;
Than here in the valley Of the willamette
where it greets tie Sautian.
I Our country's flag from lofty fir hasked
4 its colors in the breeze,
| We y r.ad our uhohons out by groups and
:. dined beneath the treesi
We lopkca on natures enduring forms,
ana traced them Ger again,
I'LL awei with the changes that come and
60; that toy, with tic lives Of men.
We looked 10 the Snr, il seemed to smile.
md kiss us with delight;
its beams seemed glad to greet US there
-, upon the mountain height;
iheil 70 our Joy j seemed TO say,
The past III speak to you,
" oregon, ofits fair cline and Of the way
Long centuries this globe of yours has
turned before my face,
I've seen itB surface rise an fall mountains |
!. and seas change place;
Yea, the very peak you are standing on, for
centuries was sea
And well recall when the waters moved
to make a home forthee''
Three hundred fifteen years ago
-. Drake sailing on the sea,
viewed first the land of Oregon, while round
the globe went he
de praised the land he'd seen so fair, smoke
OF Its soil and cline;
TIL Others followed in his path to make
their homes and thins."
One hundred aud three years ago on this
eleventh OF May,
a ship, turned into q rivers mouth at the
!. will Of Captin Grey.
ne named that stream Columbia the name
II bears to day,
AND traced it to dashing waterfalls
where he found the trout at play"
But only hint will ! give you now,
more when you climb again.
Rise, rise from the fog Of 4 thriftIess life
inspire your fellow men;
sweet light you'll find in the npper air and {
=. music Of Heavenly word, I
~ remember the climb you've made to dav
and wait for your voice to be aeard.''
Then our voices rang III the mountain air.
our souls were filled with new light
is our literary program of speech and song 4
we rendred on the height; y
slth bright green fields before us spread
!, and behind US peaks of snow. g
he sweet May flowers beneath our feet and
the silyery stream below. q
mound Of stone to mark the spot ia p
educatlon's name, b
We built with three hundred busy hands +.
. all toilinS with an aim. W
he first stone Mr., Hindman laid, he's lived
since --'23.
ne SECOND Loner Taylor placed,
little lad of three.
he mound complete our names within and
our days work was done
'e left that spot with high resolve useful
course to run. pl
lme may bespoil the work we've done. ri
hurl down the mountains side: W
~ While we live we work as one, 10
and constant as the tide. ri
. leave the spot, its sacred ground to us ii
'who'ye climbed its crest,
nd now we look for higher peaks and
pray our work be blessed. II.
ay our future hold an upward course n
and ever even rum h
nd the sweetest joys that fall on earth pl
may they fall on Lebanon. G. H.W.