Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-06-06
CELEBRATION OF ARBOR DAY
TheInitiative Taken by Public
School Pupils.
ADDRESS BY DR.. CRUMBAUGH
Very Enjoyable Exercises at
No. Fl School Friday.


Il, Fifth and scott streets, Friday after
noon, when exercises appropriate to the
occasion were conducted by the school
children. This is the first time the public
school pupils of Wilmington ever took
any special notice of Arbor Day, and the
manner in which the exercises were car
ried out was very gratifying to the guests
as we'll as to the teachers and scholars.
a music and literary programme was
given in the school house, after which all
repaired to the yard adjoining where the
children set out ivy and honeysuokle
Pante. In addition TO the tree planting
an outdoor programme was also rendered.
The exercises were as follows:
Song, Our Public SCHOOL,. School
Prayer. 49,. the Rev. Merritt Hubbard, D. d.
Recitation. alt Matters Much,'
Quotations, Mabel Harris, Helen Evan Sarah
anderson, Bertha Leonard, Ebert Mnburn,
Thomas Anderson William Ringgold, Ernest
Hamilton. Aleitha Governs. CaleD Massey,
Grets Jefferson, Bessie Washington.
Guitar solo, or Pref = Il; sEimmerhorn
Estells Dulahay
Song, "Joyfuness". School
Dialogue, "New Scholars" Malinda Roihwall,
Irene Steward, Sadie Dlllahay, sadie
Saunders. $3.50
Guitar. Prof. skimmerhorn
Recitation. "The North Land"
Blanche jefferson
Address Of thanks. Miss NJ. o. Patterson
OUTDOOR PROGRAMME
Anecrostic, "Arbor Day" AnnabeI Tilghman,
John GoOdeu, Laura Cook. Maurice Reason,
Howard Abrams, Hattie Ravens, Ethel John
"The Tree Convention" WaYman' Gooding,
Arthur Hartman, Charles Comegys, Horace
Bolden, Herbert Hutson, Horace Ringgold,
Recitation, "rhe Trees Message"
Clarence Carly
Song, "Children's Reply' .............. School
Elijah Hipson
Dialogue. "cholce of Trees" Ebert Miibarn,
james Handy, iilian Hinson, Joseph Hau-
son, Harry Cook.
Recitation, "Let Us Plant To-day"
Gertrude Jefferson
During the course of the exercises a
crayon portrait OF Frederick Douglass was
presented to the school by George w.
Roberts on behalf OF L. NJ. Hopes. inter
estIng addresses were made by Rev. Merritt
Hulburd and DR.. j. w. Crumbaugh, one
of the committeeman Of the school. DIR.
Crumbaugh spoke as follows;
IN ls72 NeDraskas Governor appointed
day on which the people of his state
were to plant trees. This was the origin
in this country of Arbor Day. Many
thousands of years ago, long before Neb-
Taska or Delaware were known, there was
an ArbOr Day celebrated the first Arbor
Day. The grounds on that occasion were
not crowded by people. Though there
was music ana the usual naming of the
plants. The Garden OF Eden is the place
referred to, music was furnished by the
birds, Adam and Eve were the celebrants.
The Creator God was the laborer doing the
planting.
You children have the honor of hold
ing the first ArbUr Day exercises in this
State. The time chosen is not the best for
s successful transplauting of trees, vines or
shrubbery. But it is the best time TO instll
intoyour minds truths. For there Is no
future time as good as the present for such
enlightenment. You may ask, why do
we plant trees, vines and flowers? Many
reasons for it. In the first place. it is the
right thing to do, as IL will be o benefit to-
others, by cultivating their love for nature
thus eievating their general purposes
and benefit to ourselves from the fact of
our doing good to others. Then, too, the
leaves on all plants and trees act us puri-
tiers to the air we breathe. Tho shade
afforded prevents sickness by keeping our
dwellings cooler and affording shelter
from the sun to the worker. The contact
with growing nature is beneficial to all of
us by developing our higher natures, edu-
eating our better tastes, makes us more
tender thoughtful, gentle. Christlike. 1t
has also been satisfactorily proven that
from the standpoint OF money making tres
planting is Il decided success. NJ
Hence is planting of trees and vines
fatten the poeketbook-make us healthier
and elevate us spiritually-is it not strange
that our State does not join with Its sister
states and make laws protecting trees and
vegetation generally and encourage the
increased planting of same. But never
mind what our legislators do, we will have
our ArbOr Days. In the fall of this year we
Will again meet anu plant some trees, as
DIR. Holmes says, Make trees monuments
of history and character The groves were
Gods first temples Their spiritual in
Htt IL , .A lace pt,l,t II. 4
vading on common school grounds than
when sheltering primitive worshippers in
modern times or in the far away and
shaduwy past.
Johnny Appleseed,' Jonathan Chap
man, born in Boston Ills, gathered apple
seed from cider presses i'll Western Penn
sylvania, crossed the Ohio river into the
great woods and there in little cleared
spaces planted these seeds. lie would allow
some to grow where lie first planted aud
bear fruit and others he would remove,
sell or give away throughout Ohio, Illinois
and Indiana. This obscure mans unseliisit
work was thought by many people 10 be
evidence OF q crazy mind, but undoubtedly
he has been OF untold benefit 10 all OF those
regions, Let lis have more neil like
Johnny Appleseed.' Every one Of you
boys and girls can be OF great good to the
world in the same way. Plant peach seeds,
pear seeds, apple seeds, horse chestnuts,
wAIuutS, NC. Don say as some 10, '1Dere
is no use in my planting this seed or vine,
| wont live here to get any good from it..
May be you wont, but some one Will.
Plant, lie does the rest There is an
Arabian proverb that with the planting
of u tree, u blessing comes to him who
drops the seed
"'When we plant tree or vine or shrub,
or drop Il seed, we are doing what we can
to make our planet u more wholesome
and happier dwelling place for those who
come after us, ii not for ourselves. As
you drop the seed as you plant the sap
ling, your left hand hardly knows what
your right hand is doing. But nature
knows, and in due time the power thar
sees and works in secret will reward you
openly.'-O. ". Holmes.
"'lie who plants an oak looks forward
to future ages and plants for posterity.
Nothing can be less selfish than this
IryiHg.
"As l haye said it is too late in the
season for us to plant trees. Therefore we.
will transplant some vines. Two Japanese
ivy which are long.lived and very hardy
Will be planted in front OF the school
house. They are the most beautiful of
the climbers, absorbing moisture from the
buildings TO which they cling, therefore
drying 1t, lapping leaf over Leaf making
close and compact covering, will not touch
woodwork properly protected by paint.
In thy fall they will tint most beautifully.
The honeysuckles which the industry of
the girls have furnished will in Short time
make us d blooming fence. Its nature is
well known to you all.
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