The morning times., 1896-04-30
TO PRESERVE TIVE FOREST
ArbOr Day and Its Growing Oh.
SerVanCe.
HOW 1T WAS ORIGINATED
Different States Have Fixed the Date
According to Conditions of Climate.
School Children Urged to Perpetu-
ate the Beautiful and Useful Hou-
day So That Shade May Always Be.

day So That shade May Always Be.
The only general holiday of April
except a pEif Fools Day, which is no hell
| day at all-occurS on the festival OF ArbCr
Day. This little anniversary, while the
smallest one in the calendar, in more senses
! than one, is impressive, beautiful and
destined 10 have a great future.
Arbor day began about nine years
| ago 1t is said to have been a suggestion
| of a certain Or. Northrop of New England,
| and like the little seed of poetic fame, 1t
| grew and 1t grew, until IL Is now legal
| holiday in most States nd will soC n become
! q legal holiday in AL. New York Goes ms
yet observe it as a .egai da Y OF recre alton,
| tut Colorado. Kansas, Minnesota, North
| Dakota, Wyoming, Wisconsin, Texas, Ne
| braska, Monta IA, Utah, Idaho and Rhode
| Island count it among the days when no
man can legally compel another to work
PRESERVE THE TREES.
The primal object OF Arbor Day was the
| preservation OF the trees in The cities. 1t
was discovered that none destroyed the IN
as ruthiessly as children, al dthat none were
| so anxious to cut them down as young men
contractors and youthful builders. just
| reaching the age when, as men, their com
| mands would be law to others. To interest
| the children of the public schools seemed
| the best way to begin
Gradually a bill was framed and in
troduced In the legislatures providing
| for day that should "tend TO encour-
| age The planting, protection and pres
| ervation of trees and shrubs and an ac-
quaintance with the best methods to
| be adopted TO accomplish these results"
! In this legislation no one took the
| iptRFf.Gf OF SHrrpfarv Mort
uonal bead OF agriculture. He en-
! cOuraged It's adoption by personal cx-
| ample, and he gave IL full lease OF
] life by getting 1t taken ep in Nebraska,
| his own State. There j. Sterling Nor
| ton chnstened his home Arhor Lodge.
| and there he goes 10 spend his sum-
! mers and holidays, surrounded by his
| children and grandchildren, and ali
around Arbor Lodge The Secretary
/ plants trceS and makes 1t j living fnonu-
ment OF what one man can do by per
| soual example TO establish legal holi
day that shall be one in spirit rs well
as name.
In return for this interest In her soil
| Nebraska has named an annual holiday
/ upon April 22 and called il A rbOr Day.
1 The date is the birthday Of Secretary
] Morton and the fact of it's establish
| ment makes him one Of the few living
men who are thus honored while alive.
J OHC SUCH ilNlEE UOnof 0S tflS Is WCTlH,
| 10 most men, twenty posthumous ones.
THE CEREMONIES.
[ The way Of celebrating Arbor Day is
/ beautiful and Impressive one. 1t is con-
| fined largely to school children in New
| York State but it is of II nature that all
| can enjoy, as all enjoy Memorial Day. In
most States it is celebrated now by the
| elders.
In New York there Is no legal Arbor Day
| holiday, and the selection is LETT with the
public school board, which selects a day
and orders the school teachers to prepare
| for IT,. 7 he way of preparing is to tell the
children to come that day with as many
| flowers as they can get together.
| The children assemble in the school rooms,
with visitors present. Poems are read.
| Bryant's Forest Hymn" voted by the
| teachers OF the schools the most beautiful
| poem of outdoor life is read aloud. There
are songs of trees and flowers and for
| cstS and meadows. More Rotations fol-
! low, and the children go home, all wear
! ing flowers.
| This is In State where Arbor Day is
not yet legaliZed. In addition TO the above,
| there is q parade Of scboolboys wearing
! shrub or flower, a parade several thou
sand strong, and joined in last year by
| Grand Army men, whose footsteps, keep
| ing time with the springing ones OF the
| school lads, made sight touching and
| never to be forgotten.
| In the States where Arhor Day is a
! general holiday all go out OF che city. This
| is strange peryersioD OF the intention OF
| the day, which was to preserve the city's
! verdure. But, somehow, the talk OF ar
| bors, lanes. trees. flowers grass and
shade, makes people wild to see and touch
| these realities. They must enioy them in
| actuality. not from a distance in measured
1 words.
In these States the young people set out
| trees. In New York You will see smalltwigs,
| bent and inclined the wrong way, perhaps
! from the fondling OF too many hands, but
still alive, and growing at a rate that prom
| ises shade for the next generation OF Gotl-
| amites.
Where Arbor Day is a set institution, the
| tree planting is necessity provided for by
1 the rulers of the State. Rain or shine, their
1 constitutions will not allow their bylaws
| to overrule them, and the little amendments
that ''in case Of incIcmency the setting out
| of the trees shall be postponed day."
| passes off as fruitieSSly as the weather ban
upon Fourth OF July crackers. The trees
! are set out just the same.
WHEN ARBOR DAY COMES.
| In Wisconsin, Wyoming, North Dakota,
| Colorado, Kansas and Minnesota the Arbor
! Day is set by the governor OF the States, as
Thanks sgiying Day used to be. A day in
prll Is S1lecte II Giie WedJiler Is SIdNOra Die.
If not, it is moved along until the right
| time.
Texas kills two birds with one stone by
| appointing February 22 as Arbor Day, and
| the father OF his country and Arbor Day
| are rcjoiced in together. Montana selects
the third Tuesday in April. This year IL
comes April 81. Utah picks out the first
Saturday in ApriI. Rhode Island OBJ
serves Arbor Day the first Friday in May,
! which happens this year to be May Day,
and Idaho selects the first Friday after the
| first OF May, thus insuring a separate day
for moving day." and not permitting house
| hold throeS to disturb the soiemnity OF its
| green day.
Nebraska clings to the birthday of its
| patriotic son. and whether he can be in his
| native State, or must remain at bis post in
Washington, J. Sterling Morton observes
the day in an appropriate manger. In his
dra wing-room. where lie enteTtans with his
sister. there are pots of palms and flowers,
and with his own hands the Secretary cult.
Yates the plants, setting them out and
watering them, and making them grow
after the fashion often advised to his grand
! children in the holidays at Arbor Lodge