Pike County press. (Milford, Pa.) 1895-1925, 1896-02-28
wAsHlNGTON'S BIRTHDAY
The Minisink Valley Historical
Society Celebrates 1t,

Banquet at the Fowler House, Port Jer-
Wis, Following which Addresses Were
Made by Rev. DR.. Mills, Rev. Dr. Riggs,
MIR. George II. Decker, Rev. MIR. GlIles-
pie and Hon. w. f. Mccormick.
This society which was organized
to preserve and perpetuate the early
history of this valley, and to rescue
from the mists of Oblivion the fast
fading facts regarding its first in
habitants held its annual meeting
last Saturday. There were 81 pre-
sent at the dinner, which is repre-
sented as beingin every respect
credit to Landlord Wickham and its
aftermath of speeches of more than
usual richness in eloquence and abil-
ity.
At the conclusion of the dinner
DR.. Mills the honored President of
the society made an Introductory adj
dress of greeting and welcome, eu-
logizing the character of Washing
ton and touching on the objects of
the society, He then introduced Geo.
H. Decker, of Middletown, who eu-
logized Orange county by relating
the following story. AT protracted
meeting once in Amity, this county,
the minister asked all who wanted to
go to heaven to rise ON their feet. All
arose except one old man. He next
asked all who desired to go the other
place to rise none stood up,not even
the old man. After the meeting the
minister took him aside and said
When asked those who wanted to
go to heaven to stand up, you re-
mained seated. When / requested
those who preferred the other place
to arise, you still remained seated.
What did you mean? please explain
yourself.
"Well, sir replied the old man,
Amity is good enough for me.
He concluded by giving as toast :
+" My Country Right or Wrong, My
Country"
Rev. DIR. Riggs was then intro
duced and delivered an eloquent adj
dress in which he spoke of our popu-
lation, wealth and intellectual en-
lightenment and said that from all
this there should be some definite
moral outcome, that we should not
merely contemplate with pride our
past achievement, and present con-
dition. We are rich in resources,
and have no enormous standing
armies to maintain. But there is
room for improvement. Greatness
is a means, not an end, an instru-
ment to be used by us for the ad-
vancement of Gods kingdom on
earth. Our greatness should be for
service, not for show. He also said
that we should think whether we
have something to do in the world.
, Washington advice to the country
, to avoid entangling foreign alliances
was wise at the time and under the
circumstances it was given. We
had then but three millions of peo-
pie, and this weakness rendered the
policy of non-interference neces-
sary. These conditions are greatly
} changed. We now have a popula-
, ton of over sixty millions, and great
, power and resources. 1t is time to
, qualify the position Washington
| took, and to notify the world that
/ Jonathan has reached his majority
Rev. Geo. E. Gillespie followed in a
happy vein in brief speech. Hon
/ w. E. Mccormick then made a cha.
j tacterestic address which was the
: closing speech. A number of out oi
! town guests were present these from
= Pike county being Prothonotary j
C. Westbrook, DR.. II. E. Emerson, ,oi
= Milford and Charles Marvin, Frank
: Marvin, Rev. Mr.. Wiegand and Mr.
t Taft, of Matamoras.
|, Charles F. Rockwell, of Homes
: dale Pa, was also present wearing
c the emblem of the sons of the Ameri
can Revolution.
His grandfather Jsbez Rockwell
was a soldier in the army of the Re
volution and lies buried in Honesdal
: Pa. There are three living children
y in this family of a revolutionar.
g soldier. Mrs. Lucenda Valentine 0
. Brooklyn N. Y, aged 81, who is tn
grandmother of the wife of Ed Il
b Mott. Mrs. Phebe Ganisford 0
Ellenville N. Y, aged 90, and Mrs