The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-07-05
OUR COUNTRY.
Children's Patriotic Celebration in
City Hall.
THEY CHEERED THE FLAG AND
SANG NATIONAL SONGS.

The Woman's Council Had Charge of the
Affair-BeautifuI Observation-Disclosures
McDonaId--OId Glory" of the 18th
Regiment Produced.
1.-THE Portland's Woman's Council con-
siders it important that the children of
this city should fully appreciate and un-
derstand the true significance of the
national holidays" These were the words
of Mrs. George S. Hunt Saturday after
noon on the platform of city hall as she
faced an audience of 1900 school children
and adults who had assembled to partic-
ipate in the programme arranged for the
children's patriotic exercises. sFss
And to look upon the hundreds Of bright
faced children, to see the enthusiasm that
was awakened in them at the story of the
stars and stripes, to hear them sing as
only the pure and sweet voices of child
hood can sing the national songs, one
could fully appreciate the great work
which the Portland Woman's council is
doing in teaching the young American
what a love of flag and country really
means.
The hall was magnif1cently decorated
for the occasion. From the center, radiat-
ing to all points of the big chamber were
bright hued streamers, on the sides of the
galleries were suspended the flags of all
nations and the shields of the 40 states
while at the rear of the platform "Old
Glory" was draped surrounded by smaller
flags of all nations, notices and streamers
of various colors. The entire effect was
very pretty and as matter of fact the
interior of the city hall has never pre-
sented more beautiful picture than it
did yesterday afternoon. On the platform
were seated some of the ladies Of the
Woman's Council and those who were to
take part in the exercises while the main
body of the hall was well filed with
school children of all ages whose bright
faces added not little to the attractive
ness of the scene.
After Misses McGregor and Libby and
Mr.. F. A. Given had played some of the
national airs on the harp, piano and vio-
lin, all of which were loudly encored by
the youngsters in the audience and fully
appreciated, Rev. F. G. Rogers offered
prayer and then Mrs George S. Hunt
arose to introduce the speaker OF the after
noon.
She said that for the third time the
Woman's Council of Portland had invited
the school children to come and celebrate
the anniversary of the independence of
the United States and that this invitation
had been extended for the purpose of
teaching the young Americans to fully
| appreciate the meaning of the day and its
true significance. Washington birthday
and all similar holidays had been observed
| by the school children and the Portland
Woman's Council hoped that this observ-
ance would become the custom of this
city SO that the school children might
learn to venerate the stars and stripes
and all that this flag is symbol of.
After few words of very pleasing char
acter suitable for the ears of the youngest
children and couched in such simple Ian
| guage that all might fully understand it
Mrs. Hunt introduced Rev. F.. G. Bolles,
D. D., of New York, who she said was
a true hearted Portlander and who had
thought so much of him in the years gone
by and which delighted to honor him
now.
DR.. Bolles is an eloquent speaker and
when he had been talking a few minutes
he had the entire attention Of every little
boy and girl in the big audience.
Graphically he told the story Of the flag
with the time of the colonies he went on
to tell how this ensign which now waves
over more than go, 00U, 0OU citizens of these
United States had grown to assume the
form and appearance as it Is seen today
DR.. Bolles said in beginning that this
was not the first time that he has spoken
from the platform of city hall for the flag.
a patriotic subject before the FIRST co1npa-
ny Of the first Maine regiment which
had enlisted for the war Many times
since then had he spoken words of patriot
ic encouragement to the citizens of Port
land or to the soldiers who were about to
go into the storm of battle at the front
during those years of national peril and
danger. He went on to say that this coun-
try would never be safe until the whole
| &c, O0D, 900 of people which constitute the
citizens Of this great nation should have
come to look upon this flag as the symbol
OF their freedom and as the blessed in
sigma of their glorious constitution and
birthright and not until the whole Of
these sixty millions of people shall have
become the self constituted color guard OF
the stars and stripes shall this nation ever
be truly safe. He went on to tell how
much this flag means to all of us and why
we should look upon 1t with love and
veneration. He told of the many years OF
/ peril and strife it has seen, of the days
which tried mems souls of the times when
the very best blood Of the land was being
shed to preserve the honor and integrity
of this flag. Then DR.. Bolles went on tc
speak Of what the flag had meant to some
men. He told Of the American who was
abroad during the war, who had not fol
to him of love, home and friends. How
he had stood for weeks on the hills sur