The Republican journal., 1900-01-25
Old Home Week.


Pine Tree State Club of Boston to Work for
"Shall We Have an Old Home Week in
Thursday evening by the members of the
Pine Tree Club at their first reunion and
dinner of the present season, held at the
Parker house, Boston.
Several members of the club, which is
composed OF men born in Maine, but now
residents in this vicinity, have been greatly
taken with the idea, which was started by
Gov. Rollins of New Hampshire, and which
brought 10000 wandering sons and daugh-
ters back to the Granite State for week last
summer; and. having conceived an ambi-
ton to TRY it on" in the Pine Tree State,
they entertained Gov. Rollins last Thursday
and had him describe the way the thing
was engineered to such successful conclu-
sion.
At the close of the meeting they voted
unanimously to use all their efforts TO bring
about a home week in Maine next summer,
and a committee of five was appointed by
the chairman to enter upon the work calcu.
lated to bring the affair about.
ID. G. Heath, president of the club, was
chairman for the EVENING" and he had with
him at the head af the table Gov. Llewellyn
Powers of Maine, Gov. Rollins of New
Hampshire, Edward D. Mead, e. b. Haskell,
Gen. o. o. Howard, W. 1. Cole and Rev.
Charles f. Dole.
During the evening some fraternal yet
amusing communications passed back and
forth between the chairman and the presi-
dent of the New Hampshire club which
was dining at Back Bay hotel. First the
Maine people sent congratulations to the
New Hampshire people. The latter acknowl-
edged the message, aud, in spirit of fun
patroniZingly consented to allow their chief
guest, Gov. Rollins, help to make the Maine
gathering success.
The Maine people retorted that the speak.
ers at the New Hampshire dinner could
hardly fail to find inspiration in contemplate
ing the portraits upon the walls of their
dining room at the Brunswick, since those
pictures are, every one of them portraits of
prominent Pine Tree State men.
The first speaker introduced by chairman
Heath was Edwin d. Mead, who did great
deal to make New Hampshire's sat home,"
last summer, great success.
He favored the enterprise as a means of
helping to restore prosperity to localities
tending toward decadence. He quoted a
high scientific authority to the effect that in
the coming century the worlds coal supply
will be exhausted and motive power of great
industries will have TO be transformed.
In such case the speaker could see the
water power of the State of Maine becoming
great means for the industrial regeneration
of the State.
matter of the prosperity of all New England
has already been passed and that Uhe trend
is already toward prosperity again.
To revive interest in the old State and to
help keep Maine people from enigra ting 80
generally in the future as they have in the
past, he believed that "old home week" will
be great agency.
In New Hampshire, he asserted, it had
already resulted in donations of money to
rejuvenate public buildings and improve
conditions in the towns in many ways.
The next speaker was E. B. Haskell, a
New Hampshire man by birth, who in the
course of somewhat deSuitOry and discur-
sive reminiscent talk endorsed the theory of
Mr.. Mead that Maine is to have a return to
prosperity, one of the causes of which will
be the increasing desire Of agriculturalists
to be nearer navigation chan they can be in
the Western States.
Gov. Rollins gave an interesting account
of how he conceived and planned the sold
home week" of last summer in New Hamp-
shire, giving large credit to the grangers'
organizations for furthering the scheme in
all parts OF the State
He said 10000 persons came home last
summer. He was sure that next summer
the number will be 10000, and the following
year 80 600.
He considered the celebration of the GUS
tom to be of vital importance in the rejuve-
mating OF the northern New England States,
operating in two ways-in keeping the visit
ors interested in their native towns, bring
ing some home to reside permanently, and
in stimulating the pride of the people at
home, so that more work for the public well
fare is accomplished
Rev. Charles F. Dole, the succeeding
speaker, described what he termed the de.
caying public spirit among the people of
many of the smaller Maine towns, and he
expressed the belief that a general visitation
once year by live people from the buster
portions of the nation will have very
saluJary effect.
Gen. o. o. Howard, who was born on a
Maine farm, favored the project under dis
cussion, but advocated a revival of the old
fashioned scripture teachings as the best
panacea for civic deteoriation.
incidentally he spoke with enthusiasm of
our new empire, and expressed confidence
that with the Almighty helping us we eau
do the great work he has assigned to us of
aiding to extend republics all around the
globe"
Gov. Powers, when he arose to speak, was
not in accord with those who had spoken of
the Maine spirit as decadent one. He be-
lieved her schools, her standard of educa-
ton and her public men prove otherwise
He told his hearers that Maine does not need
them to regenerate her, but will be glad to
see them, nevertheless.
w. W Vaughan of Hallowe!l spoke brief
ly, and W. Cole read sympathetic letters
from Y. S. Senator Frye, John d. Loug and
Pres Harris of Amherst college,
The vote on the proposition was then
taken, resulting as already stated. The
committee appointed comprises E. B. Has
k-ll W. l. Cole, W. W. Vaughan, Charles
W. Holden and S. F. Hubbard.
The committee will carefully consider the
question of the best time to select for the
home week. which will probably be in
August or July next.
This is a list of some of the more promi-
nent men present: Gen. A. p. Martin, Will
liam A. Rust, John A. Glidden, R. G. F.
Candage, Charles A. Brown, John G. Mose-
ley. Walter D. Buck, Randall J. Elder
Chas. W. Holden, Edgar T. Achorn, Benja-
men s. Rowe, William E. Durgin, S. X
Hamilton, Thomas L. O'Brion, James G.
White, Harrison Hume, Frank f. Webster
s: S. Blanchard, 0 M. Wentworth, Roscoe
Pierce, Augustus G. Perkins, John G.
Thompson, Samuel F. Hufford, Thomas NJ. .
Babson, Prentiss Cummings, William L.
Lowell, Frank A. Hill, John A. Hasty,
George W. Cobb, John H. Putnam, Dr..
Francis T. Whittier, Edward Robinson, John
W. Hobart Boston Globe.