Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-08
ARb0R DAY At
THE GARDENS
FIVE THOUSAND CHILDREN AND
MANY GROWN FOLKS ENJOY
AN OUTING
YOUNGSTERS CARRIED FREE
BY STREET CAR COMPANY.
An Address Appropriate to the Day De-
livered by School Trustee
r. L. Clinton.

More than 5000 school children visited
Columbia Gardens today in response to
an invitation extended them by j. r..
Wharton, general manager for the street
railway company, to spend the day be-
meath the budding foliage of the gardens
as an Acknowledgement of the presence
of Arbor day. Besides the children, many
grown persons took advantage of the oc-
casion and, accompanied by lunches,
made a picnic day Of it. The school child
rem were all transported free Of charge
and were given first class service by the
company Early in the morning they be-
gan to leave the city, and although the
cars We're not crowded at first, space for
either sitting or standing was at g prem
ium before noon. AS all Of the tree plant
ing had been done last week, there We're
no attempts made in this line at the gar
dens. Instead, however, Il programme OF
exercises was carried out. 1t consisted Of
music by the Boston & Montana band, the
serving of a general lunch and the deliv-
cry Of an Grafton by Attorney II. r.. Gin
ton, a member Of the school board. Mr..
ClintOn6 remarks were If course, appro-
pirate to the occasion, dealing entirely
with matters pertaining to Arbor day.
They were as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen and Scholars.
1t has become my pleasant duty as a cit
izen Of your community and a member
OF the board of education of your school
district, to make a few remarks upon the
great scholarastic holiday known as Ar
Dor day.
Arhor day is al American innovation
as a holiday, having found it's origin in
the necessities of the treeless plains Of
one of our western states. 1t was inaug-
urated by one Of the sturdy pioneers Of
the state OF Nebraska, Hon. j. Sterling
Morton Of Nebraska City, who. on Jan
uary 4, 1872. saw the great necessity of
encouraging the planting and growing of
trees upon the fertile prairies which
stretched before him on all sides from
the capital of the state. He presented 4
resolution to the state board of agricul-
ture n designated April 10, 1872. as Ar
Dor day, offering 500 to the person who
would properly plant the greatest num-
Der or trees on that day and a $25 farm
ers library to the one securing the sec
ond prize. From this small beginning
less than 30 years ago has grown one Of
the greatest holidays known to Ameri-
can INSTITUTIONS and which has been
adopted by almost all of the states Of the
union and travelled across the Atlantis
ana found favor and adoption in all Con-
tlnental Europe and portions Of the Ori-
ent; has Travelled west through the Sand
wien islands, Japan and Australia and
mas become the most universal holiday
known to the civilization of today. The
ldea came to Mr.. Morton from reading
the observations of George P. Marsh
VINO was for a great many years Ameri-
can minister to Turkey and Italy. and
Whlle there he had occasion to observe
me great economy of the European ms in
the of their timber as com
pared to the great extravaganza of the
americans in the destruction Of their
noble forests. He also observed the o,,aa :
care the governments exercised over
thelr forestry reserves and that they
had reduced tree planting and tree cui-
ture 70 a science, using the greatest econ
t my "a an manner Of consumption of
eneiI tliloer; SO that forestry constitut-
ca one OF the most important depart
mehts OF state. Soon after returning to
inns country he published a volume en-
tltied The Earth and Man, and it con
, MaaSs that It, admirable chapter, '"The
Woous. inns, coupled with the great
necessity which lay before Mr.. Morton nj
inducing tree culture in some system
atic way on the plains Of Nebraska lea
thls sturdy pioneer to frame and present
me resolution at Lincoln on January 4,
The name Arbor day impaired a beau.
tl1ul meaning. An arST means a bower
or shaded retreat. which calls to the
young many pleasant memories and i'm
parts TO the old pleasant repose. A great
deal of discussion arose at the time con.
corning this name. as a great many "a
vofed sylvan day, meaning woods. bui
fortunately for the day and for the oc.
caslon. Arbor prevailed. In 1882 tn.
SCHOOLS OF Cincinnati took the initia,
- ~ Il SCHOOL nOlU2V qnT
on that date the schools of Cincinnati
and planted many trees which
Win their subsequent growth 1n1 love.
lness so beautified and embellished the
grounds that the spot has since beer
named Eden park, and in 1888 the Ma.
tlonal Forestry association met in St
iaul and recommended the observance OF
Arbor day throughout the land by on
SCHOOLS, and from thenceforth it has he.
come a school festival. From the sinai
beginning of Arbor day in Nebrasks
more IMAM one billion trees have beer
plahted IN Nebraska alone, Which adorr
her beautiful prairies and break n,
monotony OF her vast waste which p few
years ago seemed little less than a des
ert. and we think that Arbor day ha,
had sufficient justification in the grea
good it has already lone and which is ~,
doubt infnitesimal to the great good !
VIII do in the future. 1t is the most un.
selfish of all holidays, it's object beint
tree planting. We plant not only for IN,
present generation, but more for tn,
generations to come. While all othe
mondays except this epo on the past
Where we meet to commemorate som,
great battle or the brave deed of som,
nero or the emancipation of a nation. TO
Jay we propose to the future, we view
the rising SUN with all it's promise t,
ourselves and our posteEity, whilst on al
otnef mondays we view the setting SUI
Win only 1t fading glory. We look int,
the future and not into the mast T,
other holidays we meet to sing paean
10 the honored dead. On Arbor dav w,
meet to benefit the living and those VIII,
come after them.
1t might be well on this occasion t.
30 INTO the genesis of the tree. The his
tory of the tree is a little older than tha
or for holy writ informs N
-