The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-06-17

portion and dignity to that extent that
 l have the honor to-day of extending a
 greeting to a larger number of com
 patriots and guests in sympathy with
 this ceremony than have ever been present on any occasion of similar
 character. Tn recognizing each year
 the deeds and emphasizing the charac- ter of some conspicuous patriot, at whose grave we have the honor as an organization of placing the marker of | this society, it is well for compatriots
 to bear in mind that in every day life
 that which is new and most exciting is
 preferred to that which is old and per
 haps more deserving; but patriotism ln
 every country is essential to the health
 and growth of a country, and we ln-
 herit it from our ancestors across the
 water, for no better examples of loy-
 atty to ones country can be found in
 the pages of history than that of our
 English ancestors to their own coun-
 try. And it may come to the minds or
 those of us who participate in these
 ceremonies that it remains for each ot
 us, in our day and our generation, to
 not only perpetuate, but to contribute
 what we can fur time for the good Of
 our country, our community and our felloW-man.
 History tells us that the three fore
 most men of the Revolutionary period in this community were Roger Sher-
 man, General David Wooster and Cap
 tain James Fillhouse.
 Roger Sherman, not only of local, but
 national fame, year ago to-day the
 assembly sounded at his grave, and such special honors as we were able to
 confer were rendered his resting place and his memory.
 General David Wooster, a native of New Haven and perhaps the next most conspicuous of thevpatriots of his day, sacrificed his life at the head of his command at the invasion of Danbury, and was buried there, although his fam l fly plot is in this cemetery, and it would not seem inappropriate that our l ceremonies to-day should include | wreath, rendered by this branch to be | placed by the proper officers at the foot of the monument of his beloved wife, Mary Clap Wooster, whose name the New Haven chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution bears, as matter of courtesy to them and recog- milton on our part of not only the men, but the women, of the Revolution James Hilhouse, conceded by all the historians of his time and since to have been one of the famous trio of consplc uous patriots always mentioned and re- ferred to, and around whose monument we cluster to-day to pay homage and respect was one of the sixty who marched from New Haven to Lexing ton less than twenty-four hours after the news had reached this place of open hostiites. Two years later we find him as lieutenant of the command, and in 1179 as captain of the Second company of Governors Foot Guard, leading his company and other volun- teers against the invasion of the Brit ish at New Haven. His brave conduct on that occasion and the part he took in the engagements on the 9th and 9th of July alone stand forth to adorn the pages of local history. Then as recruit ing officer for Governor Trumbull in his famous address to the people he ap- pealed to the "free-born sons of Amer ica to arm themselves and go forth without hire or reward against our en- elilleS, EIlu ileNtI lay uONl lIiNlE dIHlS until they had driven every invader from our land" In closing he says; Those who are inclined to accept will be kindly treated by their most obedi- ent and humble servant, James Hiu- house."
 As a member of the house of repre- sentatives in the state legislature, dele gate to the convention that ratified the Constitution of the United States, a representative of the Second congress of the United States until chosen Unit ed States senator to which office he was four times reelected, resignng to accept the office of school fund com missioner, 1t having developed in the l session of the legislature that con- siderable portion of the school fund ac- quired by the sale of land in the West l ern Reserve in Ohio, amounting to $1, | 100000, was in danger of being lost to | the state, without a single rejected suit | or a dollar paid for counsel, he restored | the fund to safety and order, rendered | it productive of large and increasing | annual dividends, and left 1t augmented | to $l700OO0 of well secured and solid | capital, not only rescuing the original | amount, but adding more than forty | per cent. to the fund during his admin ration for which he was naturally fit- | ted as financier, having been for | twenty eight years previous treasurer | of Yale college and continuing for twen ty-two years longer, making a total ser | vice of fifty years or half a century, as l treasurer of Yale college.
 In connection with Sherman and Wooster he was instrumental in secur- ing the charter of the city of New Ha- ven, which, although agitated for some time, was not accomplished until 17S4.
 Acquiring the cooperation of thirty others, he purchased ten acres, now seventeen, flor the purpose of a new burial ground" and agitated the re- moval of the graves from the upper green, which for the first hundred years after the settlement of the town had been the churchyard of New Haven. His activity in this direction is said to have been used against him in political arguments twenty years later.
 In personal appearance Hillhouse was tall and angular, with a clean-shaved face, classical. firm, intelligent. thoughtful, sweet and kindly His home was at the head of Church street, now known as Grove Hall, and the pres ent Hillhouse avenue, laid out by him, the mansion on the high ground built by him for his son. The avenue was