The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1902-10-10
Sherman's Centennial
Celebration.
4 CENTURY OF TOWN
AND ECCLESIASTI-
CAL LIFE.
Interestingly Reviewed In
Bright Papers and Off,
Hand Addresses.
OVER A THOUSAND ENTER
TANNED BY SHERMAN'S
GENEROUS PEOPLE.

The Sherman people are to be con-
graduated on their foresight in sclecI =
ing good day for the celebration Of
their Tooth anniversary. The weather
was perfect, and everything combined
to make the celebration pass off sue
cessfully. Reaching the grounds at
noon we found dinner was just ready.
The large tent on the knoll opposite
the church was filled with tables load
ed with every thing in the line of eat
ables. Strangers were the first ones
invited to dine. The tables were rap
idly filed, seating between 400 and 500,
and still there were crowds to be ac-
cOmmodated. The tables were vacated
in about an hour and were filled up
again with food and seated with people,
and before dinner was finished there
we're nearly 1900 people fed. 1t is very
evident that the
GOOD PEOPLE OF SHERMAN ARE PRO-
FICIENT IN ENTERTAINING.
After the dinner exercises were con-
Quoted on the lawn in front of the old
church, temporary seats having been
constructed to accommodate the au-
dience, also a platform to accommo-
date the speakers and a stand for the
band. Everything was very pleasantly
arranged for the comfort of the visit
ors. Over the grounds floated a very
large flag, which was made in 1861. 1t
differed from our present flag in that
just below the stars was painted IAN
American eagle with a pennon in his
beak.
The exercises were opened by the
singing of "America,' 10y the people.
accompanied by the orchestra. Hon
J. N. Woodruff of Sherman, acting as
chairman for the day, introduced Rev
E. P. Herrick, who offered prayer.
The following address Of welcome was
then given by DR. Woodruff:
Ladies and Gentlemen and Fellow
Citizens: We welcome you. We thank
you for coming here to share with us
in the celebration of the the Tooth
birthday of the town of Sherman. We
are here not only for the enjoyment
of this day, but to renew our knowledge
OF the past, to commemorate the
events and lives of the fathers and
mothers, sons and daughters, who have
preceded us. We would not fore
the 60 years, from l74O to 1902, that We
walked hand in hand with our brothers
and sisters of New Fairfield; that our
fathers with the rest Of the good and
true men Of Connecticut, went forth
to endure the privations, hardships,
and sacrifices necessary to establish
this the greatest and grandcSt govern
ment within the history of mankind,
and whenever we stop for moment to
look back over the history of our coun-
try, especially, from 174O to 1902, for
that was the period that tried mems
souls and required men and women OF
the most sterling worth, steady pur-
pose, patience and determination that
liberty might be established on the
broad foundations Of constitutional
law. We are to refresh our memories
in a certain way of the lives of the
men and women of that time, and if
there is anything that we ought to be
proud of, it is that we are their lincal
descendants. In 1872, the men of Sher-
man took up their tirelocks and march
ed to New London to maintain what
they had commended for in 1779, and
England was again taught that the
liberty of the American citizen was as
sacred on the sea as on land, and when
the great civil contest came Sherman