The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1903-08-20

DOSlGlOuS VI " AoV ssAN ASSf
hilitv That has been all the trouble
with her: she has been too lavish with
her Jewels! Instead of inducing her
sons to remain at home, she has allow
ed other localities to reap the benefits
of the training they have received.
But they have ever been loyal children,
taking with them fondest memories. OF
their birthplace and ever thinking OF
her in the beautiful words OF Longfel-
low:
Often think of the dear old town
That is seated by the sea-;
Often in thoughts go up and down
The pleasant streets of that dear old town
And my youth comes back to me.
/ can see the shalowy lines of its trees,
And catch, in sudden CLEANS,
The sheen of the far surrounding seas
| And the islands that were the Hesperldes
| OF all my youthful dreams.
| ADDRESS OF HON. T. F. DUNToN.
! 1t seems to me peculiarly appropriate
| that we celebrate the tftleth annlverso
ary of our city during the festivities OF
| Old Home Week 1t has also seemed APP
| propriate to me that the ten minutes al
( lowed for my remarks should be chiefly
| devoted to the home side of our city
| life
| If we were to measure the prosperity
of our city by increase of population, it
would seem a dismal failure, for we
have not as many inhabitants as we
had fifty years ago. If we measure Its
prosperity by its increase i'll business
| and wealth, the showing is but little
better. But viewing it from the stand
point of the home-the old home, if you
please,-I think it has been success.
| The ideal old home admits of little
change. We fam would have it well
kept and show some signs OF improve
ment, but in all its essential features 1T
must remain the same. Such an old
home is the city of Belfast. The boy or
girl of fifty years cannot fail to recog-
niZe it.
If we compare the industries of our
city to-day with those of former years,
| fear that but little improvement in
| this direction can be shown. Still, our
! present industries are in healthy con-
dition and furnish lucrative employ
ment to our people. | have no doubt
! however, that if we had more indus
tries, we should have more people. But
; the true prosperity OF city is not al
ways indicated by its increase in bust
t I6SS anu W tdlCll VI III CliC loUIDCl VI ICo
inhabitants. In the most populous,
! busy and wealthy cities will be found
| the most suffering and misery, the most
abject poverty and degradation.
BY what standard then is the true
prosperity of city to be measured?
| Certainly by prosperity of its people.
By prosperity l do not mean the
accumulation of great wealth alone,
but the advance or gain in what is best
and most desirable. What then is the
best indication of the prosperity of a
city? | answer: the number and per-
manence of its comfortable and happy
homes. Measured by this standard,
make the assertion without fear of con-
! tradiction, that the city of Belfast is a
success. Every visitor to our city,
whether he comes as stranger, or re-
turning to it as his old home after years
of absence, is delighted with the neat,
cosy and homelike appearance of our
homes, our magnificent shade trees,
and the beauty of our streets. Every
thing betokens thrift and comfort.
1 An eloquent Irish orator once de-
scribed the people of Scotland as "a
nation cast in the happy medium be
tween the spiritless acquiescence of
submissive poverty and the sturdy Gre
dulity of pampered wealth. l think
the same might truly be said of the
people of the city of Belfast.
We are proud not only of our homes,
but of product of these homes as we'll
We are proud of the men and women
who have gone forth from these homes
to make their fortunes, and to achieve
honor and fame in other States ano
other lands, many of whom have now
returned to revisit the old home, ano
renew the friendships of former years
We hope that more will come and tina,
visits will be more frequent in the com
ing years. We are also proud OF those
who have remained in the old homes
and made our city what it is to-day
perhaps in many instances sacrificing
their ambition for wealth and fame tt
their love of the old home and its sur
roundings and the association of friends
To those of us who are as old as the
organization of our city, there are, OF
should be, two old homes,-the home
of our childhood, and the home of oul
childrens childhood. In the minds of
home" and "childhood' are inseparably
wives, daughters and sisters, as we'll as
DOuoCo duu SAOItllSto Alooo HOAP w WIN
plete the picture Of the old home, anC
for all of these Belfast is justly cele
brated
A few years ago, shrewd advertiser
took advantage of two we'll known
facts in order to call attention to his
business, and erected near the shore OF
our beautiful harbor, where all wht
entered or left could see it, large
board on which was painted: "9his i.
Belfast, the home of pretty girls an(
fair women" and of certain medicine
which would cure all diseases, or in
other words, make you new all over. y
This board has been removed, the adj
vertiser has departed from our city,
the cure-all has gone the way of al
cure-alls, but the pretty girls and fail
women remain, not the least among
, the many attractions of our city.
In connection with the theme 0!
childhood, might say in passing tina
Belfast is specially noted for its man.
pretty babies. It is only week ag'
! that the best woman | have eve
! known, and one of the best judge
of babies, came home from a bah,
J party and with much enthusiasm
! and considerable emphasis said tt
me: "Well, there, you never saw an
t such sweet, pretty babies as there Wer
| over to the North Church this after
noon" 1 retorted with some warmt
I ond little emnhasis. 81 think [ hav