The Newtown bee., 1904-08-19

northward the eastern domains of Put nam and more distant Duchess cOun- | ties, with their hills and plains and l mountain ranges, like Alps o'er Alps | arise.' No wonder the sight of all this i beauty and grandeur inspired the learned and much travelled Dr Vile of Danbury to tell us, last year, that it IS THE MOST ENCHANTING SCENERY | HE HAD EVER LOOKED UPON!
 And here the sons and daughters gath CT each year to greet each other and have good time. All honor to those "sons" living in Danbury, Norman Hodge, LeGrand Hopkins and others of like mindedness, who, cherishing loyalty to their native town, initiated this love feast in Au- gust, 1893, with only eleven attending members. They were not discouraged with this small beginning, but remem- bered that tall oaks from little acorns grow, this small gathering continued to increase yearly till it numbered more than 2OOO last year. In this con- nectiOn am reminded of Sir Walter Scott's stirring lines on love of coun- Try, no less applicable to love of ones natal home: Breathes there the man with soul so dead, That never to himself has said, This is my own, my native land? Whose heart hath ne'er within him burned,
 As home his footsteps he hath turned, From wandering on foreign strand? If such there breathe, go, mark him well,
 For him no minstrel raptureS swell,
 High though his titles proud his name, BOundleSS his wealth as wish can claim, Despite those titles, power and pelf, ] The wretch cOncentered all in self, 1 Living shall forfeit fair renown, l And, doubly dying, shall go down
 To the vile dust, from which he sprung, Unwept, unhonored, and unsung.
 Surely no part of this severe arraign- ment by the poet can apply to the sons and daughters of New Fairfield, whose home patriotism is so conspicuous and enduring.
 Hendrick Wildman of New Fairfield, one of the oldest men, was then intro duced and said in part: You scarce can expect one of age and size to speak in public on the stage. 1 was not here to-day to make speech but to see old friends and to give them the hearty handshake and welcome. always enjoy picnic and suppose it is be- cause 1 went to one about "A years ago,
 just north of here, and l guess that
 then l made a speech, but do not know
 as any one could tell what I was say
 ing. The committee of this picnic
 should receive our hearty thanks for
 the hard work they have done and the
 pleasant time they have given us to-
 day. I propose we give three cheers
 for Judge l.. L. Hopkins, the retiring
 president of the association and pre-
 siding officer of the day. A hearty
 three cheers were then given to Judge
 Hopkins, which closed the literary ex-
 erciSeS of the day. A good many re-
 mained for an hour or more on the
 grounds
 RENEWING OLD ACQUAINTANCEs
 and enjoying talking over the old
 times when they were boys and girls,
 which throughout the whole day was
 one of the main features of the picnic.
 It made those who had advanced in
 years feel young again as they grasped
 hands with old friends and talked of
 boyhood and girlhood days, and as each
 one departed he felt that the 18th an
 nual gathering of the Sons of New
 Fairfield in Adams grove had been a
 grand success in every way, and all
 hope to be able to be present next , year. Enough cannot be said in praise of the hard work done by the officers and committees of the association
 that each one present should enjoy the day in every way possible and to them
 is due the grand success of this years gathering.
 Among those present from out of
 town were: Judge l.. L. Hopkins, At : torney Charles Murphy, Mayor J. R. Booth, Alexander Turner, H. Hart Purdy, John Mccarthy, H. N. Fanton, John Moran, William A. Leonard,
 Henry Purdy, Frederick P. Crofut,
 Fred Benjamin., John K. Woodruff John Light, z. Spirro, W. T. Woodin,
 e9gs r fSe Reeer EeGa John aea Ia%on M1
 len Downs, Eber A. Hodge, all of
 Danbury.
 HON J. LIE ROY BUCK
 and daughter, A. J. McMahon, s. L. Warner, A. H. McMahon, William Sullivan, James Sullivan, Henry Don.
 nelly, William Clark, Charles Addis, Thomas Glennon, Eugene Barton, c. A. Hayes, John Clark, Carl Crossman, New Milford.
 MT and Mrs Philo Gilbert, Dr A. B. Barber and family, F. B. Sturges, c. H. Hurlburt, George Durant, MT and Mrs Smith Cunning, Frank A. Judd of Bethel.
 } MT and Mrs Morris B. Nicholson, Samuel T. Rogers, of Bridgeport. MT and Mrs Henry Foote, H. Hen : drickson, MT and Mrs F. H. Elsenboss, P. H. Dixon and family, L. J. Sturde- want, w. H. Barnum, of Brookield. David Murphy of Brooklyn, N. Y. Henry Stevens of Weston, Neb. Henry Tucker George H. Adams of Patterson, N. Y.
 , Abel M. Sherwood, Miss Ada Rogers of Bedford Station.
 s. J. Benedict of Branchville. MT and Mrs Edward Finch, Mrs A. J. LObdell of Salem Center, N. Y. A. M. Read of Bedding. MT and Mrs Frank Hungerford, MI and Mrs Nelson Hungerford of Sher- man.
 MT and Mrs w. Finch of North
 Salem.
 J. l.. James and family, Mrs Ira
 Wildman, Bert Wildman, AdOlph ! Carlson, Clarence Ruff1es, Henry M.