Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1905-06-01
AfTER FIFTY YEARS
FLINT WILL PAUSE AND con-
TEMPLATE IT'S GROWTH.
ALL PEOPLE INVITED TO JOIN
MONUMENTS OF EDUCATION
AND ADVANCEMENT.
Will Mark the Passing OF the
Golden Mile Post In the City's
Pathway.
ALL PEOPLE INVITED TO JOIN

Tor many, many miles IL was
quiet peaceful river. 1t was not ma
jestic; just the calm, smooth passage,
| as OF the even uneventful life of an
| individual in pastoral surroundings,
| unknowing the turmoils of a metropo-
| lis and unknown To the world. Com
mence at either end and the simile of
| the quiet life tells the tale of that
river. Ii commenced. as life in child
hood, a tiny stream from natures un-
known and fathomless storehouse, and
wandered forth. The tufts OF grass,
| the roots OF trees. the nearby stone or
pebble guides its little way as the
| mother caressingly teaches babyhood
| to creep. to toddle. to walk; and as
walking. banks form themselves and
mutely say to the strengthening,
broadening band of nature here lies
your way to your life's work"
As onward IL passes over yonder.
| q nook of shaded calmness sings of
peace and pleasure i'm the sheltering
| of a powered cove, and il fingers tast-
| ing the sweets OF careless, quiet indo-
| lence, toying with the graces of droop-
| ing siren willows or elms or counting
the beautiful lily who lives upon the
dalliance, yet says not stay forever
here"
What speaks?
The shining stream stays not, but
with spirit as OF determination.
springs forward and almost as il with
repentance also, holds strong. straight.
steadily to the onward course. First
on one side then on the other, il over
takes stripping of nature, coming
| from some by-path i'm natures world.
and with quick grasp hurries them on.
singing To the universe our work is
kindred and we work together" None
| too soon came the added strength. for
| in the way beyond are counter ele
ments az III to try that determination
OF purpose which put aside the sweet
pleadings or the powered cove or the
eager vigor OF added kindred force. So
with a mighty rush and a laughing
cheer II breaks into foam Of energy.
Generalship evolves from the same
source whence came the manly resolve
not To daily. Here deep and quiet is
the undermining effort, while there,
with noisy demonstration. seems TO
run the scheme of divergence. Relay
after relay comes on with the power
OF purpose and the purpose OF
CONQUEST. The counter element
seems TO stand but as the
stream passes on it laughs back that
there is no standing still, no stopping,
but onward, forward. progress and ac-
complishment in the fulfillment OF it's
obligations.
In all this Journeying OF natures
stream, IL never cea,sed to echo back
|, the song OF natures woods and to-
gether the stream and the woods pass
ed down times highway From one
stream to another woods carried the
message that they were partners in
developing the land which they wa
tered and shaded and fertiliZed for the
future and they loved 1T. From one
end OF the unbroken woods To the
other the stream carried the message
of everlasting love and its dependence
upon the sturdy protection of the for
ests for its own existence and that of
the future.
The forests furnished the bark ca
noes that the streams bore for the In
dams. i'm the pioneer act OF develop
ment that fell To them to perform. IL
was a community OF interests OF the
simplest kind. And that was many
years ago. but always for the future.
Was 1t irony that made few lines
back say that the stream and woods
passed down times highw8y together?
Better ii might have read in pro-
phetic language that stream and forest
would play their part and pass off
from natures stage Was 1t prophesy
that made the stream mockingly sing
to the impeding rock, there Is no
standing still, no stopping, but on
ward, forward. progress and accom-
plishment?" An adage has said Thine
will tell" and time Is telling today
that long years ago nature signed
contract with time TO work together,
with all the forces OF each TO produce
civilization, education, advancement
and betterment for mankind even If,
like the pelican. IL took it's own LIES
blood to foster the product OF the
contract. So nature allowed her for
ests to fall for mans benefit, and her
rivers mourned for their forest loves
and pinned away TO mere trickling rivu-
lets. The sturdy trader who pioneered
and blazed the way for the civilization
promised I'm natures contract, passed
with the Indian. but another class OF
pioneers. the homemakers, followed,
and il was by their axe and saw that
natures pelican act or self destruc-
ton for posterity was performed. The
forests fell and the streams brought
them to the Crossing OF the Flint. az
captives I'm the bonds Of civilization.
Fifty years have moved along since
the first fulfilling OF natures contract
with time commenced at the Crossing
OF the Flint, and like the triumphal
arch OF a Caesar or Pompey. today
the beautiful city OF Flint, Michigan.
stands "A dual monument OF the cap
tivity Of the forest and the stream, and
the honest fuillment or that bene-
ficent contract.
Flint proposes TO pause and contem-
plate the achievements Of fifty or
hundred years, to do honor TO the pio-
neers who made the captives and dedi-
cate monuments marking the begin
ming OIL dnOtneT peIlou III Nht luitllllb
OF the unending contract. The city
will open its gates, i'm fact will throw
down it's walls. and invite all the peo-
pie TO join I'm celebrating its fiftieth
anniversary as a municipality or June
eth and Sth. IL Will particularly in
vite the former residents OF the city
10 return and see how well they
builded. and how well their SUCCESSORS
have developed what was left for them
to do The monuments to mark this
fifty years OF municipal existence are
peculiarly characteristic OF the con-
tract OF time and nature to evolve civ
ilization, education. Advancement and
betterment
The corner stone OF an artistic Fed
eral Building will be laid with Masonic
honors and federal recognition In the
presence OF Vice President Fairbanks
Senators Alger and Burrows and Con-
gresham :. w. Smith. new public
library. the gift OF the Hon. Andrew
Carnegie. will be dedicated under the
auspices OF the Board of Education,
with President Angel. OF Michigan
university, and Bishop Foley as spon-
sors. new and beautiful court house