Casco Bay breeze. [volume] (South Harpswell, Me.) 1901-1917, 1905-08-24
OLD HOME WEEK.

the past realization and those of an.
ticipation that one thinks of Old Home
Week. To those who have tasted.
no description is necessary or of sum.
cient power to portray those feelings.
To those who are strangers any depic-
ton seems equally incapable of &C
comprising more than a suggestion
Of the reality. Maine has had a taste.
and there are many who hunger for
more. and we wish to know IL there
Is not reason for their hungering. For
the first time in years, many natives
OF Maine who had been away to
all parts of the world, gathered to-
sether in the state for a good old
time-and they had it. There were
family reunions, school reunions. club
reunions. till il seemed as though the
smiling. happy faces were all back to
vibrate in harmony with the beautiful
Maine summer. The first Old Home
Week was an epoch in the annals of
the state. II Gid not signify simply
that a lot of people had returned home
to greet and to receive greetings. II
meant far more than that. for IL was
the first successful attempt to bring
within the confines of the state those
who. endowed with it's native energy
absorbed from the sea, the winds,
and the sun had gone out. and to use
a cogent phrase. had made good"
1t means much to have men of
Maine who In every state of the I'm.
Ion have made their mark, return once
more to the state of their nativity. for
they then can see something that in
the intensity of their work they may
have not realized, that Maine has
even while they have been away, had
much to do with their progress. II Is
strong and rugged state and as such
has developed strong and rugged men.
To their Maine endowment of vitality
they have added much, and this much
they can bring back with them, and
bringing. can and do willingly give.
Maine can hardly estimate her gain
in rubbing elbows with those of her
sons who have grown by travel and
by training. Seeing how much has
been gained in the past. is anything
more than suggestion necessary TO
point the obvious path IL We are to
continue to grow? The meetings. pic.
mics. the recounting of stories and of
experiences. the injection of the
breadth of traveller into the homely
philosophy of the man who never hay.
ing left the state has sought and
found life of worth i'm the town
where he was born, mean growth,
and growth means broader and
purer life. But placing to- one side
for moment that gain which is so
momentous AMI yet if we attempt to
trace IL, so intangible, let us look at
another phase. There is money in ii.
Considered simply as matter of
dollars and cents, there are strong
reasons why Maine should have
general influx of native sons. Sup
pose one says that we win lose a
great many who will go to their own
homes. is that any great objection? IL
other states have their reunions. then
we will lose some, but is IL not a re-
cosnized fact that Maine men have
settled in nearly every town i'm the
United States? More can feel the de-
sire TO return Eere because of the
reasons that they were born here.
and that in summer Maine is an ideal
state, than we can easily estimate,
for Maine men i'm this country are
legion. There would be tremendous
increase in the number already large
of those who travel here. There
would be great increase. the regular
holiday increase. in the receipts of the
stores of Portland and of all the other
cities and towns. There would be
more ready money here. for any ap-
preparations made by the various
communities would be small compar.
ed with the influx. and that gain
would obviously he ours.
There is no real good reason. out
side of inertia, which never receives
any support, why Maine should not
have an Old Home Week. IL not every
year. then every two years. There
is everything To gain, and nothing to
lose. and such propositions as this
would seem to have but one solution.
which Is to- carry IL out to- a success
full end. II is fortunate that the plan
Is receiving the support that II is.
No such arrangement Is possible for
this year, but many men of promi-
niece are agitating II for next year.
At a recent meeting of the Board OF
Trade. ex-Mayor r. T.. Boothby
championed the oarse. and found that
there was strong sentiment In its
favor. Hon. Mr. Boothby is a strong
man to have as an advocate for any
plan. and we feel sure that with the
cooperation Of these men Of Portland
and Of other cities who believe In
this, II will go through.