The Newtown bee., 1905-08-11
GOV ROBERTS GRAFTON.

GOV ROBERTS GRAFTON.
AT THE BI-CENTENNIAL EXERCISES,
SATURDAY.
In celebrating the two hundredth
anniversary of the purchase from the
| Indians of land which now constitutes
complishing a purpose which must
carry with it much that is interesting
and Instructive. The older Connecti-
cut towns have in their history that
that is attractive and inspiring in the
lives of former inha and In the
events that have taken place in them.
| NewtOwn is among this number ana
it's present residents may look BACK
and refer to much that is laudable and
instructive in deeds and events-for 1t
| is in these rural communities thai we
| find that some of our most diStln-
guished and able men and women nave
been born, bred and passed part OF
their lives And it has been a prevail
ing and worthy custom to take note OF
these special periods in a towns hls-
| tory, such as the one you now celeDrate,
| to 20 into the retrospect and to draw
therefrom lessons of value to present.
and coming generations, and there can
| be few exercises CT more worth to the
youth of these towns than such cele-
brations; for not only are the examples
of worthy lives held up, to them TO en-
ulate, but generous and praiseWorthy
deeds and plishment are again
rehearsed and an incentive is afforded
to follow in the footsteps of those who
have performed valuable service In
their day for the good of the commun-
ity in which they lived, or for the
State or Nation.
Should recall the names of persons
who inhabit or have inhabited this
village, the list would be found to IN
clude those to whom have referred.
And it is the celebration n, or tn les e
anniversaries that is helpful to the
towns interest and betterment, for it
| is a means of only increasing and slim
ulating the activity of those resident
in the town, but it recalls the 3ssocia-
| tiOnS of former residents and mutually
they tend to the accomplishment OF
something that is of credit to the COM
munity.
The Old Home Week movement
ought to be more and more fostered as
leading to the result which have just
mentioned and in other states where
| it has taken a stronger hold than 1T
has in Connecticut it has been fraught
with great good-by uniting the inter-
estS Of those who have been former in
habitants of the town with those resi-
dents who are now interested and &C.
tive in it's concerns; churches nave
been aided; waste places reclaimed,
i libraries built; schools assisted ana
monuments and memorials commem-
Grating noted events or distinguished
personages have been erected, and SO
nd nhin0f taCSnnS
there is handed down to coming gen
erations not only knowledge of what
has worthily TRANSFERRED before within
the bounds in which they dwell, but
also which will incite them to make
their lives equally worthy and their
community more attractive. we nave
few towns in our Commonwealth more
attractive than this one, with It's
broad street, Its fine shade trees, its
healthful location, it's beautiful lang /.
Scape, it's inviting dwellings, so that II
has been for years the delight of. the
visitor and the rendezvous for those
who enjoy spending their summers IN
its environs, breathing the pure all
and delighting the eye in the fail
scene which it behOlds. So, my fellow
citizens of Newtown, you should es-
TEEN yourselves most fortunate, for
you have a goodly heritage and YOU
dwell in a pleasant and delectable
abiding place.
And how many Of these delightful
spots we have in Connecticut. l have
Especially noted this since my Undue
tion into Office as your public servant
Who can ride through the broad MaiI
street of Brooklyn in our State, with
it's fine equestrian statue OF Putnam
in it's central square, it's lofty over
shadowing elms and the charming
landscape id view, without rejoicing
that God has made these goodly scene!
for one to enjoy; and who can lool
upon the Putnam monument without
riot1sm and higher resolve. This
Brooklyn street, with your. own, arr
fair examples of the many to which
might refer for their attractivenes
and beauty.
1t NAV not be out of place at this
time to refer to the progress made il
the past two hundred years in civiliz
, alton, both by our State and Nation
and to some of the qualities and char
acteristics which have made our nation
great and our State holding the posi-
tion of high respect which She doe
among our sister states.
Two hundred years ago our stat
was sparsely settled and the inhabi
| tants of our Union of States Occupiet
| only small portion Of it's present area
aThere was early developed that love Q
> freedom and justice among the lnhat
itants of the Connecticut Colony Whic]
afterward showed itself in such stron
. and vigorous force. For in the Colon
ial and Revolutionary wars Connecti
cut displayed her patriotic spirit, an
at all times of Crisis in our country
history has furnished distinguish
examples of LOYALTY and devotion II
every cause Of righteousness and jus
tice. Her love for. education of he
sons and daughters was spirit quick
ly displayed and the church and school
house were companion structures
desire for learning, (which has been fos
tered in every hamlet, within tn
bounds of the State and which ha
been the means of establishing leac
ing university and schools and college
S of wider than state fame, With
whose walls are gathered student
from every realm Of the civilized worl
and from which are graduated me
and women who have played large an
distinguished parts in life's role an
have, in the two centuries past, bee
= distinctly advancing civilization an
helpful to humanity, we are all justl
proud of Connecticut in this respeC
and of the honored place she holds i
matters of advanced and advancin
t education, in all it's branches.
" Industrially and materially her pros
ress has been even greater, from tn
time the first steamboat was built an
launched (the invention of Connec