Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-06-14
The Old Home Spirit.

Week idea in Massachusetts with al
the enthusiasm shown in New Hamp.
shire when it originated there and in
| this State when it was adopted here a
| year or tNo later. Governor Guild has
| issued a long and eloquent proclama-
| ton calling upon the wandering chill
dfen of the old commonwealth to come
back for that week, and appealing to
them a fitting welcome. Let the hos
ritaIity Of Massachusetts. always gra-
cious. be overlooking in greeting to her
| own" he says. Massachusetts is max
| ing extensive plans. especially in Bos-
ton, and plainly expects to make the
affair an unqualified success.
| Cf course we all hope that the dreams
of Massachusetts will be realized but
having had experience with Old Home
Week celebrations and attempted cele-
bIations down this way we must be
| pardoned for having our doubts, al
| though perhaps it is unkind for us to
| give them utterance. Nobody disputes
| splendid thing. 1t has done much for
New Hampshire where it originated
! and where the observance has been
| carried out with much more success
than has attended the attempts Of
Maine and other states to follow its
example. Here in Maine the Old Home
Week celebrations had a fair measure
Of success for the first year or two and
a law was placed upon the statute books
setting apart a week in August 10 be
celebrated as Ola Home Week through
out all the coming years. but since that
time there has been no general obscrv
ance of the week and only few local
celebrations Of minor Importance.
This is by no means to he understood
a. meaning that the Old Home spirit is
dead or dying in the scores Of thou
sands Of sons and daughters Of Maine
who have east their lots in other states,
or that there is any lack of hospitality
here within our borders. On the other
hand, former residents Of Maine and
their children are more numerous than
ever III the increasing army of visitors
vino come to Maine each summer.
Here they renew the old associations
and the love Of their mother State
grows stronger in their hearts. The
State gives them warm and generous
w, leone, is the better for their coming
and looks forward to their return an
other year.
at official and formal Old Home Week
celebrations have not been successful
enough here to warrant their continu-
;tncc. Those who cor.c back to their
old bones do not want to nave their
coming attended ny pomp and parade,
fireworks ana band music, banquetS
ari speeches. They come to the old
home ) in our little villages and on the
lonely hillsi1cs;. stopping perhaps with
or boarding at farmhnu@"s and hotcls.
They want to visit the old nciGhborS
who are LETT, to spend an hour i'll the
Oh cemetery. and to visit the familiar
scenes 'f school days and youth. Per
Iaps they come for only a few days or
Il week. perhaps they have bought the
nld plac" Or an abandoned farm in the
town and cone" with automobiles and
servants aud spend the whole summer
there
Any way. thty come hy hundreds and
housandS {" every part of the State.
not So ,nucn to thc popular watering
pla,.r.; ana inland resorts whore our
other summer visitors 20 as to the
towns where they were born and to
which they are bound by tics that dis
tancc ana Ia" years can never sever
Th"v came before Old Home Week was
ever heard Of and they will come long
years after the expression il forgotten,
or the Old Home spirit is i'll their
hearts ana no invitations or proclama-
tionS ur Claborat" programs IF WclcOm"
are needed To- remind them of the old
home ana draw IN IN back to it when
the summer season comes.
And 80 it is that old Home Week
as an institution of celebrations and
formal official welcomes has not been
q success here in Maine. We doubt
very much if it can he made Il last
ing success in Massachusetts or else
where. ANA Yet such plans as Mas
Sachusctts is making do n" harm and
may do much good. Certainly the idea
Of celebrating old Home Week here in
Maine has resulted in many centennial
celebrations by towns. in an increased
of family and school reunions.
in special meetings 10y the Grange or
carnations ana the churches, and in
many such occasions. helpful and IN
tnrcSting both to the communities