The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-08-22
HE record
of an in6-
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of a onm-

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is the most significant evidence
of greatness. The memory of noble
deeds wrought by noble men is con-
slant inspiration, and the monuments,
or landmarks, that commemorate these
deeds and persons are the material re-
minders of the glorious past in which
those notable figures lived and moved.
In many communities historic places
have been preserved for public use,
and in several cases complete histories
have been compiled for future refer
ence.
Thruout New England there are
hundreds of places that have been pre-
served or marked as the birth places or
homes of historic personages, or the
places where were conceived or car
ried out plans or achievement, political.
social, literary or economic, that have
been far reaching in their results, and;
linked about every spot is a wealth of
tradition which should be preserved to
enrich the pages of history. These
apots have three-fOld value, senti-
mental, historic and commercial. The
portfolio of returning tourist contains
as many sketches of the homes OF
Shakespeare and Scott as OF the house
of parliament and the battlefield of
Waterloo.
Plymouth, Concord, Lexington and
Bunker Hill represent more than towns
or communities. They stand for eras
in history, and as such are visited by
thousands every year; for reasons of
sentiment, because they have been
marked in the pages of history as
standing sor something besides geo
graphical location; and SO it is with
Saratoga, Bull Run and Gettysburg,
each spot being writ large with the
valorous achievements of war.
The history of a nation is no longer
arecord of her wars alone, for war is but
a circumstance and not condition in
national progress. The names of Long
fellow, Emerson and Whittier have
given a sacredness of association to
the material things with which they
were surrounded, and their old homes
are the objective points of many tour
lets. From this we can see that the
preservation and location of historic
sites is a duty that each generation
owes to the next. 1t is the preserVa'
ton of history in such form, that, he
who runs may read.
If we consider, however, only the
sentimental advantage derived from
the reverence for places and objects OF
historic interest, we can see that it II
wise for any city to preserve sucf
monuments or relics of other ages
For the spirit of reverence for ances
try, worthily expressed, has a grea
deal to, do with the development o.
any nations prowess. Nations tina
have grown cold or Indifferent to tn
obligations of ancestral reverence, a
Greece had just before her invader
made her pass under the yoke, hav'
suffered great material disadvantage
But we have seen the once neglected
altho now eagerly courted Japan, de
rive the utmost material advantag
from the spirit of emulation of tn
virtues and achievements generally at
tributed to the ancestors of the peopl
of Nippon. This is sentiment pur
aud simple, and yet who can overesti
mate its practical material advantage
OF course we understand that hit
toric objects are not in themselEe
things to be reverenced, but they serv
most admirably as reminders of tn
historic subjects whose greatness the
perpetuate, and, therefore, historic OF
jects always will have to the right
tuned mind certain distinct and III
impeachable value.
Since the great mass Of mankin
think and feel along practically th
same lines, historic objects are not
interest only to the people Of the con
munity In which they stand; but o.
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