The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-08
EEUVICES AT COOPER'S CRAVE
fUILDREN CAST BOUQUETS On
THE GRAVESTONE.

centennial Plea for . Monument 20
the Great Novelist Poems ny julia
ward Howe and Mr. Bate rshaIl
coopERsrowN. N. Y. Aug. The most
Imnressive exercises Of the Cooperstown
centennial celebration took place at the
brave Of James Fenimore Cooper this
kf,ernoon when the village children, clad
I. h white. sang a lyric written especially
bor the occasion by Andrew B. Saxton Of
bneonta, y. ". and then. as they marched
nv. cast bouquets Of flowers on the Rrave-
Krone Of the great novelist in Christ Church
hard. ~ the opening OF the exercises
Miss Florence williamson read q poem
komposed by herself for tho occasion,
bThe ChlldFen's Cooper"
Following the ceremony Of the strewinR
bf flowers the address Of the afternoon
4, WAS delivered by the Rev. Ralph Birdsall.
kr Birdsall closed his remarks with a
ktrong plea for a Cooper He
kaid the stranger looked about him on
kislung the grave, which 10 becoming q
khure ~ pilgrimage for the people Of the
torld. for some conspicuous signal. some
Banning claim for homage. But in this
EXPECTATION he is disappointed in finding
d tllllll' a. 'of ibk tIc lN@ttbk phAC0
III the great man of letters. 1t is not sim
hlci'v that is at fault. but the expectancy
III finding IL otherwise. The stone contains
b. praise for the famous virtues OF the
head. only the name. with the dates of
birth and death and the small and simple
kross. the symbol Of his faith.
But rho time has now come, he said.
" then not in this churchyard, nor in the
kemetery, should a more eloquent tribute
10 his memory he erected. The place for
kgch a monument is at the square in the
lmain street Of the village Of Cooperstown.
Facing The park which commentaries
ilhe spot where his home once stood on
lone side with the "glimmer glass" in view
10 the north: The statue Of the monu-
Iment should he a figure OF Cooper, seated
Irpn IN hand. gazing dresmily on the ~glim-
liner glass where the phantom OF his genius
hroods.
Bishop Potter then read the following
lpoem by Julia Ward Howe:
CooPERsIowN AND COOPER.
what village Of the Western Wild
LftS It's far chsllenge Of romance
From forests by the axe unspoiled.
rom where the sklnclad sachems dance,
whose Was the note. A bard. Of old
Held Nature subject 10 his song
" uNNF ringing NlTppuFss ClchT " NOlu.
The echoes Of the world prolong.
So. klndled with poetic nre.
Aspiring from the virgin sod
Came he who 10 our hearts desire
The measure OF the Muses. trod.
what voice IKE his the legend taught
The story OF our pilgrim days.
The march with deadly danger fraught.
The heroes ignorant OF praise.
Th- hunter bold. the savage dark,
The breath Of regions unprofsued.
The rover With his phantom bark.
l The valiant spirits, rudeiy trained.
b. dear 70 10 thls sylvan ground
That holds his ashes In It's breast.
While songs OF love and praise resound
Above the beatty OF his rest
sorphsus.
The Rev. DR.. Walton W. BattershalI.
rector Of 81. Peters Church. Albany. then
rad the poem OF the occasion:
AT coorrr's cr.vx
Around the marble sculptured with the name
That gave long echoes from the mantled hills
Which frame the %glitterins mirror OF the lake.
Irhrons presences OF olden time and type.
Plastic With life. shot through with mortal blood.
Living for evermorsi IA that vast hail
lof Ina gerry. beyond the touch OF death.
IAhove the grave OF Cooper. stalwsrt soul
lAnd clean. that fought his night with trenchant
blade
FOR faith and ruth. ana died. ma rLed with tn. Cross.
30 fairy FOOTBALLS twinkle In the grass.
Is IN the great Magician's summer night
bf impish irolic and bevttched sleep.
tThe creatures OF his brain that haunt the spot
tnd hail the wizard Of the tangled wood
land fretted wave were men. carved In the flesh,
Borne on. or underneath the wheel Of nte
with love or guile or dedicated vow
ISweepiDg their spirit like q harpers hand.
Fair GllmmerglasS, he hath enchanted thee.
And hlled with dreams thy sleep amid the hills.
The footprints OF that fateful nght are on
THY rnArge, and In the moonli ght silvertng
IThy face glide spectral shapes.
The Muskrats ark
r.eps In the faint breath OF the silent night.
IBg Serpent, son Of Uncas, holds his trist
Shsrp A. the appointed sunset on the rock.
AHhrd by the serpent rivers leafy source.
And Hist. the Honeysuckle OF the HIS.
Hears in the Huron camp his squirrel note.
NStll, In The twilight Of soft summer ewes.
Sweet hymns snd prisons float on the air
From the canoe OF Hetty. IS she prays
Iover her Mothers grave beneath the lake.
IAnd now. ~ In those stored days. Judith.
Iht splendid. queens " In her tragedy
WIN warm. brave eyes. facing the Nemesis
fOf her inheritance and fatal dover.
uas ne night decpcns and the stars burn clear
LIE beacon nres, We catch the quiet voice
Of neerSayer, him OF the straight tongue. white
0 thought and deed. the moccasined P%srsifsI,
Making his argument for tortured death
TO keep the word he pledged the torturers.
I'er', IN The mystic beauty Of the lake,
o which he gave life's psthos and Its might,
INhoh crept into his youth and haunted him
Ecross the seas, nor played him false. but bresthed
INhtn he brought back TO n his crowned life.
Is gracious hahn on his unbroken force,
f' sleeps IN shadow of the shrine IN which
h' rad the riddle of that mystic sleep.
The climax Of the literary department
o. the celebration will be reached to-
fnorrow when the address commemorative
o. topper will be given by Prof. Brsnder
ENatthews and the poems OF the occasion
fead hv Clinton Scotland.
AR THE HERKIMER CENTENNIAL.
In'nt'''oN. ChanIer Says We Are Resping
me Whlrlwind of Commercial Dishonesty.