The San Francisco call., 1908-05-29
NATIVE SONS
TREE PLANTED
IN YOSEMITE
Discoverer of Sequoias, Aged
95, Assists in Ceremony
Over Sapling
Presentation of Flags to School
Children Made by Judge
Cook
Delegates Cease BallOting to
Take Part in Diversified
Program
By Paul Sinsheimer

SPECIAL DISPATCH TO THE CALL
YOSEMITE, May ga variety
of entertainment was provided for the
Native Sons and other visitors to the
Yosemite today, ranging from the
tree planting and presentation of
flags to the school children to big
barbecue in the woods near the SEN
tinel hotel. The flag presentation
took place just before noon. The
delegates paused in their balloting, a
recess was taken, and the children
from the little school in the valley
nine in number-marched into the pa
vilion under the direction of their
teacher, Miss Kate Dexter. Two of
them were full blooded Indian lads.
and straight black hair in strong con-
trast to the sweet faced little girls
with golden curls.
The ceremonies opened with the Ma
tive Sons ode. Then Judge Carroll
Cook, who had suggested the presen-
tation and had raised the money for It,
spoke to the tots in simple words, tell
ing them that the Native Sons desired
them to grow up and be good citizens,
and in order to instill patriotism into
set of flags for them. There will be
one big flag to be displayed from a
new fiagstaff to be given the school by
Major H. c.. Benson. Beside this there
will be bear flag of old California a
set of silk flags to adorn the interior
of the schoolhouse and national ban
ner for each child to wave when they
sing the stars and Stripes"
Judge Cook explained that he had
visited the school the day before and
that when the teacher called upon the
pupils to read little Indian boy Sc
lected and read with spirit a bit of
poetry in praise of the American flag.
Miss Dexter's reply followed Judge
Cooks address, and then with a tiny
white girl at one side of the stage and
an Indian boy at the other, both way
ing flags, the audience sang the Star
Spangled Banner"
From the pavilion the crowd ad-
journed to lawn in front of the hotel,
where the young sequoia was planted.
J. Emmett Hayden of San Rafael in
troduced Galen Clark, now 95 years old.
The discoverer of the big trees Sc
lected one of the saplings that had
been brought down from Wawona, and,
standing erect and bareheaded in the
sunlight, his white beard dropping on
his chest. he presented 1t to Judge
Dooling with these words:
Allow me, in the presence of all
these good people, to present you with
this sequoia gigantea. 1t is native
son Of California. It's ancestors settled
in the arctic regions and the glaciers
carried them southwark until they
reached the beautiful land of Califor-
MIA, and here they, settled and found a
home"
Judge Doolfng accepted 1t. at is our
hope" he said, that this sapling will
grow and flourish and be a monument
after we and many of our descendants
have passed away. May it grow to be
the biggest native son of the state.
Others will come and find it lasting
monument
C. M. Belshaw, who had but few
moments before been elected grand
president, spoke briefly. expressing the
hope that the order would grow with
the trees This is the proudest mo-
ment of my life," he said. II dedicate
this tree TO loyalty and fidelity. All
you have to do to get a sequoia
gigantea is to plant it right. And so
sary to start them right that they may
grow to be good and loyal citizens
Around this tree we will build an iron
railing and place a suitable inscription.
Again I dedicate it to loyalty, friend
ship and charity. 1t is my hope that
the Native Sons will build up their
order with the development of this
tree. I christen it the Native Sons
tree"
Belshaw stopped to fill the earth
around the roots, but Galen Clark
brushed him aside and. crumbling the
soil with his hands, sprinkled it about
the base.
An hour later the barbecue was
spread, and the delegates gathered
about the long tables on the bank OF
the Merced river
GRAND PARLOR ADJOURNS