The morning journal-courier., 1908-10-16

American is previous with its question:
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 THE WEBSTER tNNIyEpsARy.
 Today marks the one hundred and fftieth anniversary of the birth of Noah Webster, one of tho greatest of great men In New Ravens history Not only did he graduate here as n son of Eli in the class of ITS, but 1t was from here during hs college course that he started out in hlg fath- CTS militia company against Bur goSne, when the latter threatened to snuff out the colonial cause with an ln- vaslon from Canada, Ii was here, in a house still standing and we'll known to every New Havener that he wrote hls forerunner of Amerlsn dictionaries here that he received hs honorary doc tors degree from the college here that he was much-sought orator quite as often az Fourth of July or any other occasion of moment came, and here that he served his city es judge of the city court, alderman, councilman and legislator.
 It is, therefore, most appropriate that New Haven should sec Al today to make public recognition today Of . son whose name Is known wherever the English language is spoken and beyond New Haven has produced many men of mark in it's day X visit to the rooms of the historical society will suffice to recall their names But among them there has not been n finer scholar, better patriot, n more loyal Yalensian and New Havener than Noah Webster, and well may all Com necticut do honor to his memory today in whatever way seems appropriate
 II was no easy task that Noah Web ster faced when he undertook the gi. gantfc work of indexlng and defining for the first time the English language as spoken in America Many of his de, I 1nitons may sound crude today, but, I if there were any to scoff at what ht did. they do not include those who have been engaged, in one way pr an. other since his time, in revislons of hi, l work They found their task one of tho most difficult imaginable and have re. alzed how infinitely more difficulr must have been his pioneer work ot dictionary creation Few men have been more influential than Noah Web. in the cause of elementary education His text books in spelling, reading anc grammar made his name q household word throughout America Many : noted American of the early part o the last century received his rudi ments of education in the simple, littlt books which came from his pen
 We of latter-day America are al ways prone 10 think of our mode o life as being typically strenuous ant our efforts as being particularly con. stant But here wes a man full cen tury ago who was the prototype of in exhaustible energy and indefatiFahlt labor. For eight long hours day h, used to labor upon his exacting die tionary definitions, seated by the nortf windows of his home at Temple anc Grove street at little table which | still preserved in the rooms of tn, historical society T. was a work c years duration at which most mei would have faltered long ere they fin lshed Noah Webster was typical o modern Americans For that reason h should seem much nearer to us todd, on the one hundred and 1ftieth ami versary of his birth In West Hartford As long as there Is neeed of American ized English and American education secondary and collegiate, his name i sure to to remain and his memory | keep green,