Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1909-05-28

That New Haven is fast losing the
bosky glories for which she has been
renowned for two centuries, and
whence her title, Elm City, was de-
rived, is bad news to thousands of
Ellis graduate sons and to many 9th
ers who visit the university town to
be edited by football contests. The
trees are dying as the result of neg
lect, and soon the picturesque streets
may be as bald as an alumnus of the
class of So 1t is estimated that elm
beetles and other insects have de-
stroyed half of the city's $4,000 trees,
and, figuring the value of tree at
$3.50, there is total loss of $780, 900.
But no monetary calculation can rep
resent the damage to beauty and the
replacement of the stately foliage can
not be accomplished in few years, or
even generations.
An association of citizens, headed
by Prof. Henry Graves of the Yale
School of Forestry, has begun move
ment to save the trees which remain.
Last fall the trees were sprayed, and
then hundreds Of fine specimens were
killed. Prof. Graves and the citizens
behind him are trying to have the
care of the trees placed in the hands
of competent park commission.
Next to the university itself the
trees of New Haven have been the
city's chief glory since the town was
founded, in 1886 Trees were planted
around the central green at once, and
in 1860 Jared Elliott warned the colon
lists that the trees must be protected
from savage beasts" The elms which
have lined the green and the central
streets were planted in 1886, accord
ing to the chronicles of New Haven
| Green" by Henry T. Blake.
! Prof Franklin Bowditch Dexter of
Yale points out in his paper, New
Haven in 1884," that Elm street took
it's name from the patriarchial trees
| planted in front of the house of Rev
| DIR. Pierpont, which remained till 9
few years ago Rev. DIR. Leonard Ba
con, one of the most famous pastors
in the history of the Center church OF
New Haven, thus told of the planting
of the first tree in front of the Pier
pont residence:
"As the people were bringing il
their free-will offerings of one kim
and another to complete and furnish
the building, one man "a poor parish
Toner William Cooper by name), de
string to do something for the object
and having nothing else to Offer
brought on his shoulder from TIL
farms two elm saplings and plante
them before the door of the minister
house. Some 40 years afterwar
(1726) Jonathan Edwards, then 500
to take rank in the intellectual worl
with Locke and Liebnitz, spoke WORD
of mingled love and piety in the ear I
Sarah Pierpont under their shade"
Mr. Blake's Chronicles" show tn;
! a systematic planting of trees throug
> out the city took place in 1853. Pre-
Dexter thinks that the large butte
:, wood tree which has stood in front
the First Methodist church in FL
, street is probably relic of that
= nous planting This tree has ST
!, cumbed to recent neglect and is ne
. dead. Prof Dexter says that %
= buttonwood and elm trees were S
: out in 1859 around the green"
y Rev. Samuel Peters says in h
General History of Connection
written in 1881 in London, that N.
Haven was the most beautiful town
8 New England, if not in America
ID eulogized the trees of the town, |
IS descendants of the dissenters W
n founded New Haven record that n
30 Haven was far less favorably
80 pressed with the old Tory parson tn
al Rev. Mr. Peters was with New /
ven. Rev. Manasseh Cutler wrote
- similar vein of his visit to New ]
ven In 1887. He said that the tr,
C. awefe large, and added much to
1g towns beauty" He made special m
I'd ton of the long rows across the C
no ter of the green.
gh The incorporation of the city
in 1884 gave impetus to planting me
b. ment in connection with the beaut
on ing of the city, although when
M British invaded II in 1879 their g
as eral, Garth, looked at the trees
u wrote home that "the town is
~ pretty to burn" The great plant
- of New Haven trees. however, '