Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-28
TER-CENTENARY
July 40 Of Discovery
Of Lake Champ|ain.
Elaborate Program Arranged
By New York and Vermont.
Pre- sident Taft Plans to Be Present
During the Week.

dred years ago. in the summer of 1903,
Samuel de Champaign. explorer and
cOlOnizer, leading an expedition south
ward from Quebec. discovered the pic
turesuue lake which bears his name.
The precise date is not known, but it
was either on or very near the 4th of
July, and to celebrate the tercentenary
of this memorable event New York
and Vermont have Joined hands in ar
ranging exercises for the week of July
40. The Federal Government and
Canada will also participate.
Along the historic shores of Lake
Champlain where for years the tide
OF war surged to and fro during the
march from savagery to civilization,
its stories and legends will be told
again in Il series of celebrations COM
memurative of incidents of early naval
and military struggles. Here Cham
plain. leading the Algonquins and HUI
rons against the Iroquois, won the bat
tie of Lake Champlain. Here, also,
bloody campaigns were waged to de-
termine whether English or French
civilization was to be uppermost in
America. In the revolutionary days
LlSOiilCIoSdg SIo"H olIlt 1
burg We're the scenes of decisive en-
gagements, while in Plattsburg Bay
the Americans won the most import
ant naval victory of the war.
+ The tercentenary commissions of
New York and Vermont have arranged
elaborate programs in which President
Taft, Vice President Sherman, Speaker
Cannon, Ambassador Jusserand of
France, Ambassador Bryce of Great
Britain, United States Senators Root
and Depew. Governor Hughes of New
York. Governor Prouty Of Vermont.
Postmaster-G General Lemux of Canada
and other digni+aries will take part.
Churches throughout New York and
Canada have been invited to observe
Sunday. July 4, with special services.
Cardinal Gibbons and other prominent
clergymen will participate in the ser
vices at Plattsburg. Indian pageants
will he presented daily at various
places. An artificial island has been
contracted by covering floating barges
with earth and rocks. Trees. bushes
and grass will be growing on the is
land. and stockades. wigwams. tepees
and sandy beaches will lend real
astic setting to the pageants. one
hundred and fifty native Indians. de-
scendants of the original tribes that
occupied portions of the Champlain
valley at the time of it's discovery by
Champlain will reproduce the Battle
of Champlain with the Iroquois. and
will also present a dramatic version of
I.ongfellow's "Hiawatha." The island
will he towed about the lake to the
places where the formal exercises are
to be held.
Monday. July 5. will be given over to
ceremonies at Crown Point, the site
OF old Fort Grown Point. commemora-
tive of the part it played in the coun-
try's early history. There will be re-
view of the Tenth Regiment which will
be in camp there. and the Indian page
ants will follow the formal exercises,
which include addresses by Governor
Hughes, Former Mayor Seth Low of
New York City. Albert c. Barnes of
Chicago. Chief Justice of the Superior
Court of Illinois, and DR.. Clinton Scol-
lard.
President Taft and party will arrive
on Tuesday from Norwich. Conn, and
will attend the exercises that day at
Fort TicOnderOga. the scene of Ethan
Aliens triumph. The New York State
commission and it's party of distin-
guisEed guests. including members of
the Legislature. will arrive from AL
bany on a special train. Here the chief
address will be delivered by Speaker
Cannon, and the historical address by
Hamilton Mabie, Editor of The Out
look. President Taft, Vice President
Sherman, Senator Root, Ambassador
Bryce, Ambassador Jusserand Govern
or Hughes, Governor Prouty and Percy
Mackaye are also on the program of
speakers. Following the actresses the
party will leave for Hotel Champlain.
on Bluff Point, three miles south of
Plattsburg. where the New York COM
will entertain it's numerous
guests.
Champlain Day at Plattsburg on
Wednesday is expected to be the ban
ner day of the weeks celebration.
During the forenoon President Taft
will visit the Catholic Summer School
of America, at Cliff Haven. on his way
to Plattsburg. Later the President
and other guests will be entertained
at luncheon. at the residence of Smith
NJ. weed. a military parade in which