The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-06-16
The champlaln Memorial
open


The Plattsburgh Evening Star ad-
vocates the plan of erecting two mon
uments to Champlain, one at Bluff !
Point and one at Burlington by the
states of New York and Vermont sep
arately, each state using its own fund. |
The two commissions we believe have
each considered the separate propos-
ition but no definite conclusion has
been reached by either The state of
New York could provide a satisfac-
tory separate memorial from its ex-
listing fund and no doubt could secure
more money If necessary. But by
Joint action with Vermont the fund
would be large enough to erect an adj
equate memorial to the great French
man. On the other hand the Vermont
fund alone expressed in a memorial
would be insignificant, unsatisfactory
and not creditable to a, sovereign
state of the Union. Moreover to erect
dual memorials would emphasize the
small mindedness of the men of the
two commonwealth and would rather
degrade than magnify the states and
the man. 1t would appear that Cham
plain was not big enough to compel
the men of this time to erect an ed
equate monument to embalm forever
the greatness of the man and his
deeds. How much better to plant
one great monument in the lake or
on the most natural point for such
a memorial to stand and to make it
conspicuous and artistic enough TO
be a credit to the two states which
surround the lake-hOw much better
than to build two Indifferent memoir
ials competing with each other for the
applause of the people and to the dis
gust OF all.
In our opinion for the purposes OF
memorial TO the honor OF Cham
plain and to teach the history Of his
deeds to those who would not know
IL otherwise, the place of honor is
| Juniper Island. the property of the
nation. There a memorial lighthouse
could be erected TO the honor OF the
man who brought civilization and
| light to this lake, which would be
beacon by day and a light by night to
/ all travellers and residents fully pro-
tected and its light kept burning by
The United states till the mountains
crumble away and the lake dries up
and yanishes into vapor or escapes
to the sea A lighthouse would per-
sonify Champlain as the man who
carried the torch of civilization to
The then dark continent. Such
memorial would be the living and last
ing personiiication of the light carrier
Samuel de Champlain.
This suggestion OF the location by
the News is not n matterof bias. nor
is il mere narrow view OF a great
subject neither is It bigotry of local
ity nor dogmatism of theory. The
memorial TO the man who knew nei-
Their New York nor Vermont ought to
be placed on spot where II would
have the beautiful sheet of water
around IL In the widest part. Even
more important than mere location
is the permanent ownership and care
Of the memorial. Placed in the care
of the United States no fund would be
/; necessary for maintenance When
! all the present generation has disap-
peared and hundreds OF generations
follow Champlain the monument
would still stand as a United States
lighthouse forever. No place Is so
well designed as Juniper Island for
Champlain's memorial.
The only other location worthy OF
= consideration is Crown Point. There
is not much doubt in this office that
Samuel de Champlain and his com
panions fought the first battle OF
Champlain on the shore OF Crown
, Point. This event would make that
point an appropriate location for a
memorial In this place the memoir
ial would necessarily be changed from
n lighthouse TO monument with q
statue Of the old explorer and warri
or on the top. Placed there In heroi,
side and In the costume OF the time
with his arQuebus I'm his hands, stand
ing near the great historic ruins will
his face to the north looking dowr
the lake on the course he came. nj.
statue would make picturesque ant
pleasing figure In the landscape anC
would adorn the great historic parl
which Is dedicated to the public. Thi
location or that OF Juniper lslan,
= should be chosen for the Champlaii
memorial by the Joint action OF IN,
p New York and Vermont commissions
When the foregoing was written vi
q did not give thought to the Crow
y. Point lighthouse, which in many res
ID pects-and particularly In malnten
e ance-would be nearly as desirable
~ location as on Juniper Island. Tn
IL population, the traffic and the broa
lo eXpanse of water, however, almos
IN compel the location In the broad lake
Burlington News.