The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1910-05-31
Decoration pay at Pemberton.

Decoration Day at Pemberton.
The ceremonies at Pemberton yesterda,
were very interesting and large numbe
of persons were out to take part In tn
exercises. The graves in the buryin,
grounds were strewn with flowers ant
appropriate services were conducted
Governor Fort delivered the address. Ii
his talk he said:
Before referring to the day or its exercises,
want, with your consent to talk little of thu
past.
Thirty-six years ago the fourth of this month
left Pemberton as young man of twenty-five
to make my home IN the city of Newark. Her,
my ancestors had lived for almost two centuries
Here all my boyhood days, except while away
few years at school, had been spent. Here
were practically all my associates and friends
Around this spot there clusters all that is en-
braced in the word "home"; and all the afiec.
ton that goes with it. Those memories still
hnger and that affection still abides.
IL matters not where we go nor how long we
stay, the place of our birth and the days of our
childhood, when they are happy, remain with
us as the most delightful of life.
There is nothing quite so important in the
formation of character as the influences sur
rounding us in our youth; nor is there any place
to form the right kind of influences superior to
country home that is moral and intelligent.
There is something about the country life
that makes for freedom of thought and indie
pendence of action. Such life makes also for
democracy. There is not only a greater sense
of equality in the country than in the city, but
there is more of equality in fact
The son of the farmer and the son of the
farm hand''; the son of the village merchant
and of his clerk mingle in pure democratic
fashion in their boyhood. They live adjacent;
attend the same school and church; play to-
gether; hsh and swim together, and exemplify
fully the truth of the immortal declaration of
the fathers THAT all men are created equal"
Everything about country town for thought,
enjoyment and education, seems to be common
property, and is so treated.
Did you ever ask yourself why it is that so
many country boys who go to the city for their
lifework. succeed? To me the answer is quite
easy. FIRST, they have an exalted idea of the
requirements of the city; they think the city
demands greater exertion on their part to adj
vance; and they work as a boy brought up in
the city does not think it necessary to work.
SECOND, they take with them their close
knowledge OF human nature and their firm be-
lief In the common brotherhood of man. THIRD,
they feel their helplessness in the new and diff
ferent surroundings, and they strive to make it
up by zeal and activity. FOURTH, they have
the physical endowment which the days of
youth have given them, and healthy body has
much to do with the development of men in
mental pursuits. FIFTH, they have learned
10 WHY " A0DOk UuI W WE'LL.
Strong common sense and adaptability to
wait are the dominating influences for success
in life in any field of endeavor.
During these past years, have many times
wondered what caused this section of the
country, then called 'New Mills', to be settled
three centuries ago, isolated as it was then.
:, In those days, trade and commerce followed
the navigable rivers into the interior. Newark
was on the Passaic; Gloucester, one of the
hrst settlements in South Jersey, was on the Del
aware, as was also Burlington. Greenwich
was on the Cohansey, which was an arm of the
Delaware. Elizabeth was on the Arthur Kill,
and Haekensaek ON the Hackensack. "New
Mills" was twenty-five miles from any naviga-
Die stream. Somerville and its environs was
another inland point, like Pemberton, to be
settled very early. Possible "New Mills,
your former name, may suggest the answer
Inc water power here may have caused it.
Possibly the fertility of the soil had to do
with it.
When / was boy, there was in my fathers
home, the original grant for our homestead. 1t
bore the seal of Queen Anne and is now over
'wo hundred years old. 1t covered about six
hundred acres
Even at that early period there was large
settlement here. No historian has told us why
'hey came. The water power and character of
he soil, coupled with its isolation, which per-
nitted the worship OF God with freedom, prob
IDLY were the chief causes.
One thing is sure, this place was ALWAYS
noted for the favor of the religious belief of its
people, and was one of the first to establish a
church for the society called Methodists. Here
Captain Webb and Bishop Asbury preached
more than one hundred and thirty years ago
J ust the character of the religious service BE-
ore that 90 not know. Probably Friends"
and "Baptists"...
1t was not my purpose TO inf1ict upon you
"a nlsIorlcal ADDRESS. But cannot resist the
m m pulse to speak of those days from 1852 to
10 + oooI ftavNo
were happy days. We never fully appreciate
The delights of childhood until we get older
everybody knows everybody else. What
splendid types of the old school man were
Joseph |. Sleeper, Benajah Antrim, William
King, DR.. Coleman and Andrew Fort, my
not to mention others. would
IKE to speak of one Of later generation; that
Is Mr.. Anthony Morris, who was one Of the
finest men l ever knew; and whose advice and
counsel, given to me as boy, 1 shall never
forget could name many who have gone;
In fact, about all that generation have left u.s.
but few remain. Do you remember sSquire1
mon Pleas about 1857 He looked q Judge: he
walked like judge, If he was only the hum
bic shoe maker of the town. He was the ad-
m1ratfon, not to say fear, of all the boys of
the town. There was Aaron Early, who only
left you few years ago, whom 1 remember
IS always the Moderator at the "Old Town
as he rang the great dinner bell at those meet
lngs and read the statute called the "riot-actu
TO the people. There was John Egbert, the
which was the best 1 ever had; when, as a
youth was talking too freely, he
said; young man, put button on your lip"
This incident, and another have been indei-
IDLY impressed upon me. The other was the
statement of my teacher when had missed
up after school. "OhP' said he. "go home. INV
boy, your head will never be useful for any
thing except chopping block" have often
If he was not right; but confess 1
never fully forgave him for that.
Ut would delight me to talk onin this strain
Tor long time, and recall many, many.
as old men when left Pemberton. And then
| would like to speak Of the boys who were
my associates and friends, to say nothing of
the girls, OF the school, and the creek; of the
dshing and hunting that L used to do when
there were both fish and game here: of NV
experiences as farmers boy; and of all that
went to make those days happy and con-
tented. There has never been an hour when
their memory has not been blessed. But that
s not fair to you, nor to the occasion. Some
thing mast be said of the day and the flag of
our country and Its greatness, and our duty
TO these In these peculiar times.
"There has never been a time when the flag
stood for more than 1t does to-day nor has
there ever been time when there was
greater need of declaring that fact We have
liberty which the fathers who pioneered
this country, and of whom have been speak
Ing, gave us. They gave it to us clean and
Iree for all to enjoy on equal terms. The
In our day is to curtau this equal
enjoyment, at least to limit its special
privileges to few. We greatly need to take
rec konlngs and to get some of the simplicity
and disinterested love of liberty of the fathers
into public affairs. The future of the country
depends upon the yeomanry of the Republic;
upon the average citizen who stands only for
public good as contradistinguished from
selhshness and personal gain. To inculcate
love for the flag, Is to insure greater devotion
to the nation"
The Governor then concluded by making
general address on the flag and the mean
Ing of the day.