News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1910-12-28
THE SOLDIERS MONUMENT
Box Of Records Sealed in Foundation With
Appropriate Exercises


Appropriate Exercises
For quarter of century certain of
the public spirited citizens of Morristown
have dreamed dreams of a soldiers mon.
ument. The first move in the realization
of this project occurred in the later SOS
when, the Grand Army having raised
$1,000 for soldiers monument, an ar
ticle was inserted in the town warning
appropriating $1,000 for that purpose
This was voted down by small major
ity. The matter was then allowed to
rest until in 1898, Pleasant View Gem
'etery was laid out. Then the question
was again raised and a circle in the new
ground reserved with that end in view.
Later events are too fresh in the public
memory to need recital here.
The dream was realized last Friday
afternoon at two O'Clock, when in the
presence of about 500 people, including
the members of the Grand Army, Sons of
Veterans, Womau's Relief Corps and
over $50 pupils of the public schools,
steel box, containing a record of the pro-
ceedings leading up to the erection OF the
memorial and a list of all subscribers,
together with other matter of local in
terest, was sealed, with appropriate cere
monies, into the foundation of monu-
ment, which competent critics, familiar
with the plans and specifications, aver
will be, when completed, by far the hand
soonest soldiers monument in Vermont.
The exercises opened with the singing
of America" by the school children,
after which Capt Frank Kenfeld in a
few well chosen words, by way of preface,
outlined the purposes of the memorial
and the lessons to be drawn from it.
. The list of articles contained in the box
was then read by Willis Mould and
placed in foundation of the monument by
Harold Ryder, where it was sealed up
by S. D. Luce. This was followed by
the recital of James Whitcomb Riley's
poem, "The Soldiers Monument" by
Harold Patch
The orator of the day, Judge Geo. M.
Powers, being introduced, addressed his
remarks mainly to the school children
He had many interesting things to say
concerning foundations, not only of
monuments but of character, without
which no successful career can be pre-
dicted. One thought the speaker wished
to leave in the minds of the children was
that not all heroes were soldiers; that
back in the home the wife and mother
were showing an equal heroism. The
young people were admonshed to care
for the monument, to protect it, and to
consi1er him a traitor who would seek
to destroy or harm it, just as surely as he
is a traitor who would tear the flag.
Let he who is tempted to throw
SNOWFALL or stone think of The suffering
and sacrifice this monument represents.
Another appropriate song by the
school children brought the interesting
exercises to close.
The monument, which is now being
erected stands at the foot of Academy
Park, in an excellent location and can be
seen the entire length of Main street.
Another consideration. and one which
perhaps as much as any other determined
the location of the monument, is that it
will be passed daily by hundreds of
school children, and in the years to
come, when all the actors in " the great
conflict" are dust, the child, in passing
the silent bronze soldier, will be led to
inquire what it means, and, being told,
will draw therefrom lessons in Loyalty
and patriotism that will surely have an
influence on the citizenship of the future.