Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-11-19

diton of the people of this commun-
ty. To this end has this property
, been decided TO and vested in these
trustees-your servants and stewarts
for your use and ben fit. This
building is 10 you and your generous
donor at least n earnest that the
trustees will enieav;r faithfully 70
carry out the trust rep1sed and -
attain the objects des,r d. The build
. ing is here, the gymnasium is hero
and the literature in part is here, AMI,
from time to time lectures entertain
ing and instructive will be provided.
And here will be sweet muse aid
beautiful works Of TT and many
another feast OF good things.
We ask you now to Identify your
s If with the enterprise f r it Is
yours. Take ii. and make it as YOU
can, grand success. Let each on
see how much good he can get out OF
it, and how much he can help Others
to get. Not by any means in a spirit
of selfish emf ynent, but shat the lit
dividual may be made more active in
mind, purer in morals and more holy
in spirit, for the good OF the indvi
dual, the community and the world.
There is an oriental story of two
brothers, Ahmed and Omar. Each
wanted t. perform a deed whose mem
oily should no5 fail, but watch, as the
years rolled on, might sound his name
and pra Sc far abroad.
Omar with wedge and rope lifted
greet obelisk on its base, carving
it's form in beautiful devices. and
sculpturing many a strange inscrip-
ton ON it's sides. He left it to stand
in the hot desert ID cope with its
gales-his mi ,nument.
But Ahmed, with deepsir wisdom and
truer heart, digged a we'll to cheer
the sandy waste. and planted about
it tall d2te palms to make cool shade
for the thirsty pilgrim, and to shake
down fruits for his hunger.
Well does this illustrate the wis
dom of MIR. Merrill's choice. He has
reared no useless monument to his
memory, but this institute to give
drink to those who thirst for know
| ledge and to furnish shelter and ra-
freshms mt to tie weary and faint.
Fable tells us that the touch o;
King Midas changed whatever he lai.i
: his hends upon to gold. To-day W.
see, if we have spiritual insight, a
more wonderful touch of transfCrma-
: ton. Men like George Peabody and
Matthew Vasszr, and John Hopkins
and Peter Cooper. and Joseph Merrill
have changed gold into riches which
cannot be swept awy by disaster o:
DEATH
"A rich man who loved Christ AMI
honored him in his life was often up
braided by his friends for what they
called the prodigality of his gifts TO
religious and benevolent purposes. At
length through no fault of his own,
his fortune w2s swept away. what, :,
said his friend, "have you saved moth
!, ing?" "Ah, yes" said he, 81 have saw
= ed all that gave away" And 1t was
even SO. The touch of conservation
had transformed his gifts Of perish
able riches into tre- sures which are
laid up in Heaven.
We look around now at these walls
and at yonder tower and We think OF
:. them as monument to the memory
Of tfcir founder. But these things
arc material ard by their nature must
in tim dec y. But in the greater
knowledge attained, in the higher mo-
raj caa:act- i developed, in the holier
life brought forth, there will be an
influence put in motion which will
grow wider and wider, and mount
higher and higher through all the
ages of eternity: and tbs will con-
: stitute the true m nument to the
memory of Joseph Merrill. Daniel
Webster has b autifully said, "If We
work in msrble, it will perish; if W.
work upon brass time will efface II,
if we rear temples, they will crumble
int, dust; if we work upon immortal
, minds, if we instill them with prin-
ciples, with a just fear of God and
love for our fellowmen, we engrave
on these tablets something which will
brighten to all eternity"
The trustees have provided this
portrait OF Mr.. Merrill as some small
token of their appreciation of tae