The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-06
GALA DAY FOR
 OLD VIEWPOINT
Citizenship Celebrates Independence
 Day Most Befftting1y.
NEW FLAG POLE AND
 EVER NEW .OLD GLORY

tended By Multitude From Miles
 Around-80otabIe Addresses by ".
 c. Johnson and Rev. George Sim
 nott.
 Special to The Farmer) =
 Newtown. July 5--What was ca1cu- lated to be only the simple ceremony. Of raising the American flag on the, new dagpole, and the presentation of the hagpoIe to the people of New town, was made by a. singular gather ing of all the people of the, town, a. genuine old fashioned Fourth of July the f7aSpole committee Rev George T SsinnOtt, H. $. Principal L.. M. John son and Borough Warden Charles G.. Peck, had decided that tlhe flag Tsais- ing would take place on Independence Day at g a. m- with no set program, the patriotic people all over town took impromptu measures to make the a1~s fair swcrthy of the day and the occa- sion. First, the Sandy Hook brass band volunteered It's services, and diff ferent eoloists from the choirs of the Tarous churches got together and present Among these leaders were Mrs w. F Hale, Dr. W. Clement Kennedy and wife. and w. A Tom Hnson of Bridgeport.
 At the early hour hundreds of peo- pie from all over town were gathered near the hagpole, on foot, in carriages and in automobiles The committee were on hand to perform their simple duty; so also was First Selectman W. c. Johnson to. raise the flag The dem onstration of patriotic feeling in the court surprised them, but they rose to the occasion, and Newtown witnessed a celebration which for spontaneity5 and enthusiasm has not been equalIed in a generation.
 The scene Of the demonstration has indeed a. historic setting The beauti- fuI hagpole is in the center of the road where the gentle sIoping terrace of Main street dips eastward and south ward to the plains F1anking it to the westward is the. old historic Congre- gationaI church whose origin Is con- temporary with the town, and which 1 this year will 7ce1ebrate it's bi-centen- n5aI; to the southeast diagonally across the street the turrets of Trinity church cast a geometrdc figure at the base of. the pole as the suns light shot across these ornaments of the church tower, while to the eastward just over the crest Of the road, the gdIded cross of St. Roses church was visible to the participants as it gleam- ed in the early morning light, These three edihces, recalling as they did the epochs Of the settlement of the | LOWns the H41SSS4SEOn III LAS Ol0S1 SC- clesiasticaI society caused by the ex- tgencies of the Revolutionary war which resulted in the birth of Trinity. all now happily past; and the gIean- ing cross which arose from the plain following the advent of that later European emigration from an integral part of the British empire that flowed over this land in the years between, 1850 and 1880, and from which this New England town benefited For the whole celebration took on the tone and coIoring of a patriotism that is love of God, love of the home and love of liberty, which have made, and will continue to make our country a God-fearing nation, and our state Christian commonwealth This was | the keynote Of the address of Rev. George T. Sinnott in turning over to the town the beautiful hagpoIe; and 1t was accepted on behalf of the town by First Selectnlan w. c. Johnson in the same spirit of our dependence as upon the acknowledgment of an ale mastering Providence in this world.
 SeIecfman Johnson's Speech Of Ac- ceptance.
 We are gathered here today to cele- brate the raising of this magnificent flag poles and unfur1 Old Glory to the breeze, and the Mems Literary club, having charge of the erection l of the pole, and the hoisting of the flag. have. through their committee, honored me, by asking that I accept the pole, in the name of the board | of selectmen, and the town. I wish to say to the Mems club, that in mak- ing this request. you honor the town a1sos for 1t is credit to have upon it's streets a flag pole and flag as I grand and beautiful as this, largely through your efforts. We are told that the tree from which this pole was taken grew on the Pacific coast, and is what is known as Oregon pine We have no good reason to doubt this statement. This tree I believe, was planted by the hand of Almighty God, on our far western coast, with snow capped mountains standing as senti- nelS, as 1t lowered toward the skies It was nursed and caressed by the soft winds of the Pacific, until feIIed by the woodman's axe. It was then transported across the continent and stands today. planted by the hand of man on the hill top, of this beautiful New England village Let us guard \ it, and the principles for which it stands, with fidelity, and may it please sAlmighty God, that none of us shall ever raise our hand to destroy 1t. and allow no stain to appear upon our flag.
 In accepting this flag pole from the Mems Literary club, we have to thank l the flag pole committee, for their 1 earnest and untiring efforts, by which it has been possible to secure and raise this splendid flag pole Their l efforts would have been in vain, but for the generous way in which they were received by our townspeopIe l Generous contributions have also been made by those, who, while native born. have chosen to make their l homes elsewhere in New England. l and we find warm friends from the west, middle west and southern states, who have given freely of their purses in the cause.
 At this tinne we must not forget l that we are indehtad in DO small uza1z