Evening journal., 1914-05-21
GIRARD COLLEGE
HONDRS HER Sons
Monument Unveiled TO Boys
Who Went to Death in
Civil War
GEN. WILSON Is
ORATOR OF DAY

D
the memory OF her sons who 80 years ago
laid down their nyes for the Union,
monument was yesterday dedicated by
Girard College. Two hoary bearded vet
Grams, who fought with the boys that
fell, pulled down the draping flags that
hid the bronze from the CLINT of the
setting sun. The actual unveiling of
the statue came with the last strains of
a funeral march, played by the band of
the Girard College Cadets "Taps.
sounded by a STRIPPING bugler, and a
moment of silence on the part of the
bareheaded multitude that crowded the
steps of the tcmple-like college con
cluded the solemn memorial.
Yesterday was Founders Day at the
college and marked the one hundred and
siNty-fourth anniversary of stephen
Girard. The mveling of the monument
to the soldiers and sailors, the most inn
pressive event of the days program,
was properly placed at its conclusion.
At least 5000 alumni and friends of the
institution witnessed the ceremony.
The memorial replaces a weather-bcat
en- monument which stood upon the col
lego campus since the close of the war,
and is the work OF j. Massey Rhind, a
New York sculptor, who designed the
statue that stands on City Hall plaza
to the memory of the Colonial merchant
prince.
The monument is the bronze repre-
sentation of "a youthful soldier and
sailor. garbed i'm the uniform of the
Civil War. and grouped beneath the
folds of great flag Its granite base
is devoid OF ornament excepting -four
! bronze tablets.
,, The celebration marked a four-folc
l anniversary. AS well as celebrating
the birthday of the college founder
the day marked the one hundredti
anniversary Of the date he assisted
the Government to raise funds for tn,
second war with Great Britain. Sixty
six years ago, on the same date
Girard College was opened, and Al
years ago the Board of City Trust.
e was instituted to govern the merch
j ants estate.
n The opening OF the day Of celebra
ton was at s o'clock in the morning
# when William F. Hilton, of the clas
e OF 81. made an address in the colleg
y chapel He was followed by Henr.
e Hay, who read a commemorative
= poem to the founder.
IL The gates of the college ground
l. were opened at o'clock to the multi
p tude of alumni and visitors. Fror
] 10 to II o'clock the college band CAV
A a concert west Of the main build
g. ing.
IS In the chapel began the formal pre-
X gram of the afternoon. Before ia
ID invocation was offered by Dr. Chees
man A. Herrick president Of the co
- lege. the college band played sever'
selections, including a march con
posed in honor of Girard. The il
; vocation was followed by selection
by the college chorus. Ex-GovernC
Edwin S. Stuart, president of th
-? Board of Directors of City Trusts, d,
st livered the Introductory address. II
m lamented the absence from the Ger,
Us monies of the late General Lou
m Wagner who, he declared, had bee
N n. most active in bringing about tn
he erection of the monument.
is Following another selection by I'll
e chorus, William Potter, chairman
Ia the committee on arrangements. II
nd troduced Major General James Harr
ed son Wilson, us. A., of Wilmington
e Del. as the orator of the day.
1d General Wilson devoted much of h
We address to clearing the reputation
is Girard of aspersions cast upon it. and
re praising the founder for his foresig
of and benevolence. He spoke of his i
sr- spection of various institutions of lear
de ing during his travels throughout Il
a world and then paid the following tri
ed ute to Girard College:
IN, 1T is without the slightest hesit
tion," he said, that / now place Gira
. College at the head of the list. for
reason not only all its own, but for o
u in which it is absolutely first and I
4 rest nowhere. I refer. of course.
" the fact that seems to be nowhere d
puted, that it is the first and only
stitute of the present and of form
times, which undertakes among its fiji
benefactions, and as necessary st
to all the rest, to survey every boy q
mitted for the defects in his life N
chincry, and to remove or alleviate I
same so far as science and exp,
knowledge bring them within the rea
of successful treatment"
After General Wilson finished and [
Y band had played a patriotic seleeti,
a there was begun the maIkh to
81 monument. The cadets were drawn
y before it "at attention" while the sp
n tators were held beyond roped
closure Major Moses Vale made
brief address before the unveiling.
| b was followed by "A review of the cade
a drill and dress parade