The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1914-04-17
CHILDREN PLANT
. TREES AND HEAR
ARBOR DAY TALKS
City Schools Hold General
Observance on Lawns With
Patriotic Songs and Adj
dress by Citizen.

ArDor Day was generally observed
In the city today Speaking. programs
and the planting of trees was In order
at every school of the city. while
many public spirited citizens planted
trees and shrubbery, in keeping with
The idea Of the day.
Professor Dennis, of the Earlham
faculty spoke at the high school on
the subject of trees and birds, while
j. F. Thompson of the high school
faculty, read an essay at the Garfield
school on the origin of the day. Mr..
Thompson also spoke at several grade
schools. c. w. Jordan was the prin-
cipal speaker at the Finley school ex-
ercises.
Speaking before the high school
students, Professor Dennis emphasized
the worth of the trees and the birds.
The speaker said, ''If we would but
follow the example of the tree in tax
ing in, so that we may give out our
ha bits of life would be greatly i'm
proved.
To Give Out Strength.
The tree gathers up strength from
the elements derived from the soil,
and in this way grows taller, broader
and stronger. We should follow the
example of the tree in this way. The
same way that a tree produces it's
fruits and materials after its period
of taking in may be applied to us. If
we have been taking in during our
early life, we will be in position to
give out at maturity asserted the
speaker.
Professor Thompson brought out
some interesting facts about the origin
and the observance of the day. The
manuscript traced the progress of the
observance of the day from the time
that Birdsay Grant Northrop first
thought Of the possibility of making
this day a holiday to the present
time.
Meaning OF Day.
The essay in part is as follows:
"ArbOr Day, as the name suggests,
means a day for the planting Of trees.
OF our many holidays, this is the only
one that looks to the future. Birdsay
Grant Norti.-Op is the name of the
man who is given credit Tor having
originated the day. He was not a
great man, in the sense that Lincoln
was great, and although he was a
preacher of more than local reputa.
ton, he was not a great man in the
sense that Beacher was great. He
was born in Connecticut in 1917, and
lived on farm until he was old
enough to go to college, when he went
to Yale and graduated with high hon
OrS.
From boy. DR.. Northrop had the
sense of proportion almost abnormal
ly developed 1t was painful for him
to see a yard with a broken fence
around it, an implanted house, ire J.
less street, and it became self i'm
posed duty for him not only to preach
the Gospel of Peace but the gospel of
things as well.
He taught that people could be bet
ter Christians in beautiful surround
ings and that ugliness is but things
out of proportion. He taught that man
had no right to leave this earth less
beautiful than when he came. For ten
years he preached in Saxonville, Conn
when he resigned to become an agent
of the Massachusetts Board of Educa
ton. During all this time however he
was preaching and in all of his spare
time was devoted to lecturing on sub
jects treating on civic beauty.
In 1876 he started a movement for
Centennial tree planting. in which he
was aided by the newspapers. The
purpose was to plant trees in our cit
les and towns, just as we celebrate the
Fourth Of July-and this was the an
cestor of Arbor Day This day was
taken up by more cities each year till
today Arbor Day is becoming as IA
miliar an expression as Lincoln S
Birthday"
Programs were given and trees
planted at all of the grade schools OF
the city. The programs at the var
ious schools were in charge of the
principal of the school and consisted
OF songs and recitations in keeping
with the day.