The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1916-11-09
ANCESTRY.
[ Mrs Grace A. Wing in the Portland Evening
Express.

Express.
One day not long ago woman who
was about to JOIN The Daughters of the
American Revolution had in her posses
sion carefully written out family tree.
She had obtained it at some expense of
time and money and II was very credit
able paper. Now that she had it before
her tor perusaI there were sufficient
number of persons listed thereon as what
the world calls successful men and VIC
men TO make her feel that the labor
of studying up on her ancestry was a
satisfact ry one. Her young son,
freshman In college. was in the room,
and she passed the paper over to him,
saying, "There, sonny, there is the
written testimony of what has been done
in the past by our family" The young
fellow took 1t and read it through care
fully He finally handed it back to his
mother, saying, well, if that is what is
behind me, guess It's up to me to show
that they didn't work and die in vain.
1t does make a fellow feel quite some,
doesn't it, to know he had such people
behind him?" And the mother agreed
that it did. boyish ambitions were born
right then and there perhaps that will
make for achievements by and by that
would never have happen ed if he had not
been given that spur to his pride just
then. One can never tell. And though
it is far from beneficial to lean upon an
cestry as d prop, it can be used as a
spur and produce better work. 1t does
give a person better sense OF the value
of human life and human achievement
to feel that he comes of stock that work.
ed and struggled towards the right.
Worldly gains are the least of 1t; the
standing Tor principle and the lending
hand towards something good ls what
counts. And with knowledge of these
things behind him young man can and
ought to stand little straghter. work a
little harder, live little cleaner because
of it.
To have pride, proper pride, in ones
ancestry is to feel responsibility. To
cherish the things that history stands for
is not only right but almost obligatory
upon the human race. Else all sense
of proportion of achievements is lost and
former efforts go for nothing. To let
strength and courage and honesty de-
teriorate in ones hands is as much a
crime as to allow a business which has
come to one IN prosperous condition to
fall through for lack of attention and
money is always looked down upon and
censured by the world, Why should not a
spendthrift of health and justice and am
bition and sense OF the value of labor be
equally discounted?
Over in the town of Castine, on the
shore of Penobscot Bay, there is most
suriking example of what pride and love
of ancestry can do. No place in this
State is more rich in historic lore than
this beautiful little town, and no place
evidently has more happy way of show
ing its pride in its own history. 1t is said
that owing to tine work of a gentleman
who spends summers there and who is
much interested in the town history, a
strong impetus has been given TO interest
In the town history. This gentleman him
self has worked hard to foster this inter-
est and it is owing to him that all about
the town today one may see large oblong
wooden signs, secured In place by iron
standards or braces, on which are painted
In handsome Illuminated lettering the
history of the particular things which
happened there. The death of soldier,
the placing of a gun. the finding of chain
shot, the burial of English dead, the oc
cupancy by a company of defenders, the
site of an old fort or breastworks long
since gone from view, all these are COM
memorated by these signs in way that
gives hours of thought and study for the
visitor. and that supplies keen interest
for the townspeople in their own proud
record during the early life of Maine.
Such things are seen in other towns, but
in nothing like the numbers or clearness
of detail. They are not exaggerated, but
every item is given its full measure of
value, the whole making a town history
that literally one may read who runs.
Other cities and towns of this State have
equally proud records, and need to be
put on record. There are plenty of
chances for the City of Portland to ell
large upon its past history as well as to
dwell upon it's future. Who shall say
that the future may not be more secure
if the past is more emphasized? The
work already done here is fine, but there
is chance for much more of interest and
value to be depicted so that the boys
growing up, the girls who shall be
mothers of the next generation, may
know what their own ancestors did to-
wards making Portland the beautiful and
valuable city she is today. Ancestry
does count; and the work done by our
forbears should be kept fresh in our
minds to the extent of furnishing spur
to our tagging feet and an example for
our youth.