Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-10-16

. determination to fee from the tyranny
| Of king impeHed them to brave the
storms of an ocean and within an I'M
| penetrated wilderness inhabited only
by savages and wild beasts, make for
est homes for themselves and their
children. that they might dwell free
from the oppression which had ever
been theirs.
"They came to your river with bare
| hands but with hearts full of longings
=, for freedom that was then only
dream and for liberty that they knew
not how to use.
Their story from the day when the
first pioneer chopped out his first clear
ing and erected his first log hut on the
banks of your river until the present
hour: the annals of their political. re-
! ligious, social and material progress;
the story of their joys. their sufferings
and their happiness their failures and
their victories is the tale of humanity.
ut is a glorious record OF mans SUI
preme achievement in finally making
himself capable of self government.
The flow from the largest ana
grandest inland sheet OF water in all
New England. Moosehead. fed by thou-
sands of sparkling streams ponds. ana
other lakes and other rivers, rushing
from wild mountains and trackless tor-
ests and crowding each other in their
mad haste to reach the ocean is every
moment passing by your peaceiui
and classic grounds. Its every ripple
and its every wave bears upon It's
Respondent crest an inspired message
to you. 1t has been the speechleSs
witness OF the making OF WONDERFUL
history. history interlined with nard-
ships and happiness, tragedy and sell
sacrifice and interviewer with the spirit
of romance and the soul OF poetry. II
tells YOU of the evolution or numnie
log house to luxurious homes OF
affiuence and refinement: here from
the hazardous adventure and the
adversely and suffering, toll and priva-
tion of three centuries has evolved the
highest type of American communities
and their nobiest citizenship.
The descendants of those first colo
, nizers and settlers have not only built
these towns and cities but they carved
. out counties and helped to erect
, sovereign state of this great govern
ment of states. They have added their
verse and their page to all the Won
!, drous pages of the worlds history.
activity and real life the great thought
| of James Russell Lowell when he said:
"sloyly the Bible of the race is writ. j.
| And not on paper leaves nor leaves OF
. Each age, each kindred adds verse to It.
Text of despair or hope of joy or moan,
1.-THE history of your river has en-
; gagged the attention of American his
:, torical writer's, Bancroft, Fiske, Park
man and Names historians, James
Phinney Baxter and DR.. Burrage as
!. well as many other writer's. 1t is
, worthy of pen of Macaulay or a
, Walter Scott and certainly deserves
i, your mindful scrutiny and profound
study.
, This message of your river reveals
to you the Red Mans race, in all of its
savage glory and who was the sole
possessor of all of its boundless for
, estry when Martin Pring first sighted
the Maine coast and it's pathetic fad
, ing from off the face of the earth. 1t
!, tells you that those first settlers and
, their successors had their trails, their
:, struggles and their problems as have
, men of today; that they met them
, bravely and adjusted as best they
could with the light of that time and
q the Limitation of their conditions: and
, / it bids you to meet the problems OF
your day which they could no more
= have conceived of than they could have
a wireless telegraphy or ships sailing
among the clouds with the same fear
, lessness as did they: and to finish the
, structure of free government and the
rights of humanity which they begun
in better fashion than they knew how
to do.
Our struggle is like theirs only that
} it calls for true manhood and brave
and honest hearts to lead in the fray,
for men who dare to stand for ideals
, which are pure and lofty. for men who
, dare to turn about and face the rising
and not the setting sun.
And now in closing would appeal
, to you who are teachers and students
in this school which has a far and wide
fame of the highest order. whether or
, not there is any epoch, tale. legend or
f myth in any so-called classic buried In
a obsolete language, that is more de-
serving of the serious consideration of
, American boys and girls, of young
American manhood than is this theme
of Your River In History l am fully
convinced that a faithful study of its
, daily phases will inspire you with a
: greater love for your town, your State
and your country l believe that such
. research aids a real desire to attain to
good citizenship, an inspiration for
higher ideals and the grander concep-
ton of American patriotism"
vxyrIyrrEINy