Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-01-24

Continued from page oncD ance that a theatre and auditorium Will be ready here to provide enter talnmcnt for the people of Pine Bluff and this territory next winter. No de ItailS of the matter. however, are l ready for public announcement, it was said after the meeting.
 | Mr. Taylor introduced Blake w. Godfrey of Jackson, Miss, state sec
 retary for the Young Mems Christian association of that state. and Mr. God frey, who is here conducting the big | financial campaign for the local Y. | N. C. A., spoke in delightful style. Mi. l Godfrey explained that he had not come to make a speech, that he was not qualified to speak on commercial 1 matters, as he had never been able to make any money himself, although he 1 had relieved quite a few men of 1 money they had made. He told some most amusing eoIlotes, however,
 which were pleasing 10 his hearers
 and which brought laughter and ap~ i plause.
 MT. MO0ney'S Remarks. MI. MOUleS opened HIS tdlK ny say ing hc agreed with the presiding of 1 ficer that he needed no introduction 1 in Pine Bluff. because he had intro
 dGced himself to Pine Bluff in Sep tember, 1888, and had remained in this l city about two years thereafter. He had done many foolish things, during
 his stay here. he said, which he hoped
 everybody had forgotten. and he had I done also some wise things-he had
 married a Pine Bluff girl, during that l period
 Mr. Mooney's talk was, of it's own nature, of peculiar interest to his hearers because of the manner n which he touched upon matters that
 are of prime interest here. The Young Mems Christian association, the park system. the library. diversified agri- l culture. "safe falming," good roads, public health and sanitation, coopera- l ton each with the others in all worthy movements. the theatre and
 auditorium proposition. all were men l toned. and while admitting that Pine Bluff already has reason to be proud 1 Of the progress she has achieved, the 1 speaker reminded his hearers that there remains much to be done. and
 greater efforts will be required to do i it.
 From one subject to another the l speaker moved smoothly, as in arith- mentical progression and scientific precision, one apparently following another as water moves in the bed of @ stream. He began, after reference 1 in jocular manner. to the frequuent i stops of his train from Memphis, at every cross roads. to unload "sundry packages the contents of which are
 unknown to me-" by saying that Pine l Bluff always has had the spirit of friendliness and hospitality to the l stranger, the, spirit of progress, the desire to make this a "liveable" city.
 And he closed by mentioning that to- day Pine Bluff possesses those same rich qualities.
 "I come 10 you for this little visit, after 2S years" he said. in closing. ii'I have seen, even in the darkness of the evening. the very great progress YOU have made in 9 years. And if Pine Bluff progresses in the next 9 years, as she has in the quarter cen l tury just passed. you will have great cause for q dongratulation and rcjoic- ing"
 The Merrill Institute. That Pine Bluff always has had ideals and thought above dollars and cents, even when he lived here Mr. Mooney declared with tone of s,ride, and he recalled that during his res idence in this city one resident died and left to the city, for the benefit of all the people, what might now be
 called a lyceunl-the Merrill insti-
 ute. In that day, Pine Bluff was the only city in the state which had such a publicly institution, and it was given the city by man wh,, had prospered here. not as payment tur
 that prosperity, but for the kindliness
 with which the city had treated him. Only few persons realize the ne
 cessity of doing something for tl.e citizens and the children of the cit izens, after death, said MT. Mooney. who stated that Memphis has two in stitutions which were founded by be-
 quests of men who appreciated the "livcable" qualities of the city in which they had spent most of their lives. One of these, he said, is the Cossitt library supported by 3mill tax and which maintains branch li-
 braries in the poorer quarters of the city, where great good is accom- plished and through which the hum- blest homes are reached and influ- enced, as the main library reaches and
 influences the richest and proudest
 homes.
 That city has a soul, Mir. Mooney declared, which can cause such feel
 ing of pride and gratitude and appre- citation, that makes a man want to do something for it, in his last few hours of life. He dlated at some length on the very great value of a library to a city, citing what results have been ac- complished by the Cossitt library through it's branch in the section oc- cupied by 4,OO0 or 5000 Russian and
 Polish Jews, who, old and young, gathered at the building and quench their thirst for knowledge, preparing themselves fol fusing in the great na- tional melting pot.
 Has Great Resources.