Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-28
D, A. R. PLACE
MARKER FRIDAY

The marker which has been placed
in the City Hall park by the mem
bers Of Silence Howard Hayden Chap
ctr. Daughters Of the American Revo-
luton, to mark the Arnold Trail in
/ his expedition against Quebec was
unveiled Friday afternoon with APP
! propriate ceremonies. There was a
small crowd in attendance many
/ people in the city evidently did not
realize the deep Significance of the
! event.
/ 1t was shortly after four o'clock
/ that the assemblage was called to
/ order by Mrs W. H. Totman of Fair
! field, Past Regent of the chapter and
/ prayer was offered by Rev. G. F..
! Seliser, pastor Of the Universalist
! church Of Fairfield. Miss Maude L.
! Mcrrick. chairman of the committee
placing Of the marker was then call
eG on to give the history of its being
! placed there. She said that at a
meeting of the Silence Howard Chap
/ ter two years ago the State Regent
was present and told then that the
! Arnold Trail had been marked along
/ its entire length except at Water
Vile and Fairfield and the local chap
! ter undertook to fill in the gap. This
+ marker was the result of that visit.
She also explained something of the
! way in which it was procured. The
marker was then unveiled, the cere-
mony being performed by Louise
Cushman, Annie Hooper. James MGR
rick and Richard T4,umnond. the
( u I,Nt y-it1 no Ro,- md
as the young people drew it from the
tablet they stood behind the boulder
and held the flag during the course
of the exercises.
Rev. Frank Phalen, pastor of the
First Cnitarian church, was then in
trodCced as the orator of the after
noon He said that the occasion for
their being present had been finely
! stated by Miss Merrick and called
the attention Of those present to its
deep historic significance and said
that when the people of the past are
joined with the people Of the present
in history's roll the story of the
achievements Of this little band OF
men will live as long as the granite
and bronze of the marker. He spoke
of the halo Of romance and sadness
that shown always about the career
of Bendct Arnold, of how if he had
died at the close of this expedition or
even after the battle of Saratoga he
would be remembered as one of our
national heros.
He was young man of brilliant mind
and a man who had many lovable quail
ties so that he had endearcd himself to
lEac oh The arpo6 it ion
started from Cambridge, Mass, on Sep
TENDER II and arrived in Gardiner three
days later, so that it must have been
towards the close of September that it
was at this spot. 1t was Arnold who
conceived the idea of striking Canada
and he and Montgomery who went by
way of Lake Champlain really achieved
some successes They did not know the
wilderness or they would never have
come this way. 1t is a happy thought
to dedicate this at this time, at a time
when the same spirit that sent these
men through the hardships OF this cam
paign is now sending men across the
sea to fight for the same things. Let
us all remember the principles for which
this boulder stands and may they last
as long as the boulder will last.
The bcnediction was delivered by Rev.
Mr.. Seliger.
The boulder which marks the trail
was placed in position several weeks
ago under the auspices of the commit
tee that has the matter in charge
which consisted of Miss Maude Merric<,
chairman. Mrs. Orrin Learned and Mrs
Frank f. Hammond OF Fairfield and
Mrs. w. II. *. Abbott of Waterville. 1t
was procured while Mrs. w. H. Totman
of Fairfield was the regent of the chap
ter. The boulder was given by Mrs
Susan Cushman of Winslow, a member
of the chapter. and the work of placing
it and putting the tablet in place was
done by c. w. Morse. On it are the
words, This boulder marks the course
of Arnold's troops on their expedition to
Quebec in 1915, carrying around Ticonic
Falls and entering the Kennebec again
near this spot. Erected by Silence How
ard Hayden chapter, Daughters of the
Tln.