The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-08-02
BEDDING

Bedding, Aug. 2--In a general way the flag raising at the Center last Sunday was like it's predecessors, perhaps it's most distihctive feature being the eloquent address delivered by Rev. Father Shorte11e of Ridge field. The crowd in attendance prob. ably numbered 1000, cars being park ed two and three deep alongside all the roadwa.ys adjacent to the square. On one side was drawn up the Red. ding and on another the Bethel com pany of the Home Guard, thel alter with their fife and drum corps. The exercises included the singing by a chorus of about 50 school children, directed by Mrs. Lemuel Sanford of 'The Battle Hymn of the Republic,"I "I America" and ''The Star Spangled Banner" to cornet accompaniment In the absence of D. s. Sanford, Probate Judge J. B. Sanford acted as program announcer and also made the address.
 Rev. W. s. Woolworth of the Con- gregational church, offered a dedica- tory prayer and formal acceptance of the flag and the pole in behalf of the town was expressed by First Select man Osborn. A poem written for the occasion by Mrs. Rose Goodale Day ton was read with effective expression by pr. E. H. Smith and later R. A. Lyon read some lines Of his own pro- duction. The addreAs by Father Shortelle was deeply patriotic and deeply religious and the audience gave it the well deserved recognition of close and sympathetic attention. He said it was fitting that such cere- mony be held on the Lords Day be-A cause only second to the love and duty which citizens owed to God was that which they owed their country. There could not be good citizenship without morality and morality was founded on religion. St. Paul in no fear of his impending doom but resentfuI of the taunts and revilings heaped upon him by his captors proclaimed that he was a citizen of Rome and thereby became invested with dignity which caused his tormentors to treat him with respect. For Rome, pagan, pre- datory and often wanton1y brutal, had as a high merit of her governmental system the principle of extending pro- lection to her citizens. Therefore Roman citizenship imparted both dis tinctton and security, fact which the rest of the world well knew. If pa gan Rome possessed this virtue the same principle should be a guiding force with our own nation, possessing as it did a government founded upon the ideals of liberty and justice. Her entrance into the present war had come about through the application of this protective idea and there could hardly be higher Justification.
 The other chief speaker was Judge Wilkin who, in the course of his re- marks. highly complim nted the Red ding Home Guard for the spirit which impelled them to volunteer and had brought them to such a high degree of drill proficiency in so brief train ing period. Those not entering mili- tary service could also help their coun- try by activities of various kinds and the existence of such a disposition was commendably in evidence throughout the town.
 At the close of the regular program the visiting military and the crowd generally were invited to the town hall to partake of ice cream and root beer. Five hundred cream cones were quickly handed out and disposed of. The celebration was the largest
 
 ing of the six public flag raisings which have been held the town during the summer
 One evening last week Miss Eleanor Dayton of the Center, became appre- hensive over a smell of smoke which seemed to pervade the premises, but careful search failed to disclose its | source either about her place or about | the Congregational premises next | door. On the afternoon of the next day, however, smoke was seen issu. | ing from an unused poultry house 1T the parsonage yard. One of the beams inside was found to be slightly char red and still smouldering An inves. tigation made it apparent beyond any 1 question that the fire was due to spon | taneous combustion origination in { large pile of poultry droppings witt | which the beam was a contact. Int refuse pile was still> intensely hot ant
 sissed violently upon the application | of water. That fire danger turks il | poultry manure heap will be to mos I people a hardly credible revelation but in this instance the existence o | the danger is declared to have beel | proven beyond doubt.
 J. Bartlett Sanford took a physica 1 examination at New Haven on Tues day for admission to the officers train
 ing school at Fort Myer, Va. H,
 made application for enlistment sev
 era1 weeks ago, but ,wing to the loni waiting list heard nothing from 1t tin | til last week He will learn the yer
 dict as to his physical fitness within
 a few days.
 It has been decided that the Day | ton lot at the Center shall in futur
 be the regular and only drill field fo ] the local Home Guard. Platoon drill 1 are to be discontinued, leaving tn
 weekly Sunday drill, as the only regSs.
 lar function. The bylaws prepare ] for the Guards civil organization hay { been approved by the state militar i board and the company will meet o
 Saturday evening to elect officers an
 otherwise perfect the organization. Miss Marjorie Burgess, daughter C
 Congregational minister formerl
 located at the Center, has gone t
 France to Derve as nurse in one c | l.