The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-08-17
Ex-Gov. HoraceF. Graham Presides;
Misses Cowles aud Anderson
Unveil Memorial
Continued from PAGE u

y
They brought with them, amona
other things, the idea Of com.
mon" and before the town was or
ganized the people had provided
for common or village green
Around it were built the church
the school, and the country store
Around it for the first 100 years
y O. the town revolved the activities
, of the town. Here were held the
June trainings and other town
events.
"Your committee selected 10 ar
range for . memorial felt that the
common was the proper place, and
il is nay pleasing duty as chairman
of the committee to present this to
the town in behalf of all the
people. In the gathering of the
names of the soldiers it was very
easy to get the Spanish war vet
Grams and the soldiers of the
World war, but a very difficult
matter to get all the names Of the
Civil war veterans. II any names
are omitted please remember it IS
an error of the head and not the
heart.
"This tablet commentaries not
only those who We're called to the
colors, but the memory of the sac
rifces of those that stayed at
home. While in the World war
many volunteered there We're
many others who were not called
but were placed in the deferred
classes. These boys were as will
ing and ready Cor service as those
that enlisted and went to the
front. "They also serve who only
stand and wait" .
"This beautiful memorial will
always perpeallte the memory Of
the Craftsbury soldiers that re-
sponded to their country's call.
They displayed true patriotism
and self-sacritce that we might
be free and Independent, and that
peace in the end might prevail"
In accepting the memorial on
behalf of the toWn, John A. Dut-
ton for the selectmen said that for
long time this town had been an
ticipating the erection of a suit
able memorial for its soldiers, and
that with great pleasure, pride and
satisfaction he accepted the tablet
or behalf of The town of Crafts
bury. ..........
Following another selection of
the band Gov. Graham presented
the speaker Of the day, Col. Joseph
Fairbanks, Of St. Johnsbury and
Washington, referring to him as 4
son of that distinguished family
that had furnished TWO governors
to the state, one a war governor
hpd the other a governor in time
of peace. Col Fairbanks schol-
arly address was closely listened
IL and greatly enjoyed. The ad-
dress here follows in full:
: Since your committee paid me
the honor of asking that l speak
to you this afternoon, my thought
has been revolving around the
question "What has the soldier
meant to the town of Craftsbury?'
If that inquiry were to be ad-
dressed to this audience a great
variety of responses would be
hlicited. The thoughts of some
would turn at once to that sturdy
Founder of the town, Col. Ebenezer
Crafts. who with others came fresh
From the trials and triumphs of the
Revolutionary War to the scarcely
Tess difficult life of pioneer in the
northern wilderness. Others would
mention the % men who went from
Graftsbury between 1861 and 1865
and rendered valiant service in
fhe great issue of that day. The
Brief flame of the Spanish War
Would not be forgotten and of
SourSe those who served in the re-
gent world conflict are here to re-
mind us Of their sacrifices, all save
those few to whose memory we pay
Especial homage today.
b 1t is easy and pleasant to recall
This splendid succession of men
Mho have responded at every call
Of their country, but it is more diff
ficult to appraise at its proper val
tue the significance of this consist
ent military record. inspiring as the
tale has been, it IS matched by that
sof other towns in this land of ours
and yet again by the story of other
thousands Of communities in all
,bartS of the world. The soldier has
been a potent and conspicuous fig
ure in every land and in every age,
And by the term soldier | mean not
the commanding general but the
Ordinary enlisted man, the private
and non com and the Junior Off
Ger on whom the burden of war
CHIEFLY falls and without whom the
greatest military leader is help
less. The soldier has not however
always been the same sort of indi-
vidual. He has not always tvpified
the same qualities nor y,left the
same imprint on his dav and gener-
alton. In other words he has not
always been the same kind of sold
Ter (which your beloved Craftsbury
has produced, You are Justly proud
of the soldiers vOdr town has furn-
ished, but if you would have your
pride deepened and strengthened,
Diet me recall to your minds that
only the finest periods of the
worlds history have supplied a
soldery on whom the enduring
gratitude of a nation might rest.
This coincidence is by no mears-the
result of chance. In the words OF
Lincoln "our fathers brought forth
on this continent a new nation
conceived in liberty and dedicated
TO the proposition that al men are
created equal" and he referred to
the "great civil war testing wheth-
or that nation or anv nation 50
conceived and - dedicated car