The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1929-05-10

memorial groves ever planted in
America; the first public planting of
trees in honor of the memory of
authors. statesmen, soldiers. pioneers
sau other distinguished citizens"
He might also have added that this
was the beginning of the part played
by school children in the Arbor day
celebration which has become such
a marked feature of the celebrations
since that time.
Another result of this Cincinnati
celebration was that it led directly
to the formation of the American
Forestry association of which George
E. Loring of Salem, Mass, was first
president and with which, incidental
ly, Morton was closely associated for
many years. In 1888 the American
Forestry congress (as the American
Forestry association was then known)
met in ST. Paul, MINI. B. G. North
rop of Connecticut introduced a res
olutiOn recommending the observance
of ArbOr day in all the schools of
the country. A committee was ap-
pointed to press the matter with Mr..
NorthrOp as chairman. In 1884 he
secured the adoption of the follow.
ing resolution at the annual meeting
of the National Education associa-
ton.
Resolved, That in view of the valu-
able results of Arbor day in the six
states where such a day has beens OBJ
he Ha
home. this association recommends the
general observance of Arbor day for
schools in all our states.
Since then the observance of Arbor
day has spread beyond the United
States. In 1887 the first Friday in
May was set aside in the province
of Ontario for tree planting. Spain
adopted the plan officially in 1896.
Hawaii took it up in 1905, and it is
now observed in all the dependencies
of the United States and in Great
Britain, Canada, Australia, the Eng
lish West Indies, South Africa, New
Zealand, Norway, Russia, Japan and
China.
In 1885 the Nebraska legislature.
wishing to further honor the man
who had originated the idea of Arbor
day, passed an act changing the date
of its observance to April %, Nor
toms birthday, and making it legal
holiday in that state. Morton was
born at Adams. Jefferson county, n.
Y. in 1892. He received his early
education at the Methodist Episcopal
academy at Albion, Mich, TO which
state his parents had moved. In 1850
he was a student at the University
of Michigan. He graduated from
Union college in 1854, and the fol-
lowing year settled in treeleSs Ne
braska. first at Bellevue, and later at
Nebraska City, where he founded and
edited the Nebraska City News, the
first newspaper to be established in
that state.
In 1856 and 1851 he was elected to
the territorial legislature, and in 1858
was appointed secretary of the terri
tory by President James Buchanan
Upon the resignation of Gov. w. A
Richardson, few months later, he
became acting governor and local
representative of the administration
in the bitter struggle in the territory.
In 1866 he was the Democratic candi-
date for governor, but was defeated.
From that time until 1881, when he
was again candidate for governor.
he took no active part in politics.
In 1898 he entered the cabinet of
President Grover Cleveland as secre-
tary of agriculture. remaining in e.
fee until 1897.
By 1895 the Nebraska legislature
was able to proclaim to Nebraska's