The Town Of Ayer

Dr. J. C. Ayer, of Lowell, has been immortalizod by liaving a new Msssaohusetts manufacturiiig town, at Groton Junutiou, Mass., named after him, or, perbapa, wo should say has iinmortalized tho town. We give his speech at tho inauguration of the town : Ladiêt mul Qentlemcn : - On tho western coast f Scotland whcre it slopes into tho Irish Sea, a river, rising on the moundnns of the inner land, windfl down amona the hills and emptios into the Frith of Clyde. From remote time it has been called Ayr from an old Scotch word " Ayry," ineaning an eagle's nest - the river of the rüglo's nest. Noar its mouth and a eontiguous harbor, long stood a hamlet which became a roynl burg or town named from tho river, and ikiw about one-third as largo is Lowell - the city of Ayr. For more than a thousand years it hris been n.tcd in the his tory of Sootland. Dnring tho wan of Itobert Bruce it was oiu: of hisresorts, and was expecially favored by him because he WOB there curod of leprosy. OliverCromwell made it one of the depots and headQuarten of his army in his attack upon Scotland, and ono of his old forts is now the Citadel of Ayr. But abovo all its distinctions, Ayr waa the liirth-place of tho poet Bums. And wliat a poet ' What a voice has he riveu to all the endearments of home '. How has he hallowed the cottage and all it covers - weans and wifo, patches and poverty, beans, barley, ale, hardship, and the poor man's toil. IIow he wraps with tendemess whatever he ñames, oven his bleak leagues of pasture, the stubble, fleld, ico, snow, sleet, and rain, brooks, birds, tnioe, thistles and heather. His Bonny Doon, John Anderson, my Jo John, Auld Lang Syne, and Ilighland Mary roll round the world in ever ringing symphony with what is purest and best in human nature. His songs woo and melt the heartsof youth and maidons, bring solace to the sorrowing and courttge to the overburdened by their lot. His inspiration has set the affections to niusic in str.iins that aro immortal. No other one man ever made a language classic, but he has rendered that lowland Scotch a Porie dialect of fame. The name of his home and his beloved river Ayr was lifted on the wings of his pathos, and tow the approaching tra veler yearn s to rcaoh tho spot his genius has sanctified. Along the borders of tho sea m a parillelogram and surrodnding tho town is a ;ounty of the same name - Ayrshire. It would weary your patienco. to hoar ;he history of my anoestors from one mcient John of Ayr, then John Ayr, lown through the centuries to this Ayer jow bcforo you ; through their vicissi;udes of poverty and plenty - of fortune md misfortune ; how they have intornarried with England, Ireland and Scotand, ;md later with the Amerioans, who ire an excellent mixture of them all. My friends, - you have chosen the name [ inherited for your town with an extraicknowledginent of whieh I do not feel fully able to express. But I beg you to be assured that it is appreciated and that it will be gratef ully remembered with a Living interest in your prosperity while life remains to me, and, I trust, beyond that by my children aftel me. If this name bas becomo noted among the many that are worthier around you, that is greatly duo to its publioity. May I be ponuitted to state whence that carne r Until within a few centuries all the civilized nations of the globe werc pent up on the Bastern Continent. Two or three hundred years ago they leaked over into this ; few and fearfully at flrst, then more and more, but always in their settlements timidly hugging the Atlantic coast. Within the last two or throo gonoratious, they have buret out, as it were, and over-nm these vast continent of the West. Now they are scattered here and possess these measurelcss stretchos of mountnins and valleys, hills, plains, forests and prairies with the boundleas pampas and mountain ranges of South America. Fonnor generations lived in villages and towws, thickly settlcd togetlur wluii pliysicians were plenty and near at hand. Xow, the people are widely scattered, in many sections of these many eountries. For great numben the time'ly treatment of jjhysicians cannot be had ; over large tracts of country good or competent physicians oannot be had at all. ïhey can not visit patients enough many miles apart to live by their profession, nor can they carry hhmIíiúhis enouarh with them on horseback for their rcquirements. Henee has irisen ni these modern times, a necessity for remedios at hund, with directions for their uso - a present recourso for relief in the exigencies of sickness, when no other aid is near. It is a new necessity consequent upon the changed conditionsof human lite - a want I have spent my years in supplying, and I will tell you something of its extent. Our laboratory makos every day some 630,000 portions or doses of our preparations. These are all taken by somobody. lleve is a number equal to the populution of fiftéen citi(is as large as Lowell, taking tliiin every day (for siekness keeps no Sabbaths) nor for once only, but again and again year after year, through ncarly one thiril of i century. We all join in the jokes about medicines as wo do about the Dootor's mission to kill, tho clërgyman's insincerity and the lawyer's ch m! ing. Yet eaoh of these labora among tho most serious realities of life. Sicknosa and its attendant Bdfferlng are no joke, neither is the treatment of them. Tlii system of transportable relief, to be made available to the peopl must keep its remedies ñvsli in tlieir inemories. This is done by advertisin. Mark its extent. An advi-rtisenieiit, taktng the run of the ïu'wspapors with which we contract (some 1900 annually} is struck off in such numbers, that wlien piled upon eaoh other flatwise, liko the luaves of n book, the tliiekness through them is sixteen miles. Tn oddition, it. tukes some even millions of pamphelts and twolvu millious ot cireulars to nieet tho public domand for this kind of information. Our annual issue of pampnlete alone, laidsolid upon cach oí her, mako a pilo "iht aun one-quarter milos hirh. Tho circulara measuxed endwise reach 1894 miles, and these assertions are mattere of mathcmatieal ccrtainty. Whatever tho cstiniution in wMoo Uieee publioatáoM may be hW hcro, tlicy reaoh the firesides of miliions upon miliions of men who do treae'nre and regard tini, and who in the tóala fa hood tbc couusol they brisg. Not only orer those greal Western continents but tteonghoni Éhat othor la.nd so littlc known to you, undcr our iVrt, khfl Australiau continc-nt, thero are few villajes is large m this wbinh ace not famjjiar with the name you have ehoson. and employing tlic remedies tha,t baar it. Thus, gentlemen, have 1 Stoivon in my humble sjiliere to ronder sume seiviee to my feüow men, and to desorvo timong the atilicted and unfortunate sume regara fot the name which yimr kind partialitv hangt on these walls around me. We may look forwaid wiüh cuntid, nt hope fco the ronown you will gather under it, and the prosperityi whioh the ia reason to ] trust the future has in store for you. , Situatod as you are heru on one of the main arteries between the west and eagt, between "the great industries of the plough and the spimïlu you must lid in their f.changes and thrive with them. Soon these channels will bc oponed wide und pouring through your preeincts streams of men and merohandige that will need your furthoranco and must contribute to your growth. Located hore in tbc cenctr of New Engliind to what dearer spot can you turn that men inhabit ? Beginning life rich with the honors of your mother town, whose influence through her schools and her scholars is of itsolf an inherit with such examplos as Lawrence, Boutwrll, Iloar, what muy you not hope for of usef ulncss in the councils of the stati ■ ml nation ? Contrast our condition with that of the Europeas nations, altemately torn and impoverished witli wars, credit it as yon niiiy to the better eduoation of the people, and yon will nulize the valuo of the cxamplo old mother Groton bas set you, so worthy of your amliitioii to follow. Build schools for your children and iind talent to tcach them, then intclligence and integrity in prosperous and happy homes will be your sure rcward. Associated as you made me with your weal and wo, I wish I migbt be allowcd to contribute fnmi my means suuh as they are, something towai-ds tbis first foundation of the public good. Gentlemen, 1 havo defáined you too loiifr. Oppressed with the fear, that I do not deserve the distinction you bestow, I pray God to makc me worthicr, and to smile upon you with Ilis perpetual blessings.