Third Annual Picnic Of The Farmers Of Bridgewater

Three years ago the furraers of Bridgewater resol vud to orgsnize an association, th-o purpose being to gathor together for a day of recreation, moro commonly understood as a day "of picnic. Upon tho grounds of Mr. Juuius Short, orto of the substantial farmers of the town, is a piece of wooda admirably adapted fur such occasions. Through hia generosity this location hsis been socared, the ground not only given but mach labor in putting it into shape also been freely donated. The officers for 1879 wero: President - Georgo 8. Pawson. Secretary- Henry Calhoun. Exocutive Cominittee- W. W. Hess, Ilenry Palmor, Goorge Calhonn. These gontleruen fixed npon the 23d of Angnst or Baturday last for the annual meeting of 1879. Providence siniled propitionsly npon the day, pleasant, and thongh somewhat hot in the sun, beneath the sh&de of the tall trees of the woods the air was as agreeable as if it was specially tempered to suit the occasion. At 10 A. M. vohicles loaded with precious human freight and baskets crowded with goody-goodies began to arrive. And those who came were not all Bridgewaterians ; there were to be observed Representativa Robison smilingly clasping hauds with his constituency ; Supervisor Kose, also of Sharon, and his daughters; Samuel Cushman, S. M. Morrithew and W. B. Osborne of the saine town ; O. O. Sweatland of Scio ; Miss Katie Eogers of Ann Arbor; Dr. Palmer of Brooklyn ; besides many others unknown to us. At noon there were nearly one thousand persons iu attendance. Aftor thanks by Rev. Mr. Gilman of Manchester, the eatablea which had been placed in position wcre subjected tororacious attack by tho hungry-looking crowd. An hour devoted to tbe satisfaction of the stoinach, was proruptly followed by mental amusement exereises. President Eawson introduced Eev. Mr. Tompkins of Dundee, who opened them with prayer, followed by vocal musió by a male quar tette froia Brooklyn. A paper by Isaac Alien of Biidgewater, lost sonie of its interest for the want of a stronger voice, tbe larger portion of ;ho audience unable to hoar the reader. [t was as follow8 : Fellow Cltizens of Bridgewater : The oecupation of the farmer is not ouly the first oecupation in which man ever engaged, but the most honorable business in which man can engage. Xhe Bible gives us the only reaaonable and common sense history of the creation of man, and there we find it recorded that when God made man he also plauted a garden and placed the man in the garden for to dress it, and to keep it. Kow I surmieo that if Adam had been placed öeiiiua tne counter to eell calicóes, instead of on the farm, that he would not have needed any teinptation from Eve in order to have sinned, but am rather of the opinión that the first time it bocanie necessary for him to charge a man with four yards of calicó at six cents a yard, that the temptatiou to make it an even quarter would have been so gruat he could not resist it, and the work would have been done. We learn fromthe same authority that farming was the only business in wliich man ever engaged while in a sinlpss state ; therefore we conolude it is not necessary that a manehciuld be a sinner in order to become a good farmer. Mr. Chairman, farming is not only the oldest and most honorable of profyssions, but the most necessary to the human race. When the farmer prospere all trades and profeasious prosuer; when the farmer fails all othar trades nd professious fail. In fact the agricultural interests of the country are the mainspring upon which all other interesta depend. This being the case, does it command that respect which it ehould command 'i Do we find the farmers intoreats as wel: reprasented in our halls of legislation as they ought to be ? Wu think not Mr. Chairman, and though we inust dmit that agricultura has takeu a groat Btride toward the front within the lasl few yoars, yet it fails to oocupyits proper position or command that homage vhich ia due. Now who is to blame for this state of tilinga? Is it not mostly tho farmer hiinselt'r' Has the farmer ever had a proper appreciation of his profession ? Does he endeavor to make that prepuration by thought and study, which is neceesary in order to beoome a thorough farmer? Would we thiuk oí trustiug our lives in the hands of a pbysician who had nevur studiod medicine, and kncw nothing of tho efïects oí drugs upon the human systein? Or, if we had a case before tho courta would wo want to omploy a lawyer who kuows nothing about law ? The doctors and lawyers success depends upon yeurs of hard study, and the harder the study the greater the succuss, There is not a profession under the sun but what a mau's succoss theruin depends almost eutirely upon the mental ability which he brings to bear upon it. Now here is the great trouble my friends ; the majority of farmers think it unnecessary to give their children an educatiou because they iutend they shall stay on the farm. I am afraid that many think more of adding acres to their possessious than of the mental improvement of their children, and that tho farmer is too apt not to properly appreciate the advantages of a proper education, but to overestimate the value of the dollar. Now if thero is a man on earth that deserves the pity of humanity, it is the man who worships money. He is to be found iu almost every commuuity, and though he numbers his a'res by the hundreds or his dollars by the thousands, he is a very poor man ; ho scarcely allows his family the necessaries of life ; his children are uneducated ; ho nover gives a dollar in chiirity ; he is opposed to all public ïmprovements ; he can't afford to take even bis home paper, but with hitn it is a coutinual round of work aud Bave. In fact when such a man gets hold of' a three cent piece and goes to put it into his vest pocket, if you will listen closely you will hear it eing, "farowell vaiu world I'm going home." ÍSuch a man is a curse to his fainily and a nuisanco to the coinmuuity ia which he lives. Go into the homes of the farmers and in what per cout. of them will you find more thau one paper, and that generally the organ of the political party to which they belong. These things ought not to be so. But it remains with us to apply the remedy. Let us iuiprove our conditiou by giving our childreu a liberal education. By keoping our tables supplied with the best literature of the day, and let us not only try to uuake workers of our chil dren but thinkers as well, and when we havo aecomplished this we shall have made one gieat stride toward elevating our profession to that position in which it belongs. Lee Conklin of Hillsdale, a BridgeWater boy, was next introduced. He spoke of his boyhood days in this good oldtown to which his mind often reverted, aud contraeted it with the theu and present time. lie addreased himBolf to tho young mea adyisiug them to be températe in all things. The Clinton brasa band favorod tho audience with a tune. Next on the programrae were Chrouicles, which, written by Mrs. D. W. Palmer, were unable to be read by her, not uuving rocovered from the iujury that bofel her some weeka sinoe. This lady oalled upon her daughter, Mrs. A. 8. Lowery of Brooklyn, to read : FIRST CH110NICLE8- CHAFXER FIRST. Now it carne to pass that there dwelt in Southern Michigan a certaiu people called Sharonites, and thuy had a goudly land for thoir heritage. And they rujoiced exeeedingly over their inheritauce. And for inany years they made a great feas at the closing of tho harvest, and called all their ovn people, and al8o strangera from afar, and ihey fed them upon the fat of the land. And it come to pass that among the dwellera in that land were many youth woo went abroad as counselors and lawgivers, but who still remembered Sharon as did the IsraeUtes oi oíd the fleshpota of Egypt. And as they make an annual pilgrimnge to that shrine, they reoount her glories in story and in song. Now there sojourned in an adjacent county a certain other tribe called Bridgevraterites. And they communed oue with anotüer, and said if it is meet lor the poople of Sharon to rejoioe and make merry, suruly it must be tor us who have been blessed so much inore abundantly. And tlieir wise nien chose the 23d day of the 8th rnonth as a day of feasting and rejoioing. And they spake kindly to Junios, surnamed Short, fOP being soexceedinglysmall, and they said unto hiin, let us enter upon thy fields and prepare a feast. And, lo ! he did even as they desired. And it also carne to pass that araong the youth of their land there were none who stood high in the councils of the nation, or vvho had sat at the feet of Gauiaüel. But howbeit there had manv gone forth trom thia people who for honesty and integrity rank high, and who would scorn lo defrauii tlia vvidow and tht oiphuu. And it came to pass that tbey sought out one Dunsiuore of tha house of Crauicr, who, not a dweller in their land, had for a time sojourned here. And tbey spake unto him saj'ing, ckiuo and abide wilh us for a time, and let us hear the wurds of wisdom froni tliy lipa. And there earae also divers others, from abroatl, former dwetlers in this goodly land. So that there wus no laok of exhorten to well doing. And the people also said let us have music and singing - and their wise men sent and brought cunning siugers and musiciana, and they made glad the hearts of uil with their songs and their instrumenta. And it carne to pass that the people camo from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and behold there was a goodly numbnr--and moreover all came with food in abnndtinoe, so that there was no laok. And it carne to pass that after the inultitude had gathered together and the table had been aproad, the blessing of God was invoked, and then all were bidden to the feast. And verily all did eat till tbey were filled, and now all the wonderful speeches that were made, and the gladsome songs that were sung, is not their record in the secoud chivpter of the first book of Uuronicles? Musie was again furnished by the quartette club. The speaker of the day, a Bridgewater boy as will be easily observed from his address. Densmore Cramer, Egq., of this city, then apoke at length, a synopais of whose romurks are herewith annexed: My FMow Citizcns of Bridgewater : About thirty-three years have passed since tho person who stands before you was a boy in your town. Many, ruany uhanges have taken place since then ; many have passud to that bourne trom whence no traveler returns; many have moved away, goue forth into the various avenues of lite in search of fame and fortune. Among the latter is myself, returning aftei this long lapse of time, bringing sheaves in the person of a son. 1 have reoollectiona of Bridgewater, pleasant as well as sad. Well do I reineinbei the firet dollar I earned whicb was iu this town. Nor hua it escapod from my memory that it was hare I loved the first girl; and, so long as I live I will not forget that it was also here I first received the mitten. It was here I starled out in lifo and whatever suecess I have met much is due to the eiirly training received iu Bridtjewater. Imagine if you eau a baro-footod boy goiug to church, dressed in tho phiinest attire, and working hard tbr $6.50 per inonth, and contrasl him with the speaker - you may se a slight differenoe. The first property I o woed carne through a swarm of bees lighting on a l)ush while putting in buckvvheut on the farm of Norman Calhoun. At this time I was determined to secure an eduuation. My iiinbition was in the diroction of learning, and have it I wuuld. Not born with a golden spoon in my mouth I was compelled to rely upcm uiy unaided elí'orts. I am now glad that in early youth I had nu money. At close of 2d term in freshman year in college my indebteduess reached $30. AVhat to do I did not know. After Consulting in my owu miud I went to see a twenty por center iu Piymouth from whom I borrowed $50. In harvcst I earned more. Perhaps that 50 was the deeiding point iu life. I recount this incident to illustrate the determination of the will. Improvements follow improvemonts as iutelligence increases. We don't really have any new inventions ; wo simply improve on those already in vented. A man in the profesaiona succeods by applying new ideas to oíd principies - brushing them up in better shape. The doctor applies his skill, improved by reading about some one else's exporieuce, to oíd ideas. Some people think we are inventing new thinga. Talk about the reaper aud mower ! There were reapers and mowers in the days of ' Pliny. You nssert we have improved in moráis. The first prohibitury law Yvo uuuci ufjitiiuurpö in jref)ry;ia, and a very strict law ït was too. Your laws are an iruproveinent on the oíd. IraJjrovement8 in plougha have been made, and eince 1788, 3ö() patents have been granted on cast iron ones. The man who believed that cast iron ploughs poisoned the soil haB learned from his neighbors, and removed the prejudioe. Just as fast as education progresses iuiprovements will be made. Windmilis, believed by many people to be a new invention, have been in existence ís long as the lawyer. Let uie say that ;he farmer can be the most liberal and sociable f he will. Huw many carriaes would havo come here 33 years ago when I was a boy. So many instancoa of iny bovhood come to my mind that I au confused. Anumbur were related.) Norman Caloun was a cooper. He compelled me to work in the lield, and after a heavy day's work had been done I would go tomill. Whenit rained there was plenty of work in the shop. I have to this day and shall carry to my grave a mark on my head, made by his boy with the sharp corner of a stave. Every young man reaches a point in life he tliinks the most important. I was a scholar in the Dradley District. I noticed across the room a face that bewitched me and from it I could not keep roy eyes. At oloe of school I proached her and in the most .greeable marnier possibio lolipited thé exquisito pleasure of (iCOOUipanying mr tü her residenoe. What do yon believe sle dulï Declined. And I havn't liked bet siuce. While 1 am on the oonfessionBl the wbole story miglit as well te related. The ou!y stéalia I ever did was in old Bridgewater, and that was from a molón patch Oivned by un uld laau uaiued Converse. Boylilco I thougbt as lu-my othors tbinlr tliat stolen fluit would be the sweeter. Now I want right heru to draw a moral tor the boys btf'ore me. Iï I live oue l.undrerl yoivrs, that meun act nover will be oblitërated from iny mind. Do not steal melons nor anything else, let the objuet b8 howevor smalt. A certain tnan now resting in liis grave told me that the secret of success in life v?a3 to lirst ostablisb a credit and i'aithfully fulSll all your proniiscu. This I haTe tried to do, and if tho Lord ahould see fit taset me back a bareíooted, ignorant boy iu Bridgewnter, I aui not afraid bilt what I could secure a eompetency ad an education. I say to you follo-citizon fiirmrs of Bridgewater that I am today c-onsiiJered something of a farmer, beiiig the possessor of four farms and espect to sell 1 (UW) KnoKr.ln .A' u.L i. - i1_ reaches $. In regard to credit it is worth more thsn mouey in bank to a;iy j-oud, indeed, old, man. F,y the fnlfillnent oi your promisos, you can establish a charticter for credit that will bring all the money you want. Point me to a man who hfs been a succesg in any of the many avoeationg, and I will show you one who has periorraed faitlifully every obligation. Thfire are men in Btidgewittor who can borrow $2,00') on tlieir own na.1110 alone. Why ia it that fwo young men who start out in lii'e on au equal footing, the one goes abead, prospera and never want for anything but what he can have it, while the other works harder perbaps, drt-gjies pnorly, and is uoable to secure credit V Vhy i thisdiffarenreex' mplifii.-dinalmostevery locality ï He who sucenedssets ou,', with a will and positive determination to kn w no suub thir.g as fail ; the n-ord "Success" ia embluzoued in frot of' huo and ia hia guida iu every uct und transuetion. AU man can secure acomfortablo eompeteuce if they so will it. AU uien eau Jiot become milüontires, but a conipeteucy auffiuient to pnvide against sicknoss and oíd age is pithiu the reach of every individunl. 'íoir.e, indeed a largo propottion of men i'ail to secure this rcwnrd even. They beootue ireary in pursuit of a moderate dagree of wbahh : gnt tlie blues. I sel out vrith tho determination, fiist to secure an edueation ; second, a share of this world's goods ; and, though the hill I had to climb was rugged, and obstacli-s aluioat iüHuruiouiitablo at times presenten themselves, I ay to yon fraukly the blues I nevor had, nor do I ever exp. et to have. The sun will shine juit aa gloriously to-iuorrow upon 6uí nnú ali. I'know what it is to go froiu llr. Oonkliu's barefooted to church with only a few oenta in my pocket. Left au orphan at the early age of 17, I resolved if ever I married to join banda with au orphan, so that together, unaided by relatives, we might be the 5 itiiiib'üis oí a ioriune provided we wert! able to secure one that bore any eemblauoe to a fortune. I want to say to these young men standing around waiting for your father's boots, to go to work, depend on your own ability and industry to prosper; aud to the fathers, not to givo tlieir sons money. Compel them to earn the first monoy they spend, for they will appreciate how tbey carne by it, and will be loth to fritter it away. 1 like to see young uien go out into the world and, depending on their own handa, make a living. I want to say to the young men present that what they get trom ftuother, they oap't enjoy. You can not be happy in lifo unlcso juu mm -!_tt vuu spend. First, go forth with a determination to succeed and success is directly in front of you. Then be sure to fix your credit in the community wherever you may make a home; and with these wo pre-requisites there is no such word as fail. I thank you for listening to me to-day in the recital of much of my early history in your town. Invited as a Bridgewater boy to address you, I talk to you not in a studied eflbrt as at the bar, bat in the language of ono of your old fellow-citizens, and regard the attentiun as an attestation of the differoncu between whnt I was, and what I notv am. Every farmer ought to feel and enjoy the prosperity of the whole. You ought to foei a comrnon interest, one in the other, and get together often on occasions liko these. You are residents of a county that has an educational iustitution that is the pride of the state, and I might say the world. You are surrounded by the best educational ini'uences that can be devised. With these things, and others equal to any obtainable elsewhere there is no reason why you can not be happy. Musio by the Quartette followed the address of Mr. C. Eev. Mr. Mcllwain of Manchester then addressed the audience, after which an election of offloers for 1880 took place resnlting as follows: President- Slade Lazelle. Secretary - F. M. Palmer. Diroctors - Thomas Van Gieson, Wm. Gadd, Ezra Glimps. Programme for the day finished, the platform lain for dancing was the een ter of attraction. ïhis amusement continued until eleven p. M., when an adjourument was orderod to ono year henee.