USA > Massachusetts > Barnstable County > Barnstable > Report of proceedings of the tercentenary anniversary of the town of Barnstable, Massachusetts > Part 18
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And then, of course, we came to Cape Cod. The New Eng- land, the new world and what have we got! I tried to de- scribe our feelings of this wonderful part two nights ago, but I felt unable to, and I resorted to a post card which I pur- chased in Provincetown three or four days ago. Let me say at once we have never experienced such warm friendship before in our lives. I hate to say so but we come to you as foreigners in the political world. We are not a foreign country and we have never felt that. We feel that we are among real friends, and we have not wasted any time here. We naturally want to take back with us a true picture of how you live. I don't agree with your Toastmaster, your esteemed Chairman of Selectmen, when he says you have nothing to do here and that you do it. My point is, and I have explained this on many occasions, you do far more than we try to do in twenty-four hours in England. Just a week ago at this very moment I was invited to a real clam- bake and I wasn't going to be beaten by anyone and I com- pleted the course. I had clams, lobster, oysters and hot dogs, corn on the cob and beans and melons and cranberry cock- tails and during the night I had a terrific pain in my tum- my. When I did awake in the morning I found I had kick- ed off the bedclothes. I don't allow things like that to hap- pen without trying to find out the cause. This is the con- clusion I came to : We in England give poultry the corn no doubt to make them lay, we give the horses beans to make them work, and that hints at what really took place in my tummy.
I know time is going on. I would like to pay a tribute to your very wonderful scenery. I have been privileged to visit your beaches and bathing-and we are very proud in Eng- land of our own beaches and bathing-but we can't show you anything better than I have seen on Cape Cod. I don't know what I shall do after today because I have been ac- customed for two weeks to drink very religiously your cran- berry juice and I have been trying and asking your Mr. Crocker whether it will be possible for us to grow cran- berries in England and I am afraid that it is impossible. I would say that there is a great market for that product in many parts of the world. I shall miss your cranberry juice more than I can tell you. My wife would like me, I am sure, to pay you tribute to your pearl industry. She is a fairly good judge of an expensive piece of jewelry, I am sure of that to my sorrow. She is very excited at the wonderful pearls which you produce on Cape Cod. I know she would wish
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me to say how grateful she is to the many kind friends who have given her samples of this wonderful industry.
And now I come to the saddest part of my talk. I have come to the time when we must say goodbye. Tonight we shall leave your shores with aching hearts but I am quite confident that you will agree with me when I say that my country is calling me. Things in our own country at this very moment are very far from happy and as Englishmen, as Britishers, my wife and I like to be present when our country is in danger.
It would be the easiest thing in the world for us to stay here for a little while longer and enjoy your present secur- ity and peace, but that would never do. Tonight we have completed our mission. We have been privileged to take part in your Tercentenary celebration. We have been favor- ed to join with you in a great remembrance and now that that task is finished, and I hope that we have done all you wish us, our place now is home. I have seen enough and heard enough of all your peoples to believe that we take back with us your best wishes for world peace. Your con- gressman, in a very eloquent speech, made use of these words "Liberty is in the balance." I presume he was speak- ing of the liberty of your own country. The liberty of Europe is at the very moment in the balance and we in our country whilst we at this moment are not threatened, have decided at a colossal cost to see to it that the liberty which we enjoy and which you enjoy and which cost so much in the days gone by shall at least be preserved.
It is very difficult for me to talk to you in this strain and just as I feel but I would in all sincerity mention just these two points. We in our country are fully conscious of all we owe this great country, the United States of America. I hear very frequently from the men in the street of the debt which we still owe you and I, with others, think that the time will come when that debt will be honored by our country, but there is another debt which we owe to you which will be very difficult to repay. I speak now of those brave men, the flower of your country, who came across to us in our difficulties and our danger in 1917, who stood side by side, shoulder to shoulder, with British soldiers, who now lay on the battlefields of France and Flanders. They gave their lives that we might preserve the liberty which we now enjoy, and the only possible way we can repay your great country for those brave men is to say that they did not die in vain.
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And now, Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen, as a clos- ing thought let me assure you that my wife and myself deeply appreciate the many kindnesses which you have ex- tended to us during our all too short stay. We shall return to our country happy in the memories of the way you live and I shall say to you, as I shall to my own people, that you are a credit to the town which gave you your name.
The TOASTMASTER. We have now a special number which was not included in the program. I have here a very impressive looking official document, which was sent to this table a short time ago by our Honorable High Sheriff of Barnstable County, with the request that I explain it and present it to His Worship, The Mayor of Barnstaple, Eng- land, who has just concluded his address to us.
It is a "Certificate of Appointment As Deputy Sheriff, to Charles Francis Dart of Barnstaple, England," and it sets forth in dignified language that Lauchlan M. Crocker, Sher- iff of Barnstable County, having confidence in the integrity, punctuality, and ability of Charles Francis Dart of Barn- staple, England, does appoint said Dart a deputy sheriff to serve during his will and pleasure. And the aforesaid Lauchlan M. Crocker of Barnstable, Massachusetts, charges Charles Francis Dart to faithfully and impartially discharge and perform all the duties incumbent on him as a deputy sheriff according to the best of his ability and understand- ing agreeably to the rules and regulations of the Constitu- tion and laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. All this is given under the hand and seal of Lauchlan M. Crock- er, Sheriff of Barnstable County, August 25, 1939.
And now Sir, Mayor Charles F. Dart, at the request, and in behalf of our Sheriff, I present to you this certificate of appointment which goes with the Deputy Sheriff's badge you wear on your breast given to you yesterday, August 25, 1939, in my presence when you were duly sworn into office. I congratulate you sir, upon having the unique distinction of being the first foreign citizen ever to be appointed to this very dignified position of public trust in the County of Barnstable. Perhaps our Sheriff felt the need or advis- ability of acquiring your services in some dangerous time of civil stress that he foresees, but I suspect that he truly wishes to pay the highest tribute in his power to a man in whom he reposes complete confidence. In his judgment Sir, I fully concur.
I now call upon the Rev. Mortimer Downing to say Grace :
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FATHER DOWNING. We give Thee thanks for all thy benefits, O Almighty God, who livest and reignest forever. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
With the audience standing, the band played God Save The King, and The Star Spangled Banner. With this, the Tercentenary banquet came to a close.
PART VIII
Miscellaneous Reports
REPORT OF THE TERCENTENARY LIBRARY COMMITTEE
The seven public libraries of the town of Barnstable were actively interested in the Tercentenary Fair and happy in a building erected especially for them. It was a little white building with green trimmings and an attractive sign over the door. The seven libraries are: the Sturgis Library in Barnstable, Centerville, Cotuit, Hyannis, Marstons Mills, Osterville and the Whelden Library in West Barnstable.
An interesting fact is that in preparation for the fair, meetings were held in each of the seven and attended by the several librarians and trustees, and at each meeting the story of some one of the libraries was told, so that all were historically noted.
To the "fair library" collections of books and material in general, each library contributed. And each librarian served her turn in service for a part of the three days. In one sec- tion of the "fair library" was a collection of books from the old West Barnstable Church Sunday school library. At first children did not have the consideration in the public li- braries which they receive today. The churches made that happy provision. A collection of books in brown paper cov- ering represented the Hyanis library in its beginning. Then, in 1865, it occupied a few shelves in the grocery store of one Freeman Tobey kept in the building now the Patriot news- paper office.
Centerville and Osterville among other treasures, showed children's books of today which are so lovely. Marstons Mills contributed a map of 1856, old books, etc. Old book- marks and other reminders of the past were on display. The Sturgis library exhibited a case of old volumes which claim- ed special attention, being among the oldest and rarest of the possessions. One case held the journals kept at sea by Captain James H. Jenkins and his wife, of West Barnstable. There were copies of the old Barnstable Patriot, and of the
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Cape Cod Magazine, which long ago ceased publication. There were magazines of today.
The books in general were those by Cape Cod authors or books about the Cape-a surprisingly large collection. Free- man, Otis and Swift are cherished historians. Among books by the town's authors of today were those of George Ly- man Kittredge, Henry C. Kittredge, Rev. Sarah A. Dixon in poems, Thornton Jenkins in text books. The town's new- est books, by Donald G. Trayser and Dr. Charles E. Harris were given special place.
The oldest library in Barnstable is the Sturgis, and its building is distinguished as the oldest public library build- ing in the United States still in use. A part was, in the be- ginning, the home of the Rev. John Lothrop, erected in 1644. Later it was the home of the famous sea captain William Sturgis and presented by him to the town in 1863 as a pub- lic library.
THE LIBRARY COMMITTEE ORA A. HINCKLEY, Chairman
A LETTER OF APPRECIATION FROM THE SELECTMEN
The Tercentenary Committee reecived many letters and expressions of appreciation of its work. The subjoined let- ter is published as of some interest to readers of this report in the future. On the Committee's part, the constant inter- est and cooperation of the Board of Selectmen is hereby ac- knowledged; the large part they played in the observance may be read throughout this report. Their letter :
TOWN OF BARNSTABLE SELECTMEN'S OFFICE
Hyannis, Mass., September 21, 1939 Tercentenary Committee,
James F. Mclaughlin, Chairman, Town Office Building, Hyannis, Mass. Dear Committee Members :
Almost a month has now elapsed since the termination of our Tercentenary Celebration. As time passes on it becomes increasingly evident that the entire program was most care- fully planned and successfully staged. Each event was in itself noteworthy, dignified and in keeping with the spirit of the occasion. We have heard only the highest praise for the committee from residents and non-residents alike.
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THE SELECTMEN OF BARNSTABLE-Center, Chairman Chester A. Crocker; left, Victor F. Adams; right, James F. Kenney. Before them is the replica of the Steeple Cup, Barnstaple's gift to Barnstable.
Knowing better perhaps than anyone else outside the com- mittee itself how unsparingly your members gave of their time and energy to accomplish well a most difficult task, we the Selectmen, both personally, and as representatives of the Town of Barnstable wish to extend to you, the Tercen- tenary Committee, our most sincere congratulations and ex- press to you our firm belief that your efforts are deeply ap- preciated by every thinking citizen.
You should derive a considerable satisfaction from the realization that your efforts and procedure will be emulated henceforth at every centennial celebration, and gratefully remembered as long as Barnstable shall endure.
Very truly yours,
CHESTER A. CROCKER, JAMES F. KENNEY, VICTOR F. ADAMS, Selectmen of Town of Barnstable.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PUBLICATIONS
Publication of material of permanent value on the his- tory of Barnstable as well as material of especial usefulness for the Tercentenary celebration was undertaken by the Committee. Its publications ranged from the large histori-
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cal volume sold at a price to cover the cost of printing down to pamphlets, maps and programs distributed free to towns- people.
THE TERCENTENARY HISTORY
The most ambitious enterprise in which the Committee co- operated was the Tercentenary history, "BARNSTABLE- Three Centuries of a Cape Cod Town." Since the writer of this report was its editor and principal contributor, encom- iums are hardly in order here. The fact that the Tercenten- ary Committee made possible its publication, however, should certainly be recorded. It was sponsored by the Com- mittee and published in July by F. B. & F. P. Goss of Hyan- nis. It is a volume of 536 pages, written of, by and for Barnstable men and women, and published in Barnstable. It is in every sense a cooperative town history.
Members of the Committee and others who contributed to the volume in addition to the undersigned as editor, were : Phyllis Bearse, Sarah H. Boult, Louisa F. Cobb, Richard Cobb, Alfred Crocker, Chester A. Crocker, Ora A. Hinckley, Elizabeth C. Jenkins, Henry C. Kittredge, A. Lawrence Lowell, and Nathaniel B. H. Parker, all of whom wrote articles on some phase of our town's history; James F. Mclaughlin, who drew a series of maps; and Vernon Cole- man, who contributed pen sketches for the volume.
To your Committee the publication of this history seemed a worthy enterprise. A reasonably comprehensive work on Barnstable was needed. The last volume of importance was the "Genealogical Notes on Barnstable Families," by Amos Otis, published in 1861-2, and republished in 1885. Long out of print, the Otis papers furnish an invaluable back- ground for the study of Barnstable's first families and ear- ly years. The Tercentenary history is lighter in genealogy and heavier on the side of the history and growth of our town. Together the two volumes complement one another nicely, and provide rich material for all those interested in the study of Barnstable history.
The Tercentenary Committee financially aided in publica- tion of the volume to the extent of appropriating $500 for the purchase of 125 copies. These copies it has distributed widely. It has presented many to those participating in Tercentenary programs; others have been donated to li- braries and historical societies; still others were sent to every clergyman of our town. The Committee has endeavored to distribute them judiciously among those who have shown
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their real interest in our town and to institutions where they will be available to the public. The publishers printed an edition of 1,157 copies, of which many have been subscribed by our townspeople, summer residents, and sons and daugh- ters of Barnstable residing elsewhere. Many copies are in the great libraries and historical collections of the nation.
THE TERCENTENARY BROCHURE
The second publication of the Tercentenary Committee was the brochure, "Barnstable, 1639-1939, A Brief Histori- cal Sketch." It was written at request of the Committee by our esteemed fellow townsman, Mr. Henry C. Kittredge. In it Mr. Kittredge related briefly the story of our town, something of its growth and of its distinguished men. The Committee planned this brochure for those who, not wishing to study the detailed and weighty town history, still might take pleasure in a brief survey of our town's past. During the observance the Committee sold many of these brochures at a nominal charge; it presented a copy to each person at- tending the Tercentenary banquet. Mr. Kittredge's literary skill and historical knowledge are too well known to re- quire further comment ; the Committee is grateful to him for his fine piece of work.
THE GUIDEBOOK TO HISTORIC SCENES
To give both townspeople and visitors a brief inventory of historic sites and scenes, old dwellings and public build- ings, the Committee published a 32-page pamphlet, "Barn- stable-A Little Guide to Some of Her Historic Scenes." During the observance 3,000 copies of this guidebook were distributed free. In it, points of interest in all our villages were listed. The contributors were: Barnstable, Alfred Crocker ; Centerville, Miss Evelyn Crosby ; Cotuit, Calvin D. Crawford; Hyannis, Mrs. Ora A. Hinckley ; Marstons Mills, Mrs. Henry E. Jones ; Osterville, Miss M. Genieve Leonard ; West Barnstable, Miss Elizabeth C. Jenkins; facts on the town, James F. Mclaughlin.
OTHER TERCENTENARY PUBLICATIONS
The Committee published programs for the Village Week observances in Cotuit, Osterville, Hyannis and West Barn- stable. It aided the Cotuit committee in publishing an at- tractive 24-page booklet, "Cotuit-Some Notes on Her His- tory," comprised of the chapters on that village by Dr. A.
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Lawrence Lowell and Donald G. Trayser and the maps of Mr. Mclaughlin, from the town history. During the Fair a program of daily events, programs of the horse races and the pet show, were published.
Of especial value to the schools as well as general interest to our townspeople were the series of maps and reproduc- tions published by the Committee. The map was a large decorative and pictorial map drawn by Mr. Mclaughlin on which important historic sites were indicated. We published and distributed 7,000 copies. Other reproductions made and distributed included copies of the town Confirmatory Grant of 1685, the town seal, and the picturesque sketch of the old Barnstable saltworks.
All the foregoing-the town history, the Kittredge bro- chure, the guidebook, and numerous other programs, maps, etc.,-cannot have failed to convey in some measure to all of our citizens something of the reason for our pride in this Tercentenary year of our town.
THE PUBLICATIONS COMMITTEE DONALD G. TRAYSER, Chairman
THE SOUVENIR COINS
The Committee ordered 6,000 bronze-hued souvenir coins in commemoration of the Tercentenary. They bore on the face a sketch of the old West Parish meeting house, and on the reverse, the town seal. During the summer these coins were placed in the public libraries of the town, and sold by them, with the profits going to the libraries. Since the ob- servance ended souvenir coins have been given by the Com- mittee to every child attending our public schools.
COLLECTION OF OLD PHOTOGRAPHS
For more than a year the Tercentenary Committee col- lected photographs of the yesterdays of Barnstable. These it borrowed, copied and returned to the donors. Many rare photographs turned up in the course of the search. The col- lection was assembled by Mr. Mclaughlin and mounted on white cards for exhibition purposes. When set up for dis- play it was impressive, numbering in all 330 old photo- graphs. During the observance the collection was put on display in the several villages of the town during their Ter- centenary exercises. Since then the collection has been dis-
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tributed among the public libraries, to each the photographs of the past of their village. In years to come when the ori- ginals have been lost, handed down to non-resident heirs, or have otherwise disappeared, the Tercentenary collection of photographs will be of real historic value.
THE TERCENTENARY COLORS
Blue and gold were the Tercentenary colors chosen by the Committee in one of its early sessions, when the need arose for an harmonious color motif. The Tercentenary colors were used on the cover of the annual town report for 1939, on the small burgees marking automobiles of the officials during the final week of the observance, and in many other ways.
WORK IN THE SCHOOLS
With the support of the School Committee and the Super- intendent of Schools the Committee enlisted the help of teachers in directing a study of local history in all the schools. Teachers undertook the difficult task of preparing material for their pupils. The notebooks shown in the Vil- lage Exhibits and later at the Fair proved that the boys and girls now go about the streets with their eyes open to much they had not seen before. They may be the fathers, mothers, grandfathers or grandmothers of those who plan the celebration of 2039, and the Committee believes this be- ginning of more serious study of local history is important.
The graduating class in Barnstable High School called it- self "The Tercentenary Class.' The speaker at the com- mencement exercises, a descendant of the Rev. John Loth- rop, was the Rev. John Howland Lathrop of Brooklyn, N. Y. Miss Jean G. Hinkle of the School Committee offered a prize for the best essay by a high school student on some subject connected with our history. The essays were so good that Miss Hinkle generously recognized four contest- ants. They and their essay subjects were:
Myrtle Calmas Carl William Uterhart
Captain John Gorham The Indians John Percival
Katharine Cotter Oliver H. Bowman, Jr. James Otis
The work done in the High School shops was one of the finest exhibits at the Fair .- From the annual town report, 1940.
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THE UNDELIVERED ADDRESS
The Committee early hoped to have as a speaker at its banquet a descendant of one of the town's first families, a man distinguished for achievement-Mr. Gaspar G. Bacon, former lieutenant governor of the Commonwealth, whose family still owns the large farm in Barnstable on which Nathaniel Bacon settled nearly three centuries ago. Mr. Bacon gave the Committee a conditional promise-that he would come if possible. He prepared an address for deliv- ery, but when summer came he could not attend, for he was in England. His address, "The Founding of the Town of Barnstable," published in pamphlet form, may be read in our public libraries-the Tercentenary address that was not delivered. It is worthy of the attention of our townspeople.
From roundabout and from all around Loose links have been gathered, lost links have been found : Forged now is a chain running far, far out From all around and from roundabout.
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