USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume I > Part 82
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"After paying tribute to the sons of Genesee county for the record they had made in the war, the speaker continued :
"Our comrades sleep, some in Genesee, some in national cemeteries, and some in unmarked graves beneath a sunnier sky. No marble marks the resting place of those who slumber where they fell. No loving friend may adorn with flowers or moisten with affectionate tears, their tomb. But doubt not, despite their unbefitting burial, they are sincerely mourned and their memory as fondly cherished as though in coffined urn they slept where the buried ashes of their kindred lie. Good deeds are immortal. The years will come and go. This generation will be gathered to that eternal home of which we know so little and trust so much; strangers will tread these corridors and read these names with idle curiosity, the very marble will crumble under the touch of time, but the deeds that these men did, the government they saved, the splendid civilization they made possible, like the pyramids, will stand an enduring monument, when the builders have been forgotten.
"C. C. Dewstoe, postmaster at Cleveland, Ohio, had 'Genesee County during the War' as his assignment and was most heartily received. The fact that he used to live in Genesee county and went from here to the front placed him in close touch with his theme and with his audience, though he
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had been long absent from this city. He spoke of the services, not only of the men, but also of the women of the country, 'to whom is due in a large degree the great measure of our final achievement.' With a look forward and a final word of appreciation to the Grand Army, the address was closed.
"Then followed the Hon. R. A. Alger, of the United State Senate, in an appropriate and feeling address on 'The Soldiers of Genesee County,' after which, with more music and the sounding of 'taps,' the memorial exer- cises were closed.
"For most people the next exercise was supper, but the alumni of the University of Michigan took advantage of the interval to have a banquet at the Dryden for President Angell, who was to be one of the speakers at the dedication of the library next day. Following the co-educational prin- ciple of the university, instead of a toastmaster, there was a toast-mistress in the person of Miss M. Louise Wheeler, of the high school. President Angell was in a reminiscent vein and charmed his hearers with a talk on the worth of the university, illustrated by the careers of some of its grad- uates. Some of the more distinguished alumni from out of town were pres- ent, including Judge McAlvay and Judge Carpenter of the Michigan su- preme court, and Mayor Codd and ex-Mayor Maybury of Detroit, each of whom made short addresses.
"The evening celebration had for its principal feature an illuminated parade of vehicles and floral floats. These were the same which had ap- peared in the morning's procession, but with an added interest from the glow of street lights and torches. The streets were completely choked by the throngs of people who turned out to witness the parade and for a good time generally. The crowd was like that of the night before, only more so, and much enlivened by uniforms of National Guards and Naval Re- serves. To quote a newspaper report, 'They paraded, sang, whistled, yelled and generally let people know that they were in town.' But with all the jollity and boisterousness, there seemed to be nothing but good humor and essential good order everywhere. The illuminated fountain was again the center of a great deal of interest.
"At the same time with the out-of-door celebration a general reception was held in the court house for all the distinguished guests, which was attended by almost the entire population of the city and the invited guests. A great many other social functions were held of a private and public char- acter, which continued long into the night. One of the most memorable and enjoyable of these was the reunion of the ex-members of the Flint Union Blues, at the armory. Addresses were made by distinguished guests,
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and many former members enlivened the occasion with humorous reminis- cences of the old days.
"Let us close our account of the day with a further extract from the newspaper report just mentioned, slightly modified :
"Music was as free as air and almost as plentiful. Bands played and blared from the parks, from verandas of the hotels, from the reviewing stand and from the pave- ment. The fife and drum corps shrieked and rattled, musical contrivances in stores sent plaintive notes to the street, and gramophones were heard at various corners. Even the blind man with the hand organ, the colored man with the guitar-they all helped, and Flint was musicked in most generous fashion.
"Until late at night there was a big crowd of jubilee visitors on the streets; but with the midnight trains gone, the jam thinned out. Flint folks and their guests watched the illumination of the fountain, the ceaseless shafts from the searchlights, heard the bands play the last time for the night, and went home to the sleep of the weary and to do it all over again the next day.
"It might be supposed that the doing it all over again next day must involve some- thing of sameness and weariness, and so it would have been had Thursday's procession been of the same character as Wednesday's. But while the first procession had to do with the present and the past, and was largely military, the second looked toward the future. It was made up principally of the schools of the city. Two thousand of all ages and sizes, from the little tots, too small to keep up with the procession if they kept step with the music, up to the graduating class of the high school, marched in line, each carrying a small American flag. Great crowds gathered to see them and cheered them no less heartily and enthusiastically than they had cheered the procession the day before. And in response, came many a cheer and many a waving of flags from the little folks in the procession. With peculiar appropriateness, Dr. James B. Angell, the revered president of the State University, and so the top stone of our educational system, led the way, and with him other speakers and prominent guests and citizens, including, of course, the city board of education. Then, on foot, leading the schools, came the high school faculty, with true dignity, each carrying a flag like their pupils. Next followed the high school cadets, in black coats and white duck trousers, rivaling the soldiers of the day before in the smartness with which they carried themselves and the precision of their drill. Following them came the other members of the high school in the order of their classes, and then the Stevenson, Walker, Kearsley, Oak, Doyle, Clark and Hazleton schools, with classes led by their teachers. So filled were the smaller children with the marching spirit, that even when forced to halt for a moment, their feet still kept time to the music of the band.
"Then, all in white, came St. Michael's parochial school, and after them, schools from the country in wagons. Most interesting perhaps of all, and certainly with the greatest appeal to the sympathies of the spectators, was the last school contingent, con- sisting of the state school for the deaf, marching along with happy faces, apparently to the music of the band, though not a note reached their ears. Nor could they hear the applause which greeted them all along the line; yet, it was not all in vain, for their eyes made up in some measure for their lack of hearing and took in with delight the fiuttering of flags and the waving of hands and handkerchiefs as they passed.
"The procession was appropriately closed by a floral parade, in which gaily decked carriages and automobiles took part.
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"Instead of breaking up on Saginaw street, as that of the previous day, the procession appropriately marched out on Kearsley street, in front of the library, before being dismissed, and thus made itself a great escort to the distinguished guests as they proceeded thither for the dedication of the beautiful building. Thither they were followed by as large a crowd as could come within range of the voices of the speakers. After an invoca- tion by Father Murphy, of St. Michael's, George W. Cook, president of the board of education, introduced Dr. J. C. Willson as presiding officer, who made a few remarks in keeping with the occasion, and then gave place to Mayor Aitkin, who once more gave an address of welcome. After the singing of 'America' by a chorus of public school pupils, President Angell then spoke. His address was quiet and scholarly, appropriate to the occa- sion and in keeping with the quiet and dignified architecture of the building to be dedicated. It was received with close attention and with hearty applause. It was as follows:
"These are proud and glad days for the city of Flint. The fond memories of her past and the bright hopes for her future equally charm our heart. Justly conspicuous among the celebrations of the week for the permanence of interest which it awakens, is the dedication of the new library building. As the years roll on, the recollections of the intellectual stimulus which will have been received in this home of letters by thousands of eager young minds, will be among the dearest that bind them to this city. It is, therefore, eminently fitting that in the rejoicings of this festival, we find oppor- tunity to consider the significance of the opening of this house to its high uses, and to express our thanks to the far-sighted women who, by their earnest efforts, laid the foundation of this library, and to the generous donor of the beautiful building which we now dedicate.
"We seldom consider into what exalted companionship a library admits us. When an eminent man like Admiral Dewey or the President of the United States comes to our town, we esteem ourselves highly honored. The public press reports the visit with the fullest details. If it ever happens to us to be admitted into a royal presence, we regard the privilege as one of the notable events in our lives.
"But have you ever paused to think into what a society you will be introduced on crossing the threshold of your library when it is filled with books? Have you ever realized that there you may stand in the august presence of men of larger mould and loftier spirit than most of the illustrious warriors and sovereigns of the world? There Homer may await you with his imperishable song, and Plato with his vision of a seer, Aristotle with his political wisdom, and Demosthenes with his matchless eloquence. There the genial Horace may welcome you with his epic that charms the school boy of today almost as it did the court of Augustus, and Cicero with his melodious and re- sounding periods. Then follows the stately procession of mediaeval and modern poets, philosophers, historians, scientists, novelists-Dante, Petrarch, Grotius, Kant, Hegel. Rousseau, Goethe, Schiller, Shakespeare, Bacon, Newton, Scott, Gibbon, Emerson, Long- fellow, Lowell, Hawthorne, and their illustrious compeers. There they all may be, waiting to receive us and give us their best thoughts and words. Suppose they were in the flesh. The city could not contain the crowds who would come hurrying from all
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parts of the world to your gates to look upon this select company, the choicest and noblest spirits of all history. But though it is not granted us to salute them in person, we have the precious heritage they have left us of all that was highest and best in them. We may well stand with uncovered head and reverent awe as we enter those portals and comprehend the full import of the fact that there we are permitted to come into intimate communion with them, as they were in their hours of highest inspiration, and have them condescend to speak to us as friend to friend, to instruct, to comfort, to delight, to inspire us. What an unspeakable joy it will be to us to escape from the narrow dungeon of our ignorance into the free air and light of this palace of wisdom, to flee at times from the irksome cares of our daily life to the sweet companionship of these noble men, to turn aside from the din of the street and the shop into the peace and quiet of our temple of learning, to be lifted from the depressions and disappoint- ments which often overwhelm us to the exaltations and inspirations and hopes and enthusiasms which may be kindled by contact with these master spirits.
"Under that roof these great men of all the centuries will, as hosts, be ever ready with their work to welcome us to their presence. Your generous and appreciative friend has here reared a palace for them worthy, by its beauty and dignity, and completeness of appointments to be their permanent home. There they will speak their words of wisdom and cheer to you and to your children and to your children's children. That will be the center and in large degree the source of the intellectual life of this rapidly growing city.
"Now that your benefactor has so nobly done his part, it remains for the city to see that the library is maintained and managed in an effective manner. It would not only be an act of ingratitude, but it would be a mockery if in such an edifice as that we should not find a good and growing and well administered library. There is no more important commission in your city than the commission charged with the care of your library. Let us hope that they will always be chosen with special regard to their fitness for their official duty and without regard to their party affiliations. Especially is wisdom needed in the selection of your books. It is not so difficult to choose books for the cultivated and scholarly readers. But in your library you must provide for all your population. Particular care should be had to procure books attractive and useful to your artisans and mechanics and common laborers. They should be led to feel that this is the place where they can most profitably spend a spare hour and can find some- thing to bring new brightness into their monotonous lives. The efforts which you have already initiated to make the library serviceable to the pupils in your schools, must now be redoubled. The teachers and the library authorities must always contrive to co-operate heartily. The multiplication of libraries in this country has already elevated the work of the library; the influence which a competent librarian can wield in his guidance of the reading and studies of the young is seldom outweighed by that of the teacher or the preacher. In no manner can a generous appropriation of funds for the support of a library be more wisely expended than in securing a competent librarian.
"Judging by my own experience and by my observation of others, I doubt whether the guide books which have been written to tell one what works to read have been of great service. The simple reason why they are not very helpful is, that to advise one what to read, you should know something of his aptitudes and taste and something of his plans of life. General advice is a shot in the air. It may hit nothing.
"But a competent person may give helpful counsels to the young concerning useful methods of reading whatever one does read, and may indeed specify what are some of the best books on certain topics. A good librarian, if leisure enough is left him, may attract and help willing auditors by occasional lectures or informal talks, on how to
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read a library. But personal suggestions, to meet particular needs, are the most fruitful of good. And just here the school teachers, if competent to advise, can be of the utmost service. In no way can the library be made so valuable as by the hearty and systematic co-operation of the librarian and the teachers. It would be very useful if they could from time to time meet to confer upon the best method of securing harmonious action. For it is the generation now coming on to the stage who are chiefly to profit by the use of this library. It is through them that the city is to receive its chief benefit. To invite them to read, to train them to right habits of reading, to inspire them with high ideals of what one should seek and love in reading, should be the aspiration of parents and teachers, if this library is to yield its largest harvest of good.
"Like all good things, this library may to some persons bring no good, it may even mean an instrument of harm. It may bring no good because it may be utterly neglected. No doubt there are many families who have never drawn a book from the shelves. It may bring no good-it may even cause intellectual, not to say moral injury, if it is misused. It is possible to choose from any great library such passages from works and to peruse them in such a spirit as to gratify and stimulate prurient desires, or if one does not descend to so unworthy and shameful an act, one may read in such a manner as to be guilty of intellectual dissipation. What we may call the desultory readers are exposed to this danger. They pick up whatever book or magazine comes first to hand, provided they are sure that it makes no tax upon their mental powers. They spend their time dawdling over a chapter of this book, then over a chapter of that, as men of the town now join this gay companion for an hour and then another for the next hour for frivolous talk and profitless gossip, and so wander aimless through the day without any fruitage to show for their time. They lose the power, if they ever had it, of consecutive study and thought and discourse on any theme whatever.
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"I do not mean to intimate that we should never come to this library to read for pleasure and entertainment. One of the great and proper uses of books is to refresh and amuse us in our hours of weariness and depression. Like the society of our choicest friends, they may wisely be sought for the sole purpose of diverting our minds from the flood of cares and troubles which come in upon all of us. The library may well be 'The world's sweet in from care and wearisome turmoil.' Or in our happy and merry moods we may seek congenial company in the creations of Cervantes and Moliere and Shakespeare and Dickens and Mark Twain. Reading for pastime is a commendable occupation, if wisely followed. Lowell, in his paradoxical style, tells us that what Dr. Johnson called browsing in a library is the only way in which time can be profitably wasted. But to browse profitably one should have an appetite only for what has some merit. I have known lads born with a literary instinct as unerring as that of the bee for finding honey, to have the free run of a large library and come out with a wonderful range of good learning. Such instances show the unwisdom of having the same rules to guide everyone in his reading. In such cases as those just cited the example and taste of the parents often determine the success of the experiment. The books they talk about fondly at table and quote from freely and appositely are likely to arrest the attention of the child. Therefore we may say that the home as truly as the school may largely determine what advantage shall be gained in this library. Parents who, for their children's sake, are careful what guests they admit to their house and what companionships they counsel the children to form. may well consider what reading comes under their roof and what literary tastes they encourage in their household.
"In these days when reviews and magazines and school histories of literature abound, there seems ground for one caution to youthful readers. It is not to be content with reading about great books, and great men, but to study the works themselves of
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great men. Many of the outlines of English literature, for example, which pupils in school are required to study, contain dates and names and brief descriptions of master- pieces and, from the nature of the case, can contain little else. But cramming the memory with these is not learning literature. Reading, mastering and learning to appreciate and love one of the great works of a great author is better than to learn the dry facts in the lives of a score of authors. So our magazines and reviews treat us to criticisms sometimes wise, and sometimes unwise, of many authors. But all these are of little value until the works themselves of the authors have been studied. With the works the biograph of the authors should be read in order to appreciate the conditions under which the works were produced. But far better is it to gain a thorough acquaintance with one great writer's life and works than to learn a few fragmentary facts as second hand about the lives and writings of many.
"One of the most difficult questions to settle in these days in the selection of books for a library or in directing the reading of the young is, how large shall be the propor- tion of fiction in a library or in the reading of anyone. Just now we are flooded with fiction, stretching from the short story of the magazine to the two volume novel. I observe that nearly two-thirds of the volumes drawn from one important library in Michigan (in 1901-02) are classed under the two heads of juvenile fiction and fiction. And I suppose the experience of other popular libraries is similar. This shows at least 4 that there is a great craving for fiction. That craving, a library like this must, to a fair degree, strive to meet. Nor need we regret that there is a strong desire for sterling works of fiction. They stimulate and nourish the imagination. They give us vivid pictures of life. They portray for us the working of human passions. They give reality to history. Sometimes they cultivate a taste for reading in those who would otherwise be inclined to read little, and so lead them to other branches of literature.
"But on the other hand, I think it must be confessed that a great deal of the fiction which is now deluging the market is the veriest trash or worse than trash. Much of it is positively bad in its influence. It awakens morbid passions. It deals in most exaggerated representations of life. It is vicious in style.
"It is a most delicate task for the authorities of a library like this to draw the line between the works of fiction which should be and those which should not be found on its shelves. As to the individual reader, the best we can do is to elevate his taste as rapidly as we can by placing in his hands fiction attractive at once in its matter and in its style. We must hope that with the cultivation of taste to which our best schools aspire, we can rear a generation which will prefer the best things in literature to the inferior. That is the reason why the teachers of languages and literature in our schools should be not mere linguists, but persons of refined literary taste, who will imbue their pupils with a love for the truest and highest in every literature which they can read.
"I would like to commend to my young friends who desire to profit by the use of this library the habit of reading with some system and of making brief notes upon the contents of the books they read. If, for instance, you are studying the history of some period, ascertain what works you need to study and finish such parts of them as con- cern your theme. Do not feel obliged to read the whole of a large treatise, but select such chapters as touch on the subject in hand and omit the rest for the time. Young students often get swamped and lose their way in Serbonian bogs of learning, when they need to explore only a simple and a plain pathway to a specific destination. Have a purpose and a plan and adhere to it in spite of alluring temptations to turn aside into attractive fields that are remote from your subject. If in a note book you will, on finishing a work, jot down the points of importance in the volume and the references to the page or chapter, you will frequently find it of the greatest service to run over
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these notes and refresh your memory. If you are disposed to add some words of com- ment or criticism on the book, that practice also will make you a more attentive reader, and will make an interesting record for you to consult.
"If it is ever allowable to envy another, we may envy the happy giver of this building the just satisfaction with which he may look upon the completion of this work. Here he has opened a fountain, the streams whereof shall make glad generations to come. They shall look upon this home as the place where they have received intellectual stimulus and nourishment. Some even may remember it as the place of their first real intellectual awakening-we might say, of their intellectual birth. How many a toiling mother, who in her poverty is unable to supply her eager-minded children with the simplest books, will daily speak her word of blessing on the noble man who has opened the intellectual treasures of the world to her household. Here is the shrine of true American democracy, for here the child of the washerwoman may sit by the side of the child of the millionaire and, with equal freedom, hold sweet communion with the great and good of all ages. The eye can rest on no more charming scene than will be witnessed daily in this beautiful temple of learning, where ingenuous students of every station in life, whether clad in the coarse jeans of the workman or in the broadcloth of the wealthy, will be seen pursuing their studies with exactly the same opportunities of making their way to a position of eminence and usefulness among the great scholars of the world. May we not say with pride that this opening of high intellectual privileges to all is in full accord with the spirit of this historic state which has offered to every child within its borders the opportunity to enjoy almost without cost all the privileges of education from those of the primary school up to the highest which Michigan can give.
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