Historic leaves, volume 5, April, 1906 - January, 1907

‘ [38] that seemingly hopeless object, and shall never forget the inexhaustible faith with which he urged it. In his presence it was almost impossible not to believe in its speedy success; all obstacles seemed little before his sanguine confidence. Scarcely any one was ever present at these committee meetings except the three told men in whom the whole enterprise appeared to centre, Wilson Flagg, John Owen, and Elizur Wright. They were all of patriarchal aspect; as they sat leaning toward each other, with long, grey locks flowing, I always felt as if I was admitted to some weird council of old Greek gods, displaced and belated, not yet quite convinced that Pan was dead, and planning together to save the last remnant of the forest they loved.’ That Mr. Wright Was enthusiastic to a greater degree than most men with large reasoning powers is not to be denied. I could quote many passages from his pen which in the light of to-day's events read as a prophecy.

To the motion of Philip Chase it is due that the Wright homestead, with the care and use of the immediately surrounding land, is allowed to remain in the family during my own, its former owner's, life. It is an affectional privilege which I dearly appreciate, and in token thereof, the public are as welcome on my grounds as in any other part of the park, and it is my effort to keep these grounds free from all that is unsightly, and as wild and beautiful as possible. Should visitors hurt my trees or throw banana skins and salmon cans on my grass, I should cry, ‘Janet, donkeys!’ but otherwise the place will never be more theirs than it is while I live. It was also the vote of the Board to make a fair allowance in my favor for loss occasioned by the delay in our settlement; but as there hadn't been any loss, and my wish was to keep to my own terms, it was again, on Mr. Chase's motion, decided that the money should go toward the erection of a little stone structure on Pine Hill in honor of Mr. Wright. The motion, in the contribution of such money as remained in its treasury, was seconded by Mr. Wright's Medford Public Domain Club of 1884; and as Mr. Wright did not let the stones of his Fells cry out in vain, it is fitting, but it is not necessary. To him the stones and all else cried, ‘Save the woods’; and, thanks to the