f the broad Delaware River, and where now many more than a
million people make their homes. And many of you who do not live there,
but who love your country and are proud of its history, are likely to go
there some time during your lives, to visit the birthplace of your noble
nation.

Have you ever thought that the United States, as an independent nation,
was born in Philadelphia? In that city stands the stately Independence
Hall, in which the Declaration of Independence was made and signed. You
may see there the famous old bell, which rang out "Liberty throughout
the land!" And you may stand in the room in which our grand Constitution
was formed. So Philadelphia should be a place of pilgrimage to all
true-hearted Americans, who wish to see where their country was born.

It was such a place of pilgrimage in the year 1876. Then from every part
of our country, from the North, the South, the West and the East, our
people made their way in thousands towards that great city, which was
then the proud center of all American thought. A hundred years had
passed from the time the famous Declaration was signed, and the
Centennial Anniversary which marked the one hundredth year after this
great event was being celebrated in the city which may be called the
cradle of the American nation.

A grand exhibition was held. It was called a "World's Fair," for
splendid objects were sent to it from all parts of the world, and our
own country sent the best of everything it had to show, from Maine to
California. On the broad lawns of Fairmount Park many handsome buildings
were erected, all filled with objects of use or beauty, and more than
ten million people passed through the gates, glad to see what America
and the world had to show.

If you wish to know what our own country showed, I may say that the most
striking things were its inventions, machines that could do almost
everything which the world wants done. And the newest and most wonderful
of all these things was the telephone. This magical invention was shown
there to the people for the first time, and the first voice shouted
"Hallo!" over the talking wire.

In the years that followed centennial celebrations became common. In
1881 the centennial anniversary of the surrender of Cornwallis was
celebrated at Yorktown. In 1882 the bi-centennial (the two hundredth
anniversary) of the landing of William Penn was celebrated at
Philadelphia. A vessel that stood for the old ship "Welcome" s