Focus on Statue of Robert Burns (Milwaukee) and explain the Unveiling ceremony.
The unveiling ceremony for the Burns Monument was held on Saturday, June 26, 1909, at 2pm. The day's events began as a crowd of several hundred assembled at the Plankinton House and moved in procession to the Burns Monument, led by the Caledonian Pipe Band. An invocation was given to the attendees by Rev. Frederick Edwards. The Burns song, "There Was a Lad Was Born in Kyle" was performed by the Lyric Glee Club.  Introductory remarks were given by the chairman of the day, Andrew D. Agnew. The statue was unveiled by Miss Juneau Theiline McGee, the great-great granddaughter of Solomon Juneau; the first mayor of Milwaukee.  Approximately 2,000 people attended the ceremony.Judge Joseph V. Quarles gave an eloquent speech on Robert Burns and concluded with the official Presentation of the Burns Monument to the City of Milwaukee. "Mr. Mayor, in behalf of James A. Bryden, our neighbor and friend, I have the honor to tender this monument to the people of Milwaukee. Be pleased to accept it in their behalf and I doubt not that they will see to it that it is suitably protected and maintained."  Mayor David Stuart Rose accepted the monument on behalf of the city.  The Lyric Glee Club sang another famous Burns song, "Scots Wha Ha'e", for the audience.  After the musical interlude, rhetorical addresses were given to the audience by John G. Gregory and Hon. Ogden H. Fethers. General Arthur MacArthur Jr gave an address to the audience about Scottish characteristics and poetry.Then, after calls from the crowd to hear from the donor, James Bryden spoke to the assembled audience.Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: It gives me great pleasure to greet this large gathering of our citizens and our friends from Wisconsin and other States. You are assembled to witness the unveiling of a statue in memory of the ploughboy poet, Robert Burns, whose songs are sung in every land and in every tongue. His writings are dear to all Scotsmen, wherever found. It was my good fortune to be born in Scotland, and to come to this country with my father's large family when I was five years of age. My father bought a farm near Utica, New York, and I remained on that farm until I was past twenty-one years of age, when I came to Milwaukee, in 1857. My business life has been passed in this beautiful and prosperous city. It gives me great honor to present to the City of Milwaukee this monument of Robert Burns, the world's great poet, the poet of humanity.
The exercises concluded with the audience and Lyric Glee Club singing the popular and well-known Robert Burns song, "Auld Lang Syne".
Burns Monument David Stuart Rose Joseph V. Quarles Pipe Band poetry Arthur MacArthur Jr Utica, New York Solomon Juneau Milwaukee Scots Wha Ha'e Auld Lang Syne Wisconsin Robert Burns