Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1883-06-07
A Large Crowd Present to Participate
In the Solemn Exercises Of
The Day.
The Eloquent Address OF the Speaker of the Day,
Hon. J. Fawcctt, OF Gaiena,
Given In Fall.


the usual number in attendance on the
exercises of the day were dispelled in
to thin air. The train from the south
brought large addition to the already
large crowd, an addition that would
have been much greater had not the
weather been so threatening in the
morning.
Contrary to precedent the speak
er's stand this year was erected on the
north of the Court House and on the
edge of the lanes of naples that extend
from the monument to the western
limits of the courtyard, where, beneath
the sheltering branches, the seats for
the audience were arranged. The bene-
fits of this change were speedily MOTTO
able as soon as the exercises were OPP
ened, every word uttered being plainly
heard, instead, of as in years before,
being half drowned out by the CHATTER
of impatient feet up and down the
court house stairways and through the
halls.
The exercises as usual were announce
ed to commence at half past twelve,
but, as usual, it was somewhat after
one before all preparations were fin
ished.
Finally an overture from the band
announced the opening of the pro-
gramme of exercises and the immediate
vicinity of the stand became the CEN
ter of attraction. After the overture
came a very eloquent address from the
President of the day, Col. j. G. Clark.
A song, "Again does a grateful ma
ton remember her fallen braves" was
given in fine forn' by q select choir,
with Prot. We ,ner at the organ. At
the conclusion of the song Rev. Dock
ham invoked divine blessing upon those
everywhere assembled upon the same
holy errand.
Then followed what to many was the
grand event of the day, namely the
decoration of the stately shaft which is
a silent but ever eloquent reminder not
only of the patriotism which led Old
Grant to send forth between four and
| five thousand of her sons to battle for
the national life, but of the reverence
with which she holds the memory of the
| eight hundred fallen heroes whose
names are blazoned on the cenotaphs
which surround the main shaft. This
| portion of the exercises were somewhat
more elaborate than has been the case
for number of years.
Through the active exertions of Mr..
Herman Buchner a squad of old
veterans had been secured, who after a
short season of drill, "caught ON to the
ways of long ago in manner that
showed those ways were not at any
time very far out of mind. This squad
took the head of the procession of young
ladies and children who were to decor
ate the memorial shaft. Those to whom
this grateful task had been committed
were Miss Helen Neeley, Miss Helen
| Woolstenholme, Miss Bessie Crowl, Miss
Ollie Muesse, Miss Ellen Schreiner, Mrs.
Richard Meyer, Jr., Miss Hattie Muesse
and Miss Emma Schreiner. These were
attired in black and were followed by a
band of thirty little girls dressed in
white with Grape rosettes on the left
shoulder. The procession formed in the
court house and at the proper moment
the veterans appeared under command
of Sergeant Louis Better guided by
Assistant Marshall III. S. Keene and
took the head of the column with
reversed arms. The line then
moved out of the west entrance of
the court house, thence around the
south ard east sides of the court house
park to the west side of the monument,
where the veterans opened ranks and
stood at present arms while the flower
bearers passed through and formed
around the center shaft, each of the
young ladies in black decorating one of
the cenotaphs and remaining standing
beside it during the succeeding exer-
cises
During the decoration the band added
to the solemnness of the scene by play
ing q dirge. As the last notes died
away Rev. S. w Eaton stepped for
ward and offered a touching prayer,
after which the children poured forth
their youthful voices in the grand har-
monies of America which they sang
in manner that showed careful and
pains-taking drill. The ceremony
throughout this portion of the exercises
was touching in the extreme and caused
a suspicious moisture to rise in many an
eye to which such symptoms were or
dinarily strangers. The line reformed.
with the exception of the veterans who
had meantime formed on the north and
south sides of the monument, and
marched back to the court house.
Then came the orders to the squad.
load at will, ready! aim! fret and
the roll of military salute sounded
out through the air. Three times was
it repeated, as provided for i'm the code,
after which the squad were marched to
the east of the speakers stand where
they stacked arms and broke ranks.
The choir then rendered with good
| effect, "This offering of flowers to thee
we bring" At the close Col. Clark
stepped forward and introduced the
speaker of the day, Hon. Jacob Faw-
cett, of Galena. The Colonel prefaced
the introduction by saying that he had
one request to make of the audience,
and that was that they keep as still rs
| possible. If the speaker or Others of
their own citizens addressed them, it
did not matter so much, as they could
come and hear them some other time;
but when they invited q citizen from
abroad to assist in the exercises of the
day, it was the only time in their lives
they might have of hearing him. Ifyoung
gentlemen did not do any talking then
they could do all the more on their way
| home. The gentleman who was to adj