Morning journal and courier., 1883-08-11
LOCAL NEWS.
stonington's Celebration.

Decoration of Dwellings, A Brilliant OccasIon-OratTon by COurtIandt Pal nner.
 The sixty ninth anniversary of the battle of Stonington was celebrated yesterday in very spirited and successful manner. No effort in their power was spared by the citi- zens te make it pass of in the most creditable manner. At three o'clock in the morning the citizens were awakened from their dreams by the ringing of bells and all the people arose at an early hour and commsnced the work of decorating. By eight o'clock nearly every house in the borough was gaily decorated with flags and bunting and appropriate mot toes, and everything indicated that Stoning- tons greatest holiday was to be appropriate Iy observed. The fremen were busy dressing the apparasuses for the oo- At half-past ten the borough fire depart ment was inspected. Some of the compan- ies appeared in new uniforms, and the dis play ss whole was highly interesting The visiting organizations began to arrive soon after the inspection, some coming by special trains from Mystic and Westerly. An i'm mense crowd was on the street, and great in- terest prevailed. At half-past twelve the procession moved in the following order
 GEORGE D. STANTON
 AIDS,
 Major s. c. waldron, Courtlandt Palmer, Edwin T. Paln CT, Theodore l. Palmer. Joseph w. stanton N Stanton, William Bradford, Eugene Palmer, L. L. Palmer.
 Company A, Third Regimsnt 0 G., Mystic,
 Captain Hoxie.
 Company B. Third Regiment O. G., Pawcatuck,
 Captain ichael Twomey
 Lieutenant Governor George G Sumner Henry c. Robinson, Of Hartford, Orator of the Veterans and those who witnessed the battle of Lieut. wadhams and crew of U Coast Survey
 schooner Palinurus.
 Warden and Burgesses in Carriages Chiefs and Assistant Ei gineers of New London,
 Jtlson's Hcpe Valley Band.
 Pioneer Hook and Ladder Company, stonington.
 Noank Band, Spicer, Leader.
 Neptune Fire Engine Company. of stOningtoD. Man
 uel R. Joseph. Foreman.
 Tubbs Band of Norwich.
 shetucket Steam Fire Engine Company, Greene
 Westerly Band. J Sheffield. Leader. Rh5de Island Steam Fire Engine Company. Westerly stonington Steam Fire Eugina Co npsny, Stonington
 DenisoD, Foreman.
 Oity Band. of Norwich.
 Wauregsn Steam Fire Engine Company, Norwich
 Members of the Prets and Citizens in Carriages.
 The procession moved through various of the principal streets, the scene being highly inspiriting and halted at the Town Square, where the addresses were made MT. Henry C.. Robinson, of Hartford, having been obliged to decline acting orator of the day, Courtlandt Palmer, president of the Nineteenth Century club, of New York, in an impremptu speech endeavored to fill his place.
 After alIuding to MT. Robinson, Mir. Palmer recalled the anecdote of the Sun- day school shaver, who, on being ques toned about Adam, said he didn't know much about Adam, but that Sammy next to him was two years older and probably could remember something about him. Thus some veteran of the attack on Stoning- ton might much better act as speaker, whose simple, plain narrative would doubtless be far more interesting than any flight of ora tory. But perhaps it was not entirely amiss that he should speak, for his father was a native of Stonington and his grandfather took an active part in the defense of the town. MT. Palmer here related some anec- dotes in connection with his grandfather. He then alluded to the old cannon used in the fight, which, in 1926, the United States government had endeavored to remove. They were dragged and taking hold of the drag ropes hauled them back again to their accustomed resting place. Here the speaker gave succinct &C., count of the bombardment. He drew the lesson that old Stonington had undergone her ordeal and received her baptism of fire III u0IGHS0 O1 Auudu IlUeELl0S duO IAc E1SuL of power. He then spoke of the new republic as opposed to the old that is dawning on the world. The present Ston- ineton, hs said, under the new agencies of civilization is as different from the Stoning ton of 1874 as that Stonington was from the rocky point on which it was built. Steam and electricity had transformed the world. | The pulse of every villager now throbbed to the very heartbeat of humanity. The nations now were sitting down at one table l and were next door neighbors to each other And universal repubioanism, the parliament of man, the federation of the | world, was becoming the hope of the race. Under these circumstances, new problems were arising, new difficulties had to be en- | countered in politics, industry and in all the | departments of social existence. As an illus | tration, he said, while we met here to cele- | brate the glory, the carnage and the romance l of war the best way to do so was by advocat- | ing or pleading for it's abolition. He quoted | from Victor Hugo's oration at the Paris ex- | position of 1878, which he affirmed was the | grandest plea for peace and the sublimest denunciation of war that he knew of. He l closed by saying that as old Stonington had 1 stood by her colors in 1874 so she would in 1 regard to all other issues that might arise were the victories to be sought either those of peace or war.
 NOTES OF THE CELEBRATION. The procession after the oration moved through Main and Church streets, to the large and ady orchard of MT. E. c. Deni son. Six tables, at least one hundred feet each in length set in Delmonieo style, ladep 1 with substantisls and the choicest viands l were erected, and the multitude was waited l upon by the loveliest of lovely young ladies | of Stonington. l At half past three o'clock the procession | was formed again and marched to Main | street, where good dress parade of the mili- | tary and firemen was held. In the evening grand illumination took | place. The old tattered flag, nailed to the mast l on the 10th of August 1914, by Mir, | George H. Fellows. was displayed in front of l the residence of Mir. Nathan G. Smith on l Main street. The two eighteen pounders that were used | in defence of the town now enclosed by an | iron fence on the town square, were visited | by many The occasion drew to stonington throngs | of people from adjacent towns and it was | oItoo rad Iaft 1 for "a oId l