Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1884-06-05
From the Daily Herald of May 30
DECORATION DAWN HELENA.
HOnOrS to the Heroic Dead.
Professions, Flags, Music, Orations, and
Decoration of Soldiers Graves, Under
the Auspices of Wadsworth Post
G.. A. r.

| I1elend III IOOf NO brighter sun eve
shone than that which inspired gratefu
hearts to deeds of devotion and sentiment
of patriotism, as the order of exercises wa
begun at noon to-day by the booming Q
minute guns.
The city, which at an early hour wa
awakened from its slumbers by the usua
calls of business, was quiet by noon, ant
all the semblance of respect on days O
mourning were seen by flags at half mas
and the abandonment of all manner o
business occupations At 1 o'clock larg'
numbers of people assembled in front o
Harmonic Hall, which is the Armory o
the Helena Light Guards, and the head
| quarters for societies, committees, carriage:
for the procession, and the general meeting
of the comrades of Wadsworth Post Here
all preparations were made for the grand
procession, which began to form at 1:30 p
M according to the following:
Detachment of Police
| Marshal T. p Fuller and aids, James
l.. Davis, Encampment /. o. o. F.;
William LoIey, K. of P; Shell
ton Duff, A. o. u. W.; A.
J. Seligman, II. l.. G.
Encampment of l. o. o. F. mounted.
Myrtle Lodge No. 3, Knights of Pythias
mounted
Montana Legion of Select Knights
40. U. W., mounted.
Turn Verein Prize Band
Helena Light Guards.
Veterans of the Mexican War.
WadSwOrth Post No. 8, G.. A. r.
Capital Lodge No. 2, A. o. U. w.
Perfection Lodge No. Is, A. o. U. w.
Helena Fire Department, in chrge of Chief
Fire Marshal Charles D. Curtis.
President of the Day, T. H. Kleinschmidt.
Chaplain, Rev. K. b. Tobey.
Orators of the Day, Isaac ID. McCutcheon,
F. P. Sterling
Apollo Club and Gesang Verein.
| Committee of Ladies on Decoration in
United States, Territorial and County
officials.
Mayor and Council of the city of Helena.
in carriages.
Helena Turn Verein in carriages.
in carriages
The following line of march was OBJ
served
Up Rodney to Bridge, down Bridge to
Main, down Main to Price, up Price to
Clore, down ClOre to Lawrence, up Lawrence
to Benton avenue, down Benton avenue to
the Helena cemetery, where the procession
reached at o'clock, The long line Of mill
tary, citizens societies, old soldiers of the
rebellion and veterans OF the Mexican war,
which inaugurated at Helena year ago,
the first Memorial day in Montana, was
far outstripped to-day in the numbers par
ticipating and the pageant and show Of
flags, banners, bright uniforms, flashing
bayonets and patriotic enthusiasm as they
filed in uncovered to the city of the dead
Here the solemn dirge by the Turnverein
Prize Band first broke the stiffness in the
order of exercises as it reverberated through
the avenues where the departed beroes
slept, the sweet music Of memorys re-
QUEEN, during which the daughters of the
comrades of Wadsworth Post. G. A. r.,
proceeded to decorate the graves in the
Helena and Catholic cemeteries
The flowers which were prepared by the
ladies were of unc9nmon loveliness and
beauty, being made into scores of bouquets
and wreathes of wild and cultivated
flowers, worked upon the evergreens of the
forest trees.
The Harmonic Gesangverein then rem
derad Der Tag des Herrn, The Lords
Day. Prayer by the Chaplain, Rev. r. B.
Tobey. Then the Apollo Club rendered
the beautiful song of "Rest, Soldier, Rest
General orders from headquarters OF the
Department of G. A. r. were read by Post
Adjutant. William II. Armor.
The following eloquent Grafton was de-
livered by /. d. McCutcheon:
Mr. President, Comrades, Ladies and Gentle
men
All these were heroes, upon whose graves
we have to-day strewn the beautiful
flowers, created by God to please alike all
conditions of life While in life, these
heroes fought on opposite sides OF ques-
ton of vital importance to our common
country, and upon which hinged the per
petuity of our government, yet they sleep
the sleep of lasting peace side by side,
and are equally the objects of our consid-
Grafton to-day. We may bend over their
graves with feelings akin to human wor-
ship and cover them over with beautiful
but any attempt.t to glorify them
would but illustrate the utter poverty OF
our language. 1t is honorable to be sol
dier in defense of what one believes to be
right, and an honor to be the son of such
soldier. The widows are aged whose sons
fell in the battles Of the rebellion, and IN
their desolation they look, as they have
right to look, to the survivors Of the con-
test for consolation and assistance. What
is more natural than that soldiers should
honor the burial places of their deceased
and care for the widows and or
phans OF those who lost their lives tight
ing valiantly side by side with them. Pa
triOtism and heroic deeds should always be
and thoughtfully acknowl-
edged. The memory of the victims OF
thriftlessness and vice can find no room IN
the heart of him who honors the man who
fell in battle contending for that which ne
deemed to be right 1t requires more than