St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1884-06-05
M EN- ORAL DAY.
How the SOIdier-Dead Were
HOnOred in 81. JOhnSbury.

The mercury needed to travel only
six degrees Memorial morning to reach
freezing point, and it remained cold,
dark and bleak all the forenoon. But
about noon the sun began to play hide
and-seek with the shivering citizens
and by > o'clock it was shining as
| brightly as could be desired. The day
was observed as in past years in this
village and there seemed to be about
as many people on the streets as
usual, notwithstanding the disagreed
bic familiarity of the wind. A good
many dropped i'll from the towns
around, some by the early trains, but
more by team, and Notwithstanding
their insensihility of cold, right glad
were most of them that they had not
forgotten their heavy winter over
coats. One countryman, however, who
must have left the cock growing his
first crow, and reached the county seat
nearly as soon as the suns light, took
his SldHu OH Jllt NollltI III EdSltIu
avenue and Main street, and never
moved till dark, shaking hands with
fishing out his meals from his capa-
cious pockets. The Dartmouth fresh
men clambered onto the St. JOhnsbury
coach early in the day, and with a
''rah, rah, rah," that nearly frOZe to
their lips, were whirled down to the
fair ground, where they easily defeated
the academy boys ut base ball. A
good many other college students ac-
companied the nine and one could
ternOOn without encountering cane
and pair each of e-glasses and tight
pants.
1t was one by the village clock, as
Longfellow would say, when the floral
car came down. 1t was large, heavy
looking affair drawn by six white
horses, whose driver seemed pleased to
consider himself the feature of the day.
The carlo was trimmed with ever
greens and bore thirty-eight young
misses representing the states, Miss
Eva Sheldon persOnating lbcrty's god
dess. The girls were seated in two
rows around their chief, and in their
efforts to keep warm in their uncom-
Portable white dresses, presented rather
an homogeneous appearance. Ii seemed
perfectly natural to see South Caro-
lima improve every opportunity to give
Massachusetts hair a tweak, but wnen
Texas Struggled up into the arms and
down into the lap of Rhode Island,
there was considerable stir among the
western commonwealth.
Bat no sooner had their photograph
been taken, than the great republic
drawn by white horses, one of which
the cOuntryman on the corner was
pleased to remark seemed '.Iust leetle
lame in the nigh hind leg" moved out
of the way and the drum major stalked
maiestically into view, followed by his
companions i'll distress. Next to the
band came the st. Johnsbury guards,
apparently realizing that they looked
as neat as pin in their bright, hand
some uniforms. They had barely
reached the old Central market when
the Knights Templar Palestine COM
mandery wheeled gracefully into the
avenue, forming squares and emblem
atical figures as they proceeded down
the hill. Crescent encampment of Odd
Fellows fell into line on Railroad street
and the procession marched through
the village, receiving the Grand Army
Chamberlin post and sons of veterans
at the court house, the students ut the
academy and the disabled soldiers, the
floral ear and citizens in carriages and
on foot, at Church street. The process
sion came to n halt at the entrance of
the cemetery, while the Grand Army
received the flowers from the floral
car and moved about III squads deco
rating the graves of their dead soldier
comrades, the band playing a dirge
After marching through the grounds,
the procession moved back to the viii
lage receiving the scholars at School
street. Reaching the square, the Grand
Army went through their usual cere-
monies in decorating the monument.
the only awkward part of which came
when Chaplain Sandford tried to pray
and member of the band to drum at
the same time. Both succeeded, how
ever, and the crowd passed into the
skating rink.
The exercises were opened by the
president of the day, Prof. c. f. Put
ney, who began by speaking of the
Roman orator who wished his deeds
remembered rather than inscribed.
The speaker considered this wise de-
cision and thought such ceremonies as
those just observed more permanent
than inscriptions on marble, and more |
to the parents and children of !
the dead. If the dead patriots could /
speak, they would desire that it might |
be impressed upon the minds of the
coming generation what they suffered
that this heritage of peace and pros
perity might be obtained. He also be-