The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-06-01
MEMORIAL DAY.
Its Observance in Portland and Vicinity

Saturday was celebrated as Memorial Day
by the comrades of this city and vicinity. ThC
| morning was one of the finest or the season
but at noon the clouds gathered and few
drops Of rain fell which materially interferet
with the attendance of the public at Ever
green Cemetery in the afternoon, good judges
estimating that not more than half the usual
throng was present. The rain did not how
ever amount to anything, and although the
rest of the day continued cloudy and dull the
rain did not fall in earnest until about the
close of the evening exercises at City Hall.
In the morning from every public building
and many private residences, the national flag
was displayed at half staff. The
various squads proceeded as usual, to decorate
the graves of Union soldiers in all the ceme-
teries except Evergreen. AT Forest City
| Cemetery Comrade John Evans was in COM
mand. Rev. T. Grosvenor made prayer.
Mrs. Reynolds superintendent of the Sunda
School delivered an address, the school chill
dren sang and 70 graves were decorated, there
being an elegant crescent placed on W. Fl.
Jordan's grave, and two wreaths on @. I'll.
Jackson's. AT Western Cemetery Comrade
O. FL. Dam commanded Rev. Francis South
worth delivered the prayer, and 81 graves
were decorated, With specials for Samuel D.
Stafford, c. f. Carruthers, W. G. and G. e.
Hamilton, Samuel Huff, Jr., W. Fl. Flowers,
Jas. Riggs, Jr., and W. B. Small. The squad
under Comrade John Williamson decorated
46 graves at the Eastern Cemetery and placed
specials on the tombs of Commodore Preble,
Lieut.. Commander E. E. Preble, DR.. Han
son and Mr.. Hart. There was prayer and
address by Rev. A. X. p. Small and singing by
the pupils Of the High School at the Lincoln
tree. Rev. Mr.. Small also officiated at the
cemetery, with singing by the First Baptist
choir. Rev Mr.. Wright oficiated at the Garfield
tree, also singing by the choir. At both trees
| the decorations were handsome.
At Calvary cemetery Oomrade d. E. McCann
commanded, and the procession consisted Of
Chandler's Band, Portland Montgomery
| Guards as escort and the Sons of Veterans.
Here SO graves were decorated and Father
McDonough delivered an address. Comrade
| G. Fl. Stevens squad decorated 25 graves al
Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Cape Elizabeth.
AT 1.S0 p. m. Congress street, from Congress
Square, was filed with people awaiting the
procession. After the line was formed it p<o.
ceeded in the following order:
| Platoon of Police under command of Officer David
Y Harris.
Drum Major Chas. W. Bean.
Chandler's Band, 20 mend. II. Chandler, leader
Chief Marshal Wm. H. Green.
Aids-Comrades Chas. H. Boyd Geo. II. Blake.
Col. j. J. Lynch.
Adj't. K. G. Miiliken.
| Portland Mechanic Blues-32 men, Capt. Davis
Portland Light InfantrY-40 men, Capt. Norton
Portland Cadets "a men, Capt. F. H. York.
/ Bosworth Post, 128 men-Commander r. K. Cat
| Mayor Deering and members Of City Government
Maine State Drum, Fife and Bugle Corps, IA men
J. Pagan, leader.
Thatcher Post IA men-Com. Daniel r. Dresser
| Shepley Camp, S. of ", 40 men-Capt. Philbrook
Carriages containing Wounded Veterans.
At the City Hall, the mayor and members o.
the city government were received, and theI
| the procession marched to the Rochester rail
| way station and took the cars for Evergreen
| The cemetery, in it's fresh green foliage anG
| flowers looked at its best, and showed the cart
exercised in keeping it in splendid condition
After decorating the graves the comrades as
sembled on Soldiers Lot, and after dirge BY
the band, Rev. Mr.. Crosley offered prayer
| Chaplain French read the roll of honor, the
band played, and Rev. Mr.. Crosley offered the
benediction. The following were the special
| decorations here: Ada M. Walker, Jas. w
York, P. A. Forsyth, A. w. Colley, S. f
| Tukesbury, Capt. B. c. Pennell, Charles F.
Lang, L. W. MountfoIt, Mrs. owbridge
Charles Van Horn. o. W. Burnham, Moses s.
| bennett, G. s. and N. III. Hammond. George
| f. Moulton, Albion P. Gross, @. o. Kennard
| Adaline Walker, j. Waterhouse, Capt. Nath-
an Barker, John SWEET, Washington Conant
d. Fl. Stevens, E. A. Roberts, S. Fl. Crm.
mings, Henry Horr, Washington Conant, Geo
W. Whittier, Col. John Goddard, A. S. Lyon
VIM. f. Chase, Walstein Phillips, Henry A
| Gray, Geo. l.. Pickett, Joseph A. Percy, Gen
James d. Fessenden, Charles Gilman, Zenas
| Thompson, George Thompson, Hiram Atwood
| o, B. Stevens, Chaplain L. l.. Record, Joseph
Walker. Donations of flowers were received
| from s. s. Rich & Son, North, Monument
| Shaior, Peaks' Island, Libby's Corner and
| West End school children. Mrs. D. Leighton
| John Pollard, d. r. Emery, Miss Alice Lom.
bard Frank Robinson, A. Fickett, w. Moul-
| ton, Arthur and Melville Davis, Aged Mems
| Home, Mrs. Billings, Mrs. A. Jones, Mr.
| Hodgkins, w. A. Sawyer, Mrs. j. II. Brown,
Miss Reynolds, Miss Adams, W. w. Thomas
| Mrs. Howard, Mrs. Farnsworth, DIR. Wood,
| Edward Harlow.
There was very good audience present at
| City Hall in the evening. The platform was
| draped with flags, three were piles of stacked
| arms and battle flags drooped about the speak
er's stand. After an eloquent prayer by Rev.
| Major G.. FL. Boyd-who took the place oi
| Col. A. W Bradbury detained at home by i'll
| ness-addressed the audience, referring in ap-
propriate and tender terms to the dead who
| laid down their lives for the sake of the flag
| The living comrades should remember that
| they, too, must soon pass away; that in few
| years the last leaf will be turned down in the
| book of life of the last soldier of the war.
After music by the quartette Major Boyd in
| troduced Rev. Henry Blanchard, who, after
II H. .s1sA. AI.HA II
| should be kept as sacredly as Sunday, an
| nOunced his theme to be ''The Soldiers Illus
| tration of the Spirit of Self-sacrifice.''
/ Sometimes we wonder how men can esteem the
| soldier SO highly. Sometimes we even wonder how
/ man. like Admiral Foote or Stonewall jackson
be religious. The soldiers mission is to fight
but religion ought to make lovers of peace. Tn,
secret Of admiration for the soldier, and the secre
of the fighters religion, is not hard to find. 1t
the willingness to die in order that many may Hvt
in peace in prosperity in power; it is the spirit o
sefsacrifce: The world will never tire Of delight
ing in this It reads the story told by Tennyson o
the Charge Of the Light Brigade, and it is thrilled
by the nobility of the deed. 1t reads of the charg
/ of the English in the Indian mutny, when ever,
i man was shot down, and when their bravery madt
the Hindoos put on the wrists of all the dead 9Th
thread of honor" and it is deeply stirred. On tn
page of history as it is being written today in tn
pages of ''Ihe Century" magazine or in the militia
ry biographies of our great soldiers, read tn
stories of courage. of valor. Of sacrifice, whicl
make the heart beat quickly and bring tears to tn
| eyes. How many of these you can repeat as yol
| gather at your camp-fres-what names of heroe
| are dear to you all.
In this connection the speaker spoke of the sacr
| fee Grant was ready to make for Sherman and
/ the noble letter of the latter to the former. H
dwelt also on the fact that the nation saw in Gran
the illustration of the spirit of sef-saeritice
| watched for bulletins from the sick room with tn
tenderest interest 1t is this spirit the days of peac
| always need. When the armies disbandeC
| when the prosaic occupations of life again II
sumed then, in fierce competitions Of business life
/ men live too much for self, too little for Others
| What We want is comradeship-the readiness t
| share. He would rather be soldier dividing hi
| crust or his canteen with comrade, than a selfs
| competitor in business grasping largest gains.
Mr.. Blanchard dwelt upon the need of eeopers
| ton, instead of the present fierce competitiv
scramble in business-eulogized the captains of in
dustrY, but asked them to lead tor benefit to other
as well as gain for rthemselves-pleaded for the so
dier's love of honor and readiness to sacrifice.
shall the days of war bequeath noble power
days of peace. So shall the angel we call Death II
ceiye spirits into the heavenly abode on who's
wrists are the "red threads of honor"
Following Mr.. Blanchard's address ther
was singing by Shaw's quartette, elicitin
round after round of applause.
| e. Fl. Elwell, Esq, editor of the Portlan
Transcript, was then introduced and read
poem, of which the following is the conclut
ing stan1a:
/ Two armies now our tribute claim,
| Yet one in glory they;
1 Two armies ne'er to be forgot
I On this Memorial Day: