Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-06-23
ooNFEDERATE DEooRATIoN DAY.

CONFEDERATE DECORATION DAY.
A Memorial Demonstration I'm she
South-Much Paxeantry and Cor.
geous DIspIay-An Grafton That was
Astoniahingly Patronixing TO the
Boys In Blue-The New ChausaHqua
fn Georgi@-Ind1gnISIes to the Col
ored Race.
ATLANTA, Ga, June 18.
To the Editor Of the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
This is literary house-cleaning day with
me and your readers must be contented with
'picked-up" letter for their dinner.
attended the services at the leading cem-
etery here ON Confederate Decoration day in
sort is like in the South. OF course there
was considerable Of the pageantry of which
southerners are SO fond-gold braid, epau-
lettes, clattering swords, prancing horses and
gorgeous banners. At the cemetery, about
an hour after the advertised time, the speak
ers and officers of the occasion-with one ex-
ception local celebrities-teok up their POSI-
tiens on the east side of the Confederate
monument ia the cemetery, upon the top,
most ledge of the terraced pedestal upon
which the shaft rests. I recognized the ro-
tund form and benignant moon-like face of
Mr.. Grady, but all the rest were strangers to
me. The principal crater of the day was
Imported His address was very weak. It
did not have even che one southern merit of
passionateness. It was long, tedious, prosy
and delivered In listless, apathetic manner.
OF course the speaker was glad that slave
ry was no more, but inclined to the view that
Al. Il, v,aI vI,oka k0 n wit
its abolition. 1t disappeared through one of
the accidents of war. It was not war issue
even in the remetest sense. The success of
the Union arms was one of many niustra-
items afforded in this world of the triumph
of injustice. There could bs no doubt but
that the cause of righteousness had been set
back by the result; but as Gods cause could
never suffer permanent defeat. SO he would
somehow work righteousness out of this
temporary calamity. In the end might
should not prove right.
In conclusion, after long apology. for the
Confedsrscy and many oontemptible- fings
at the soldiers of the North, the speaker
wound up by burying the bloody shirt and
assuring the survivors of the victorious army
that the boys in gray bore them no maliesl,
This was no doubt magnanimous, but 1t
sounded coolly patronizing instead.
After the exercises there was of course q
rush for ths street cars. 1t was not very
large crowd. Perhaps there we've three
thousand people to be cared for. But the
one single-tracksd, conductorless line of cars
running to the cemetery was completely par
alyzed. Every car belonging to the road of
whatever shape, race, sex or previous condi-
| Ofa fkr1d0 ar
draughted into the service, and every spav-
ined mule in town seemed to have bean se-
cured to help drag the cars. The utter lack
Of system and the inadequate length of the
switches brought about scene of the direst
confusion. The perplexed proprietor OF the
line rode hither and thither on horseback,
seeking to bring order ont of the chaos, but
all in vain for long time. After switch
was Just as full of cars as it could be drl-
yer would continue to hold his car on the
track opposite for orders. In the meantime
more cars, coming in the opposite direction,
would jog along up to the switch, only to
pull back again for a quarter or half OF
mile and fud the switch there full and other
cars coming to meet them on the same track.
The air was full of flying dust and the pas
sengers, after delays which would have exas-
peratsd northern travellers q dozen times
over, at last began to grow impatient. 1t
had not been thought practicable to trust TO
the fare-box system on such an occasion, and
SO an effort had been made to provide con-
ductors for the cars. Whether it was found
| impossible to get enough conductors to go
| around, or whether by some awkward blum
on the same car In some instances, am una
/ BILE to say. At any rate there were quite Q
number of cars unprovided with amy meana
of collecting fares.
Atlanta Is all enthusiasm over the new
| Georgia Chautauqua which is soon to be
4 - ALI -2~,rru e%a& &S.y, HI
Georgia Pacific road about sixteen miles from
| here. The Constitution is as extrayagant in
| its claims for the enterprise as 1t is for eve
1 rything new that is attempted down here
It doesn't hesitate to pronounce this young
offshoot of the parent Chautauqua the most
colossal project ever conceived by lnorta
| man It published 3 list of the speakers fol
this, the opening season, a few days ago, re-
marking that never before had such galaxy
of great men been gathered together any
where in single programme. looked tht
| list through carefully. It was very credi
table one of course, but at the New York as
senably it would be esteemed . decidedly
weak array of speakers.
| Edward Everett Hale has been down hert
to set the ball rolling He came ostensibly
to attend the Unitarian convention here, bu
took occasion TO give the Chautauqua idea |
fboom incidentally, speaking on 1.-THE King
Daughters" in one of the city churches of |
week evening.
! During his stay here he visited the Storr
school (American Missionary association ans
seemed to be very much Interested. A littl
| reception was gotten mp for him by tn
teachers there and in the Gate City colore
school, which Is part of the public schoo
system of the city, He took advantage Q
the occasion to sesk to enthuse the teachers
black and white alike, with the Chautauqu
spirit.
After he had been speaking very earnestl
and beautifully for some time one of th
Gate City teachers yentured TO say:
i. ssOf course, Mr.. Hale, this is all very II
! | teresting to us, but you understand that Z