The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1888-06-06
Memorial Day.

Memorial Day was an ideal day, bright
and pleasant and not SO warm as to be
at all uncomfortable. The programme,
as published the week before, was ear
ried out in all its details, and the gen.
eral verdict was that it was the most
successful occasion of the kind that was
ever witnessed in our town.
The members of Brodhead post, q.
A. r., probably have greater number
of cemeteries within their jurisdiction
than any other post in the county, there
being eight of them besides our beauti-
full Prospect Hill, where it has always
been customary To transact the public
decoration ceremonies. Details had
been previously made for the purpose
of strewing flowers on the graves of all
| soldiers who sleep in these outside
cemeteries, which was done early in
the morning, and if any were over
! looked, it was only because those who
were detailed to perform that sad but
pleasant duty did not know of the last
resting place of all their deceased COM
rades.
At the appointed hour, ten o'clock a.
m, the grand army boys, preceded by
the members of the patriarchal circle
and the Paw Paw band acting as an
escort and followed by large concourse
of citizens, took up their line of march
for Prospect Hill, where the usual i'm
pressive memorial ceremonies of the
order were performed around the grave
of their deceased comrade, Frank Snow,
after which detail was made to deco
rate the graves of the other comrades
who are there buried.
Thanks to the many friends who
interested themselves in the matter,
there was great profusion of elegant
floral tributes, Notwithstanding the
lateness of the season, which had led
many to fear that there would be a
scarcity of flowers.
A pleasant feature OF the occasion
was the decoration of many other
graves besides those of the fallen COM
rades, some of them being literally envel-
oped with beautiful tokens of remem-
brance and love.
Returning, the procession took up its
line of march To the village, halting in
front of the Dyckman House a few
minutes, for the purpose of enabling
our photographer, Henry Shefer, to
take picture of the scene, which an
unfortunate accident caused to be a
failure. A subsequent attempt, how
ever, at a later hour of the day, proved
n success.
This ended the morning programme
and ranks were broken until two
o'clock p. m, at which time the grand
army and circle men assembled at the
armory and marched to the Disciple
church, which was crowded to its fullest
capacity-many being unable to gain
admittance-with people eager to listen
to the elegant programme which had
been prepared. The meeting was
opened with prayer by Elder Pallister,
pastor of the Disciple church, and a
double male quartette, under the lead
ership of Prof. Hutchins, furnished the
music. The elegant style in which the
patriotic songs were rendered, touched
a responsive chord in the breasts of all
the old veterans and drew forth rounds
of applause from the vast audience.
Among the interesting features of the
occasion was a patriotic recitation by
Miss Gertie Pallister, that was received
with marked manifestations of approval.
But, as matter of course, the prin-
cipal attraction was the grafton. Com
rade +. III. Harvey, pastor of the
Presbyterian church, was the orator of
the day and his address was worthy of
all commendation, no better one ever
having been delivered before Paw Paw
audience on similar occasion. Laying
aside his notes, he spoke under the
inspiration of the hour, his address
abounding with pathos and bristling
with an inimitable humor that is pecul-
iarly his own. His remarks moved the
hearts of his old comrades in arms as
nothing but the words of an old soldier
can do. He spoke for an hour, but his
hearers took no note of time and would
gladly have had him continue still
longer.
At the close of the service, Pastor
Tanner of the M. +. church dismissed
the congregation with benediction,
and the exercises of the day were
finished.
The business houses of the place were
all closed during the afternoon exer-
cises, and the "boys in blue" feel that
their thanks are due to the singers, to
the members of the circle, to the ladies
who decorated the church, to those
who furnished such profusion of
flowers and to all our citizens generally
for the interest they manifested and for
the assistance they rendered i'm making
the exercises a grand success in all
respects.