The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1888-06-01

MEMORIAL DAY oBsERyANCEs.

MEMORIAL DAY oBsERvANCEs.
A Beautiful Day, An Immense Procession
and the Graves Covered With Bloom.
On Sunday evening last Geo. 81. Thomas
Post G. A. R., attended in q body divine ser
vice at the Presbyterian Church, where
Comrade D. j. Mcmillan preached . most
excellent sermon to an audience filing the
church-a sermon somewhat special to the
occasion, and yet less than usually devoted
to warlike matters, but rather such as the
Chaplains used to give US under the trees in
the campaigns, when not much of the glory
Of this earth was dealt out to US but our
w%ickedness hammered in, and the probable
ity Of our soon occupying
'That low green tent.
whose curtains never outward swing
Used as q leverage to set us thinking of
other and better things than the good old
gentlemen, land some of them were good,
and brave, and ~tireless in their dutles), gen
orally found the boys giving principal atten-
ton to when not at service. It was a good
sermon for G. A. r. men, or anybody else,
to listen to, remember, and be guided by,
and it is good, If only once q year, that the
Comrades gather at divine service and call
to mind that when the next quarter of a cen
fury ends it will be too late for most of them
to think about preparations for the Great
Campaign, and they had better be preparing
for the march at once.
***
Wednesday morning the procession formed
as announced, Orton's Deer Lodge Band
on the right playing a dirge during the as
sembly, with the Uniform Rank of Valley
Ledge No. 6, Knights of Pythias, as escort to
Geo. H. Thomas Post, G.. A. R., and succeed
ing them the choir of fifteen or twenty per
sons, after which a procession that in moving
reached from the McBurney House to West
Deer Lodge-one of the largest, if not the
largest, there has ever been on a like occa-
sion. With colors draped and mufled
drums giving the step the procession pro-
ceeded to the cemetery, where the orders
were read by Adjutant Martz, the Ritual
services of the Grand Army conducted by
Post Commander Smurr, with excellent in
strumental and vocal music by the baud and
choir, after which the large assemblage dis.
persed to strew the graves with flowers, and
wander around the many beautifully deco.
rated graves until the assembly sounded for
the return.
We do not believe there is a city or a town
in the Union where Memorial Day is more
worthily and universally observed than in
Deer Lodge. From the first observance until
now the exercises rave been conducted with
becoming solemnity, and there has been
l mona nf fhot 1iouOuifinn RI m ato r. q s7au IF
pic-nics, excursions, and hilarious amuse-
nents generally which for years in the States
threatened to dispossess the day and its du-
ties of that character Of tribute to the mem
DRY of the dead which alone renders it
worthy Of observance. The Deer Lodge
cemetery is probably the best kept and
tended, and contains the largest number of
beautiful monuments of any in Montana.
Not a day of the summer passes but that
numbers of the living are there identifying
the homes and surroundings of the dead, and
nourishing the trees, plants and grasses
above them. When Memorial Day comes
business is entirely suspended, and the entire
community gather there to listen to the scr.
vice, music and song, and to literally cover
the graves with flowers. For this reason the
/ IN AVuAo IA oNAONVOAS OO1OAO uO0U
grows so intense or storms arise, and so far,
in the obsarvances Of five successive years,
the mornings have been glorious, the i'm
mense professions have wendell their way
to the City of the Dead, and there on the
beautiful eastward lying slope the many
hundreds have assembled around the monu.
ment that islands for all who have died in
the sacred cause of their country" and
listened to affections affirmative that graft.
tude thall never die. wy
"." x**
On the return Of Geo. FL. Thomas Post to
its Post room May 30th the Post was called
to order and the following unanimously
adopted:
Resolved, That the thanks of Geo. II.
Thomas Post are due and hereby heartily
rendered to the citizens of Deer Lodge gen.
orally who so universally and cordially join
with us in the observances of each Memorial
Day, which are the more grateful to US that
they meet a responsive sentiment among our
fellow citizens; and that we especially thank
the ladies and gentlemen who furnished the
vocal, and Orton's Deer Lodge Band who
furnished the instrumental music; also Val
ley Lodge, knights of Pythias, for continu'
Gus courtesy and Knightly escort, and the
many who gave aid and assistance in defray-
ing expenses, collecting flowers and con.
tributing generally to the observance of the
day.
All the known graves of soldiers were
marked with flags by the committee for that
purpose and they were generously strewn
with flowers. ~. ""
Although cultivated flowers were unusu-
ally scarce this year, the continuous frosts
having kept the gardens nipped back until a
night or two preceding, the mountains and
dales had been searched for miles for wild
flowers, and there was a generous profusiou
Of them placed upon the graves. Many
sent to Salt Lake and Portland for roses, and
some beautiful bouquets and designs were
received.
Comrade NJ. Reilly, Of Geo. H. Thomas
Post, came all the way from Granite espe'
cially to attend Memorial Day services.
There were % Of a total membership of 2a
in Geo. H. Thomas Post in ranks Wednes.
day-all who were within a days travel OF
Deer Lodge.
Mrs. John Geerdts, of Rosedale, again
placed the Post and a dozen or so Other
, friends under obligations by a huge basket
, of evergreen wreaths for Memorial Day.
Mrs. Conrad Kohrs, Mrs. James B Nc
| Master and Mrs. E. l.. Bonner very kindly
! furnished the wreath for the cenctapb, Gu
: from the rare flowers of their home conserv'
atories.
There are believed to be in Deer Lodge
cemetery the graves of 20 soldiers who servet
either in the Union or Confederate Army
during the war. Only one Comrade OF Geo
=. H. Thomas Post has died since its organiza-
tion-Comrade James A. Lane.
Death of Alex. Lavenburg.
Butte Miner, May Is,