The Great Falls leader. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1888-1900, 1889-05-31
MEMORIAL DAY IN GREAT FALLS

| Inc commemoration Of memorial day
IN the city Of Great Falls for the first
time will be long remembered by those
VINO participated therein. In the morn.
ing some fears were expressed that there
would be but meager representation OF
the business element of the community
because large proportion of them had
accepted invitations from an enterprising g
COMMITTEES of their lady friends to re-
gale themselves in the delight of the
mystic picnic far up on the banks of the
classic Missouri. All such apprehensions
however, proved not to be we'll founded
when the line Of march was formed in
front OF Kingsbury Hall cavalcade OF
imposing proportions seemed suddenly
to spring into being. From the hills and
the valleys, the coulees and the table
lands, from mountain side and plain
from brook and river, lake and rill, came
pouring down with impetuous speed, the
valorous and patriotic hosts Of Belt, OF.
ter Creek, Clendenin, and the mining
camps OF the mountains to join with their
comrades and companions of Great Falls
In paying tribute to the memory of those
who had laid down their lives in defense
of their country and their homes. Itwas
estimated that not less than fifteen hun
dred persons formed in the line of march
to the beautiful park on the bank of the
river where the services were to beheld.
Hundreds of stragglers, like camp fol
lowers, lined the advancing column on
either side. At the head of the process
sion marched the Great Falls cornet
band. Next came Sheridan post No. 18,
e. A. r. in uniform bearing in their front
the battle scared stars and stripes. Fol
lowing them came the speakers, Messrs.
Martin Maginnis, Paris Gibson, T. E. Col
Inns and Judge Race in carriage. His
honor the Mayor and the wounded vet
eran John Hunsberger rode next. Then
came the clergymen of the city accom-
panied by another disabled veteran E. c.
Marston in a carriage drawn by most
magnificent pair of Montana prancers.
The Hook and Ladder company in
their fine uniforms and with their lad
ders and fire suppressing appliances pre-
sented an imposing appearance.
The Stutz New York Theatre Co.'s
band in full uniform constituted very
attractive feature of the procession.
Arrived ut the park, the Great Falls
band played Ethel Baldwin's Last Fare
we'll, an impressive funeral march, COM
posed by Prof Eddie especially for this
occasion. @ ..s-.....-. ..e. o.. . q
Judge Race opened the Memorial ex-
ercises by Il few we'll chosen introduce
tory remarks and called upon the Rev.
Mr. Reid who offered the opening me-
mortal prayer.
The quartette composed of Mesdames
Clarke, Brundage, Reid and Junkin, and
Messrs. Hawkins, Chichestner, Junkins
and Tannhauser, sang in charming lie
''Tenting Tonight" Judge Race then in
troduced Maj. Maginnis, the orator of the
day, saying:
In the earlier days and in almost all
parts of Montana met with the name of
Maginnis, and it became with me little
mixed, whether Maginnis was in Montana
or Montana was in N1aginnis. After
became better acquainted in the territory
however, found out that he represented
a large portion Of it. esteem it an hon
or today to introduce to you the orator of
the day, the Hon. Martin Maginnis.
GRAFTON.
FELLOW CITIZENS AND COMRADES:
In the legendary days Of Rome the angry gods
for an outrage Of their laws shook the world with
an earthquake. They caused the ground to open
that the offending city might be swallowed into
the abyss. The yawn1ng chasm opened wider and
wider below the threatened capital. Palaces and
temples, homes and affairs t0ttered on the brink
and the jaws OF the earth seemed to become in
stinct with a ravenous appetite to devour the
city which had reposed with pride upon It's breast
Out Of the awful depths the voice Of mystic au-
gury was heard It warned the priests and peo-
its noblest manhood could save the city Of doom.
Obedient to the dreadful summons Curtius. the
citizen, soldier and patriot leaped into the gulf
He felt that there could be no more acceptable
sacrifice than that of man for his fellow man;
that he could die no nobler death than to die for
his city, his kindred and his home The earth
closed over him and assumed its ancient and un-
movable solidity Above him rose the glory Of the
city that he had redeemed with his life. Her
arms brought the spoil of all the world with which
to decorate this grandest OF graves-the grave Of
the self-buried citizen. The gifted hands Of art
erected the most gorgeous palaces and the loftest
temples above his bones. Sculpture and paint
ing adorned them with all the ornaments they
could bestow, and el0quence and poetry awakened
their echoes with the praise of the great city
which his sacrifice had saved to be the mistress
and ruler of the world.
Some years ago the fair city Of human freedom
which had been founded one hundred years and
one month ago, by the statesmen and soldiers Of
the war of the American colonies of Great Brit
ain, for their independence Of that power, was in
danger similar to that which threatened old
Rome. bloody chasm opened between the Sec
ti0ns of the city, and threatened to engulf the
structure which had been founded by Washington
and his associates. The cause was In the very
condition Of that foundation The generation
that was to suffer for the original sin was only re-
spolsbe by inheritance, but the spirit Of outraged
Justice rent the earth, and into the chasm not
only one, but hundreds Of thousands. brave and
patriotic hearts threw themselves until eternal
Justice was satisfied, The bloody chasm was
closed. The ground under the foundations OF the
city Of liberty became solid and forever fixed.
The work of building up the great city goes on,