The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1889-06-05
Memorial Day.

Memorial day did not dawn amid the
smiles of nature and the basking warmth
of a summer sun, but on the contrary
IL was ushered in by an almost binding
storm of rain and snow, with the Their
mometer within one degree of the freez-
ing point, and this state of affairs held
sway during the entire day. 1t was
great disappointment to our citizens,
for arrangements had been perfected
for the observation of the day on a scale
hitherto uninterrupted here. The fire
department, with its steamer and other
paraphernalia; several civic societies
in uniform, and, most important of all,
the scholars of the public schools, were
10 unite with the Grand Army of the Re-
public in the demonstration. Lessons
in patriotism, like moral and religious
instruction, cannot be given too early
in life. The minds of the children are
highly impressionable, and ideas receiv-
ed in childhood remain to develop,
for good or ill, determining character
and influencing conduct. That 1.-The
public schools are the hope of the coun-
try" is now accepted by all intelligent
people. No matter what the nationally
of the child no matter what peculiari-
ties and prejudices they may have inner
tied from foreign parentage; il the
work of the teacher has been properly
done, they graduate true Americans,
proud of their adopted country 1t is
of the greatest Importance, then, that
every national holiday, any anniversary
connected in any way with the history
of the country, should be celebrated by
the schools, that the pupils may fully
realize what the republic is, what it has
cost and what ii may yet cost, and it re-
mains with them to see that the govern
ment of the people, by the people, and
for the people, shall not perish from the
earth" So we say that il was unfOrtu-
nate that the state of the weather pre-
cluded the possibility of the children
being partakers in the exercises. Not
outstanding all this, Brodhead Post
assembled 1T its post room at $50, and
at 10 "a. m. took up its line of march for
Prospect Hill, where the ceremony of
decorating the graves of soldiers was
carried out in the pelting storm. The
grave of Dougald Mcclellan was selected
as the spot for the especial services of
the occasion. Details were then made
for the distribution of flowers on the
other graves at that cemetery. Mean
while the graves i'm the neighborng
cemeteries had been decorated by com
rades living in the respective neighbor-
hoods. Marching back, the Post dis
banded for dinner At 80 p. m. they
again assembled at the Post room. and
thence marched To the Disciple church,
where they listened to an address by
Judge Fallas, of Cadillac who held his
audience for nearly an hour, delighted
listeners. A male quartet favored the
audience with some beautiful songs
The citizens had joined hands with the
grand army on this occasion, and had
it not been for the unpropitious weather
the day would have been recognized i'm
manner creditable to the people of
our village. Del. Cummings, of Detroit,
and Bill Billiard, of Niles the only fifer
and drummer in the world according
10 Paw Paw ideas were on hand and
cheered the boys with those stirring
strains which will-almost-awaken "a
dead soldier.