Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-06-02
FOR THE FIRST TIME
Old Army Veterans Crowd Into st.
Paul's Cathedral to Attend
MEMORIAL SERVICES LAST NIGHT.
The Church Beautifully Decorated With
Flags and Bunting.
THRILLED BY A PRIESTS ELOQUENCE

Never before In the history OF st. Paul
Cathedral, of this city, has it been the scen'
of such an event as that of last evening
when about 800 or 900 old soldiers marched
inJo the church with brass band playing
dead march, TO which they kept time. The
building was packed to the doors, and 1t is
safe to say that almost 1000 people were IN
attendance.
The occasion was the annual memorial
service of the Union Veteran Legion, and
this was the first time the ceremonies were
held in a Catholic church. Although there
never has been anything in the rules of the
church forbidding such services, it has moi
been customary to hold them in Catholic
houses of worship. Many of the old sol
diers are Catholics, and thought it would be
the proper thing to hold their memorial re-
union in a church of that denomination.
They applied to Rt Rev. Bishop Phelan
for permission ito use the Cathedral, and II
was freely given them.
MARCHED TO THE CATHEDRAL.
The old soldiers gathered at their hall on
Sixth avenue, preparatory to going to the
place of worship, and marched to the
Cathedral. The route of procession was
Sixth to Smithfeld, to Filth avenue, to
Grant street, to the church. As the vet
Grams marched into the sacred edifice the
Cathedral band, stationed in the gallery,
struck up the dead march from Saul. Many
old soldiers were there with the scars re-
ceived in battle over 25 years ago, but as
they marched up the aisle they showed
their steps had not lost any
elasticity, as they measured time
with the notes from the band. Some of
them who bad never been in the Cathedral
before gazed around them at the beautiful
house of worship; but the majority OF the
men were so impressed with the occasion
that they looked neither to the right nor to
the left, but kept straight on until they got
to the pews assigned them. They wore their
uniforms, and every one had badge of
some kind on hisperson. This brought forth
many remarks of admiration from the peo-
pie gathered in the church. The Legion is
composed of men who had been commits
stoned officers and wno saw service Con-
sequently every man has memento of the
great struggle of which he is proud.
Long before the veterans arrived the
church was full of people For the most
part they were Protestants and had little
trouble securing seats. The Catholics very
magnanimously and courteously yielded up
their seats to the strangers in the church,
which action showed a commeudable spirit.
When the pews were full the people began
to stand in the aisles and crowd into the
galleries.
When the band concluded the march the
choir sang the 'Miserere," with Mrs. J. J.
Aland at the organ and Miss Grace Miller
soloist The latter sang with considerable
feeling, and the wide range of her voice
surprised many of the people in the church.
THE GRAFTON DELIVERED.
At the conclusion of the performance,
Rev, Father Wertenbach. of Braddock, who
is called the silver tongued orator o. the
diocese, assembled the pulpit, which had
been beautifully decorated with American
flags, and delivered the Grafton to the old
veterans. In his address, Father Werten-
bach said:
"All nations have been known, even in
the time of scriptural inspiration to offer
glory and praise to the heroic men
OF their times; men of valor, men
OF virtue and men of worth. We
find traces of their worth in monuments
along the river Nile. They are more end
ing than the elements of time, and are
standing in silent devotion of the eloquent
evidences of the heroic men of their day
men who gained glory for their deeds.
'If we 60 to Rome we find pantheon OF
the burning bones of genius. France has a
gilded dome-a pantheon where reposed the
great Napoleon, visible and palpable
evidence of the love of the French peo-
pie. In ireland we find a grand
pantheon, running up into the clouds, q
symbol of the love and praise OF the people.
Go to England and you will see Westmin-
ster Abbey where reposes the heroes of all
walks of life.
'What have we in this country?" From
the cold lev North to the fowery South,
from the Atlantic to the Pacific shores,
reaching from the stones of tie earth to the
clouds, we have a dome covering the dead.
THEY HAVE NO PANTHEON.
1.-THE dead whose escutcheon is the starry
sky, and who have no pantheon to laud the
praise OF the living. Under the dome we
come in silence and in loving sorrow and
grief, to offer our tribute of reverence and
tears We enter the wales where repose num-
berless dead. We view the trenches along
the streams, where they lie, and we would
bear them with tears. We offer them the
flowers that give forth fragrance that as
cends to heaven. The tears are the eternal
evidence OF our love for the dead and expec-
tation of the immortal"
The speaker then eloquently dwelt on the
great deeds, glory and sacrifices Jared. the
long marches, etc., and talked very rapidly.
The words rolled out of his mouth one alter
another without any effort on the part of the
reverend father as he continued: EVERY
where on water and land we find them. We
hear Of their endured suferings in hospitals
and other places"
"Why do we commemorate this occasion
and meet here tonight? To offer a tribute,
to reverence and praise the dead, and renew
the vow for the love OF our country
at their graves. We recognize that
the love of our country is the
strongest passion implanted in the breast
of man and this government is worthy of
our love. We swear to be loyal to our
land. We fully recognize the priyatious
YOU went under, and you old veterans and
heroes understand this memorial. Those
who did not suffer for the common cause
can show their character by keeping intact
this grand, glorious system OF government
Teach your children to be patriotic in their
actions, by being honest for the sake Justice
Teach them to organize and be ready by the
ballot to dispute dishonesty with honesty
and put down demagogy.
SOME OF THE VETERANS.
Among those present were:
Judge Slagle, One Hundred and Forty-ninth
Pennsylvania Volunteers; Judge Collier, One
Hundred and Thirty-ninth Pennsylvania Vol
unteers; Judge Over, Fifteenth Pennsylvania
Cavalry; General George s. Gallupe. United
States Army; General P. N. Guthrie, Major
E A Montooth. General T. A. Rowley, Cen
eral A L. Pearson, Rev. Colonel John
A Danks; Colonel L. B.. Duff, One
Hundred and Fifth Pennsylvania Volunteers;
Colonel ID. 3. Morris, One Hundred and First
Pennsylvania Volunteers; Colonel E e. Zigler,
One Hundred and Seventh Pennsylvania Vol
unteers; Captain w. Speer, Twenty-second
pennsylvania Cavalry; Captain S. NJ. DuvaI,
One Hundred and Second PENNSYLVANIA Vol
unteers; ID. Stevenson. One Hundredth