Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-06-06
DEcoRATIoN DAY.
Capt Trego Post. Assisted by the
W. B. G. and Citizens Gener-
ally Pay Grateful Tribute
to the Heroic Dead.

w. 3. G. and Citizens Gener-
ally Pay Grateful Tribute
to the Heroic Dead.
As national holiday there is none SO
generally observed by the citizens OF Ire
90 county as May 3Oth. Much more than
ordinary interest has always attached to
the observance of the beautiful ceremon-
les attendant upon Decoration Day and
to the credit Of our people let this fact be
recorded. May Goth 1891 was no excep-
ton to the rule. The day was beautiful
and apparently everybody both from
town and country was in attendance.
The remark was frequently made, didn't
know there were so many people in the
county" The large court room was
packed and quite number were unable
to get inside. At least 500 people listen
ed to the exercises. Thlrty-three old SOL
diers occupied seats on the right of the
platform and participated in the duties OF
the occasion. The w. r. G. also attended
in body and right here we wish to di-
gress long enough to thank them especi-
ally for the part they took in formulating
and carrying out the program. We have
been requested by several of the comrades
to do this and take great pleasure in COM
plying with their wishes.
The exercises by the Post, conduc-
ted by the Post Commander, j. Word
Carson, consisted principally of readings
from the ritual and general orders by the
adjutant. An address of welcome was
delivered by Miss Carrie Chase Davis of
the w. R. c., and the quartette consisting
of G. A. Hoar. w. 81. Damn, N. G. Jones
and Pierce Metz rendered some fine Sc
lections. The children gave a song
which was well received and gave evil
dence of careful training. The children
deserve more than passing notice for
the part they took in the program. Miss
Della Walker gave recitation in a man.
ner which could hardly have been excel
led. Capt. Pierce Metz delivered the
Grafton and held the attention of the au-
dience from the beginning. It was an
eloquent effort and his friends all feel
proud of it. We defer an extended
mention in this connection as we give the
address in another column of this issue.
After the exercises were completed in
the court room procession
was formed and led by Capt. Ire
90 Post No. 1877 marched to the cemetery
where the graves of the soldiers buried
there were profusely decorated with flow
ers.
We neglected to mention at the proper
place that there we're seven vacant chairs
on the platform appropriately draped, to
represent the seven dead soldiers lying in
our cemetry. Their names are Rowley,
Snyder, Crawford, Weber, Fuson, Stonex
and Bost wick.
Time has dealt gently with the soldiers
of Trego county, but at each recurring
anniversary the vacant chairs and the
graves in the cemetery will be increased.
We should honor the living while we
can for we certainly owe them debt of
gratitude that we can never repay, and as
their steps grow weary from approaching
age, should insist that the government
whose life they saved shall partially at
least recompense them for their noble
sacrifices. To the dead-to those who
voluntarily yielded up their lives to vindi-
cate the right of the nation to be and to
endure, who demonstrated anew the lofty
and vital fact that human life thus sur
rendered is triumph and conservation.
To their fame we can add nothing. The
story tells itself in a more masterful way
than can be comprised by rhetoric, orato-
ry or poetry. At the came time the beau
tiful and tender custom of Decoration
Day has become national holiday. And
as we make our annual pilgrimages we
should remember and keep alive the sol
emn lessons these ceremonies recall. II
we will remember these lessons coming
from the graves out of which these heroes
still speak to us-the lessons of duty, of
loyalty, unwavering faith in our govern
ment, they will not have died in vain.