St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-10-24
MINNEAPOLIS.
"NIART's" MEMORY.
Dedication of the Monument Over
His Grave i'm ST, Peter.

uO llIot iSSIiilS pldCS vi Olu MAJ
Williams, the best-known and best
owed reporter that ever worked in the
Twin Cities. is appropriately marked
In the Presbyterian cemetery on the
hillside overlooking the pretty little
city of St. Peter lie the remains OF
Mart Williams, his wife and two chill
dren. Above their graves rises shaft
OF Scotch granite ten feet high, beauti-
ully cut and appropriately Inscribed.
On raw, rainy day i'll early winter
nearly year ago several members OF
the Minneapolis Press club and close
friends to "Old MART were part of the
funeral cortege that wound up TO the
cemetery above St. Peter. where
was laid the body of the vet
eran reporter. 1t was a cherries
day and a cherries scene. Yesterday.
when some of those same men again
visited "Old Mart's" grave, how differ
ent!
On the train leaving Minneapolis at
in the morning, President w. B. Cham
berlan, James Gray, Joseph L. Man
nix, E. b. Barnes, B. j. Mullaney,
William ID. Child. w. q. McMurchy. E.
A. Broml. y, and S. 2. Jones. represent
ing the Minneapolis Press club. started
for st. Peter. The early hour OF start
ing prevented larger attendance from
Minneapolis. rhe old friends OF
"Mart" in st. Peter had Deen mott
fed of the coming of the Press
club delegation and had arranged to as
slSt in the dedication of the monument
ABOVE "Old Mart's'' head. Lieut.. Gov.
FL. S. Ives and John S. Johnson, editor
of the ST. Peter Herald, had charge OF
the arrangements.
The st. Peter lodge, Knights of
Pythias. of which the late Henry Will
Jams was a member, turned out III a
body and marched to the cemetery: A
large number of the members OF Okar0
post, q. A. r.. also attended, together
with old friends of the deceased.
Nearly year ago, under a weeping SKY
and in the presence of small number
of mourners. the remains of Martin
Williams were laid to rest. Yesterday,
under the glad sunshine and in the
presence of a large concourSe OF people.
the monument to Martin Williams
memory was dedicated. while all around
the fallen leaves betokened death, but
the happy death wrought by Nature,
beautiful in its contamination. i ne
memory of "Old MART fades not away
in a month, but gathers freshness with
increasing years. He is appreciated
now that he is gone.
The services at the cemetery were
simple. Rev. William Gardner, the
Presbyterian clergyman, offered the
invoce ton. Appropriate music was
beautifully rendered by the Lyric oc-
tette, of the Gustavus Adolphus college.
President w. B. Chamberlain, OF the
Minneapolis Press club, announced the
significance of the service. and acted as
master of ceremonies. The following
memorial poem, written by John
Talman. of the Pioneer Press, an old
friend of "Mrt'S," was read by James
Gray:
We come with a memorial wreath,
While, with a visage sere and wan,
To wither in autumnal death
Is Nature speeding on.
We come, flaternal pride and love
And honor lasting to attest
For this departed one, above
His couch of perfect rest.
He never did friend betray:
tie never frowned i'll angry mood;
He never blindly went astray
From path of rectitude.
He ne'er the helping hand denied,
Or when he saw a stricken one,
Passed by upon the other side,
Or duty left undone.
His was the widest charity
Heart warm and kind and actions Just;
For him our love will grow till we,
Like him, revert to dust.
Then let the craven shaft its crest
Lift. by the iercest storm unbent
For him who finds in every breast
A fitting monument!
1t will defy the winters SHOWS
And mix with summers varied dyes,
Nor trembIe when the tempest blows
And thundeIs shake the skies.
And now long farewell to thee.
Co-WOrker i'll Il noble craft
Thy memory more enduring be
Than any chiseled shaft!
To naught but wrong a foe, to all
Thy kind tried and changeless friend.
Through the lm penetrable pail
Whose spectral folds extend
Between US and the vast Unknown,
Whose shadowy bourne thy feet explore,
Adios watt we to our own
From Times dissolving shore!
j. S. ManniX told of the work of the
Minneapolis Press club in erecting the
monument and of he assistance rem
dered 1t by various well-knoWn citizens.
Lieut.. Gov. Ives delivered touching
address. He had known Mart for wears.
and appreciated all his excellent Quail
ties of head and heart. John Lind, rep
resentative in congress from the Second
Minnesota district, was present, and
ediu lew WoIuS III memory or his Old
friend. Mart Williams, he said. was
good reporter because he reported the
truth. He knew that human nature has
two sides. 1t was always his aim to pre-
sent the better side. Mr.. Lind also
knew that Mart Williams never violated
confidence. The octette sang once
more, Rev. r. FL. Cotton pronounced
the benediction and the service was
over.
The mon ment is a beautiful shaft of
Scotch granitc-beautiful as the life of
the man 1T commentaries and simple as
his tastes. On three sides are cut the
names and dates of birth and death of
Martin Williams, his wife and their two
children. The fourth side is reserved
for the name of Mrs. Cook, "Mart's''
mother-in-law, who expects to be laid
beside those she loved in few years.
She was present yesterday, and was
much affected by the proofs given of
the regard in which her children were
held. The cemetery where stands the
monument to "Old MART has been
much improved of late. The people of
st. Peter, among whom Mart lived for
years, promise that the graves OF him.
Self and family shall always be kept
green.