Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1892-06-04
MEMORIAL DAY,
A Beautiful Day-A Large Number OF
People "a Splendid Speech,

In all its May-day spleodor throughout
the entire day. From csrly morning
TIL noon the echeol children werC
hurrying hcre ard there in ecarch o
flowers TO deck the graves OF the sleep
ing heroes, and these flowers were
woven into garlands aud prepared foi
appropriately de jorating the last rest
ing place of the honorcd dead.
The graves of the soldiers of 1879, u,
Fort Meigs were decorated in The
morning.
AT 2 o'clock the members OF Wolford
Post G. A. II. assembled Mt the Pos,
room, and accompanied by their Mar.
shei band, were escorted 10 the town
hall by Sun Bros band.
G. +. Chapman, us chairman, took
charge Of the exercises which were
opened with singing by quartettc
Misses Chappuies aud Calard. Messrs
Maddy and Williams, with Miss Veitch
as organistl, followed with prayer by
Rev. j. G. Shaw. Nlss Wetzel was
introduced and gave recitation 10
her usually excellent manner. The
choir again favored the audience with
vocal selection after which the
Chairman introduced his old friend
and comrado, w. II. Highly of
Cleveland who made n most excellent
and patriotic speech.
Mr.. Higby's remarks were confined
principally TO the aims and objects Of
the Grand Army OF the Republic; the
duty the members owe to their country
and TO themselves. He said that to be
a member of the remnant of that grand
army who wore tho blue and carried
the flag through the terrible four
years struggle for the preservation II
the union WAS the grandest hoi or that
could be conferred upon any nan. No
one could become member of the
G.. a. IL. unless he had an honorable
discharge from the service, and no
matter how rich, how high HIS social
standing; how great his worldly OF
political power, he could not gain
IN this order without hav-
Ing served his country at time when
mon of courage, loyalty and patriotism
were nSedcd.
The speaker very plainly referred to
the present condition of many of the
old soldiers, whose condition is not such
as TO be calculated to bring much
credit upon the order or the COM
munity in which they lived, bu, he
said it 10 no wonder there were such
men among the remnant of that army.
To take the young men from their
homes, Mt the age when they We're the
most susceptible to the influences that
them, and place them in the
camp, and have them go through the
various hardening influences incident
to four years campaign.it is wonder
that there are so few Of them. compar-
itively speaking, who were not com
Pletely ruined physically, mentally and
and the speaker said that
though the soldier might be lying in
the gutter, he would help him up and
extend him tho hand of fellowship for
what he dared and what he did.
The speech was listened to with at
tention by the audience and tho
speaker was often interrupted by
applause. He did not seem to be able
to thoroughly appreciate the sentimen-
tality OF ''iorgiying and iorgetting;'
he was willing to forgive, but had
hardly arrived at that state of perfec-
tion when he could entirely forget. He
was willing to acknowledge that tho
rebels probably didn't know what
they did," or that they wore indeed
crazy, but he seemed TO think that
during this madness of theirs they
did too much to be easily forgotten, and
he gloried in the fact that the blessings 8
of Providence had been showered upon
this country with such lavish hand
that 1T was in itself sufficient evidence
that the North was in the right. He
hoped the soldiers would continue to
decorate the graves till the grave of
the last remnant of that noble army
had been decorated.
His address was excellent and we
think will have IL good effect in this
locality.
The procession then formed and
marched TO the cemetery where the
exercises were continued at the soldiers
mound.
The usual 6. A. r. ritualistic SER
vices were held at the mound followed
by recitation by Gertie Hayes which
was we'll rendered, and closing with
singing, after which the graves OF the
soldiers were decorated by the veter-
ans and children, and the procession
returned to town. The graves of those
soldiers buried in the Catholic GENE.
terry were also decorated.
Watches, Clocks. Jewelry, specta-