Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-05-30
Paid BY the Loyal Living to the
Patriot Dead.
POETRY AND ORATORY.
Fragrant Blossoms Laid Upon the Graves
and the Noble Deeds Of the Dead Re-
hearsed in Eloquent Speech by Many
Distinguished Men.
A bright sun greeted the day.

bright sun greeted the day.
Clear skies smiled down on the ceremonies.
Fluttering flags and lovely flowers decked
the graves of departed heroes.
Comrades donned once more the old army
blue and marched shoulder to shoulder, not
this time against foe but to honor the mem
DRY of soldiers who would march no more.
Patriotic men and loyal women listened to
the clarion voices Of eloquent orators to the
deep-toned resonance Of pious prayers, TO clear
tuned singers and throbbing bands, and bowed
their heads in honor of men, who. putting aside
pillow and tools, books and Instruments. had
shouldered muskets and marched through dan
ger and sickness. through clash of saber and rain
of shot, often to mutiation. often to death: and
all this not for personal gain, not for personal
aggrandizement, but that united flag. united
| country might be handed down as intact Is they
had been received.
In short, it was Decoration day
THE ARMY OF THE DEAD.
During the war 359, ,52S Union soldiers gave
up their lives in battle or in the dread struggle
with disease Since the war closed thousands
upon thousands more have Joined the silent
army. A very large number OF these honored
dead are buried in and around this city. The
chain of cemeteries, dotted with the white
headstones of blue-coated heroes, nearly sur
rounds the city. if even the silent army OF the
dead were prepared to defend the capital of the
nation for which they fought and as if. al sign
Of attack the silent camps at Arlington. at
Soldiers Home, at Congressional, at Graceland,
at Mt. Olvet, at Battle Ground and at Anacos-
tia, would become impregnable fortifcasions
filled with loyal men.
With all il owes to the war and the thousands
Of its heroes who rest in its neighborhood il IL
no wonder that Decoration day is almost uni
versaiy observed in Washington. and that thou
sands, too young TO have seen the war. Join the
veterans in decorating the graves and doing
honor to the memory of the fallen.
THE EXERCISES AT THE CEMETERY.
Today throughout the city signs Of this
feeling have been apparent. Around the statues
erected to the memory of great generals which
| dot the parks. have been draped Gags and foral
wreaths. At the different cemeteries the boom
of cannon has resounded, only TO be followed
| by the soul-stirring singing of patriotic songs
and the delivery of eloquent words. Thousands
have been present at these ceremonies. Thou
sands have had their thoughts turned to the
army of the dead and thousan have been
better for it Such orators as VIM. E. Simonds
Benjamin Butterworth, Rev. Geo. L. Spinning
Rev Oiin Eidridge. Chaplain W. H. Honn and
J. Madison Cults have electrified hearts to
newer and higher realization of the deeds Of the
| departed.
FLORAL DECORATIONS.
| has been almost unprecedented. They came
| from all sources. The public school children
We'd with each other in this most worthy cause
| and their contribution was probably the larg-
est The Sunday school and churches of all
denominations supplied a quantity that was
little less than the offerings of the public
| schools. Private schools and individuals
| also contributed largely TO the demand for
flowers for the decoration of the graves
| of the soldier dead. The offerings in
| cluded roses, lilies and other choice flowers, and
| many were alresdy formed into designs appro-
PIRATE TO their use. Col J. NJ. Wilson. u. S.A,
who has charge of the White House conservato-
| ries and the propagating gardens, said he would
give the Il. A X. decorating committee all the
flowers in his gardens. and he kept his promise
with a most liberal supply of roses. lillies &c.
| Mr.. Smith of the Botanical Garden was equally
liberal to the extent OF his ability. and the total
contribution was so extensive that the matter of
affording sufficient means of transportation
was by no means a small undertaking. Willing
hands were numerous, however. and il is safe
to say that the flowers all utilized in pay-
ing tribute to those who lost their lives to pre-
| serve the Union.
Flowers by the wagon load were piled on
| tables in the Grand Army Hall this morning
and Comrade Gilman was kept busy distribu-
| ting them to the various G.. A r. posts and
committees, who were to use them on the
graves of the patriotic dead in Arlington. In
front Of the hall stood large vehicles Of various
| descriptions, and On most of them we're appro-
pirate Inscriptions giving name of post and
| corps
| NOBLE BAND.
From early in the morning one body of work
ers has neither rested nor paused in the labor
of decoration. This has been the Department
of Potomac Woman's Relief Corps, which is
composed of about 500 Of the loyal women of
Washington. The work which these ladies have
! accomplished yesterday and today has been
| immense. At Arlington the work mapped
out by the department staff, consisting of the
| following ladies: Mrs. Susie VI. McCabe presi-
dent: Mesdames Peck, Hamilton, North Hare,
| Starkey, Hendricks, Calhoun, Lacey and Misses
| Mason, Chambers, Chase, Thompkius and
| brookfeld. The unknown tomb has been un-
der the supervision of Mrs. McCabe and staff
| assisted by John A. logan Aid Society.
Sons of Veterans Auxiliary, Miss Annie
| Roberts, president, and Misses Balm
Howard. Burgess. Pestell, Taylor. Newton, Ames
| and Mesdames Roberts and Hullfish and mem-
bors all the ten corps belonging to this depart
| ment. They also had charge of sections A. B, e
| and at Arlington. John A. Logan Corps, ns-
| sisted by school children. remembered the old
veterans resting in the grounds of 81. Elizabeth
| Farragut Corps made Congressional cemetery q
| perfect paradise and other committees did this
| noble work at soldiers Home Harmony. Grace
| land Oak Hill, Culpeper and Fredeylcksburg
| Luncheon was served as usual by tins depart
| ment TO the commander and staff and all who
| took part IN decorating. Mrs. Jacobs was chair
man. assisted by Mesdames North burgess.
Roberts, Lacey, Foskey, Nalgem, Gregory and
| HoaglanG.
All day long on Monday the staff, assisted by
| Mesdames McMonigal Cowling. Chapman. Bur-
| CESS. Jacobsen. Anderson, Morris, Devoe, Edgar,
| LIT, Cullen, Cheshire. and Misses Morris and
Cowing and host OF others. engaged in
making lovely designs for the different statues
| III the parks.
Not statue or grave in this city was left
! unmarked.
| Nearly the whole department reported at q.