The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1893-06-22

Ben Butterield Post, n, Lancaster. assisted
by Butterfeld Corps, 200, Union Veterans
League, and Sons of Veterans made proud
record for Memorial Day, 1893. In the early
morning the soldiers monument was massed
with flags and flowers, aud, committees visited
the cemeteries to strews the soldiers graves.
At o'clock the rituals of the GAR. and
W.RC. were rendered at the soldiers monu-
ment and the beauties 5f each were well
brought out. Later, services of speech and
song were held in the Opera House. 1t was a
perfect day, kept in its fullest spirit.
VICTIMS OF THE oUANTRELL RAID.
DEAR TRIBUNE: Lawrence, the Athens Of
Kansas and one of it's most historic towns, kept
the sacred days of May with more reverential
feeling than ever before. May "a joint meet
ing was held, when the Post and Corps pre-
sented the S. of V. with fine flag, the pro-
sentation speeches being made by Commander
Crisis and President Amanda Evatt. Capt. A.
G. Alrich accepted it in behalf of the Camp,
and responses were made by f. Hindman and
A. G. Clarke, followed by supper served by
the s. of V.
A flag of flowers together with garlands,
baskets, and bouquets, decorated First Baptist
Church, where all assembled Memorial Sunday
to listen to an appropriate address by Rev.
Rogers.
touching incident is told of the services
held by the Colored Post and Corps at their
church. One comrade, when putting on his
uniform, said: I" 1t is the last time l shall 90
to church with the boys" Only too true, as
he dropped dead suddenly next morning. and
the boys made fraternal visit to an afflicted
family.
Memorial Day all met in the hall, laden with
flowers. to take up the line of march to Oak
Hill Cemetery, which is natural grove OF oaks
and naples, with a large flower garden, on the
brow of the hill.
To Lawrence people the day has double
solemnity, and wounds bleed afresh on each
30th day of May, as they gather at the semi
circular mounds where the victims of the
Quantrell raiders are buried in trenches, to per-
form their ritualistic work and place the offer
ings on the mound for the unknown dead. On
the mound were relics used by the boys Of 81,
and flag made of peonies
The first year the day was observed a Corps
sister, Mrs. Adelne Burr, repeated the poem
"COver Them Over with Beautiful Flowers"
while the little girls strewed their roses; but
the next year the Corps made one more wreath,
for the grave of Mrs. Burr. So, in respect to
her memory, one of the sisters repeats this
poem each year, and this time it never seemed
so real as when Mrs. Deering said:
" Give them the chaplet they won In the strife;
Give them the lsurels they lost with their life."
The comrades heads are whitened and the
Sons now fire the salute to the dead. Follow
ing the floral ceremonies public exercises were
held in town.
Three races were represented in the band
white, black, and the Indians from the train
ing-school. Addresses were made by Rev. Il.
Cordly, survivor of the Quantrell raid days;
Past Dept S. V.-P. Emma Il. Alrich, and others;
then q recitation by Mrs. Whitman, closing
with flag drill by the Daughters of Veterans,
conducted by Miss Kennedy.
TEXAS MEMORIALS
There was moro genial observance of
Memorial Day at San Antonio, Tex, than ever
before. Veterans of the Union army, United
States Regulars and ex-Confedetate soldiers
were in line. The day was intensely hot. but
this did not deter the brave men from perform
ing welcome duty.
Fifty little girls, all children of ex-soldiers
and sailors, were in line. Tho Sons of Veterans,
Daughters of Veterans, and the Woman's Re-
lief Corps, in carriages, were part of the pro-
cession. All the civic and military societies of
the city participated.
At the cemetery the graves were decorated
by the little girls. Capt. Winthrop delivered
the grafton.
In the evening an appropriate program of
speech and song and recitation was held under
the auspices of the W.R. c.. music by the 23d
Infantry Band. Tho reveille by the trumpeters
from Government Hill was an interesting
feature. The reading of poem by Col. r. NJ.
Moore dedicated to the W.R.C., was read
Grace Van Davis delighted all with her patri-
otto Rotations In the course of beautiful
address Rev. C. G. Mclean said:
The time was when tho approach Of Decoration
Day revived animosities. The North sought for
and srewed its roses upon the graves of the blue
and flung its ihistes upon the graves of the gray.
The South planted lilies upon the mounds Of the
gray and its nettles upon those OF the blue. Now.
thank God. the blue garland the gray and the
gray garland the blue This Is ms 1t should have
been from the first reconciliation to the present
and down TO the end Of time.
The South, with few exceptions, cries TO the
North: Remember your noble dead for they and
you who survive preserved = Union of States that
few exceptions. cries to the South: Remember
your fallen braves, for they were most formida
foe and our brothers" Both North and South cry:
Yes will remember loved ones, for
whether in q cause that won a cause that lost
we now rejoice In being people that know but
one Nation, one brotherhood and one God over
ALL"
wAsHINGToNs MEMORIAL.
DEAR TRIBUNE: Memorial Day in the far
West is. in some respects, far different in mean
ing from that Of the East. Here we do not pay
tribute to lifelong friends acquaintance,
but in a majority Of cases to those Of whom we
know nothing save that their lives were offered
as a sacrifice in the hour Of our Nations peril.
It is enough.
He may be q stranger, the victim Of rail-
matters not; the little bronze button or the
honorable discharge found in his pocket are his
passports, and he is laid away with all the
honors of the fraternity. A tombstone marks
his resting place, and his grave is regularly
tended, properly tagged and as literally deco
rated as though relatives and friends were in
attendance.
Memorial Day meant moro in Tacoma, Wash,
this year than ever before. Its observance was
more general its exercises more memorial in
character, and its lessons more thoroughly i'm
pressed. The public schools on the afternoon
of Monday held special sessions appropriate to
the OCCASION In many cases GAR. men were
present and made short addresses All bust
ness was practically suspended, and street
decorations were everywhere profuse; but
there was no ostentatious display, expense, or
friction.
Much credit is due Capt. c. 81. Holmes,
Chairman who gave literally of his time, pa
thence. and labor. And especial mention should
be made of the school children, who responded
so literally with flowers that when the many
hundreds who assisted in decorating the
graves had their arms and hands full 1t was
still necessary to pile high and convey by team
the mark ct baskets clothes baskets, and bushel-
baskets filled to overlooking with the choicest
blossoms of field and lawn.
Among the many beautiful offerings wero
seen a broken column formed of white daisies,