Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1894-05-24

mention the fact that he was ap at
four o'clock and had been raking and
putting certain lot to rights all the
morning.
Decoration day came bright and
beautiful Tue sky smiled down "a
blue as the myrtle blossoms 1t seemed
as if everything was conspiring to
make the day a success Hon. Horatio
Bigelow came on the morning train
and Deacon Miles brought him over
from the station in his buggy. He and
the minister were going to head the
procession in Esquire Tonnley's best
phaetOn-
At ten o'clock to the minute they
started. They were followed by the
squire's gray team and the deacon's
double carriage. with the four odd
veterans" that Cranes Corners pos
sessed. Oh. dear me! forgot the
band. That headed the procession, of
course, and it did credit to all of its
pfacticing. too! After the veterans
came the citizens in line, and last, but
not least. by any means, the girls and
boys, laden down with flags and
flowers.
The exercises opened with prayer
from Rev. Mr.. Doolittle, pastor of the
brick church, and then Hon. Horatio
Bigelow made a speech that added
luster to his already amous rsputa-
tion-to this day the Cranes Corners
folks speak of him in the same tone of
awe-struck admiration that they use
in speaking of Daniel Webster and
Gladstone. Then the band burst forth
into My Country, IT'S of Thee" and
the procession began to move.
There weren't very many soldiers
buried in the Cranes Corners burying
ground. There We're Squire Tonnley's
two boys who were shot at Bull Run.
There was large monument put up to
| their memory-the largest in the ceme-
terry. The procession marched to that
first. The band played softly: Tent
ing Tonight" while the children laid
! a wreath on each grave and the boys
planted their flags. During the cere-
mony all heads were uncovered aad at
its close Hon. Horatio Bigelow made
some appropriate remarks.
Then the procession moved on to an
other grave and another, even stopping
at old Mr.. Deans grave, who ruined
his health in the war, but lived to a
good old age. and died a peaceful death
many years after it was over. That
| was the last grave-the last that had
been marked for the children to visit.
Nellie Dent and Fred Ashley were at
the head of the column. Nellie still
carried beautiful bouquet and wreath
over her arm. Fred still held his flag.
They turned out of the broad drive
way, down into the side path and all
the rest of the procession followed
them. The paths were too narrow for
any body to keep step with anybody,
but they followed just the same until
Fred and Nellie stopped at their SOL
dier's grave.
Hon. Horatio Bigelow looked in vain
at Squire Tonnley for a hint toward an
appropriate word over the grave in this
far away corner. Esquire Tonnley
looked back at him with blank face.
He did not KIN ow who was buried there.
Hon. Horatio Ri gelow decided to
take matters nto his own hands, and
made way for himself through the
crowd up to Nellie and Fred.
''Was this soldier relative of yours?"
he asked. softly, as he saw the tears in
Nellie's eyes.
Then Nellie poured the whole story
into this great mans ears He listened
to it with close attention.
Don't be afraid" he said ~ want
you to tell that story over again, just
| US you have been telling it to me-" and
before she knew it he had lifted her
onto the front seat of the deacon's
double carriage thai was waiting in the
driveway to carry back the veterans"
and she was telling the story over again.
When she stopped there was not a
dry eye in the crowd.
Esquire Tonnley was wiping his eyes
with big red bandanna and saying to
Deacon Miles that he remembered as
distinctly as if it was yesterday. 1t
was John Aliens boy Ro bert-as good
a lad as ever lived"
Then Hon. Horatio Bigelow's clear
| voice rang out:
"Fellow citizens Brothers. PatriotsI
Your faces tell me that you are deeply
| touched with this little story. You are
grateful to these little children who
have saved one of your heroes from
neglect to-day You weep with the
| widowed mother whose fond ambition
to raise a stone to her son has not been
thing more than weep-raise the nlonu-
ment for her. Make the widow happy
and do honor to her boy hero!"
|
drowned in wild applause, and the band
broke into The Star Spangled Ban
ner' In the midst of it all Nellie
! found herself in the crowd with Hon.
Horatio Bigelow's silk hat in her
hands, and men and women, young
folks and children were doing their
best to fill it, raining in bills. silver
and small change.
That was several years ago. The old
lady still lives and is able to come on
her annual pilgrimage to her boys
grave. The year after this first Deco
ration day at Cranes Corners, Nellie
and Mollie Dent, Lulu and Fred Ash
ley were waiting for her at the train
and escorted her to the little GENE terry
behind Deacon Miles gray team, with
the deacon himself driving. The mar
BILE monument that stood over her
soldier boys grave could be seen tow
ering slim and white half mile away.
The children had written her about it,
but it was more beautiful than she had
dreamed.
And to this day there is not lot SO
beautifully kent nor a grave so CON-