Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-06-07
esstS County altrala.
Island Pond. VI, June q.


desired save perhaps the excessive heat.
1880 the line oi march was taken up
from Grand Army Hall to the cemetery.
the veterans being escorted by drum
corps, the Sons of Veterans, and a de-
tachuent of Zouaves from the St. James
Parochial School under the captaincy of
Charles Flaherty The ittletellows made
a splendid showing and marched well.
at the cemetery the customary exercises
were held. and the graves OF comrades
decorated. At the close of these exercises
the line was reformed and marched back
to opera hall where the literary services
were carried out according 60 pre-
arranged programme. The hall was
beautifully decorated with bunting, ever
green, rare potted plants and choice flow
ers. and it was crowded with an audience
,of which the great majority listened with
the utmost attention and took much i'll
terest in the extremely interesting cXer-
cises. These included prayer by Rev. u.
o. Howe, singing, the customary service
by the Post prescribed for this day, rectt-
.ations by Miss Blanche Aldrch and john
Gill, both of which were well rendered
and heartily applauded. Next came the
GRAFTON, which we give below, an able
production, eloquently delivered, and
favorably received as shown by the tire
mendous applause that greeted the ora
tor, Mr.. W. L. Ranger Of Lyndonvillc, at
the close of his address. 1t was one OF
the best productions of its kind ever de-
livered in town. The singing OF Amer
lea" closed the literary exercises, when
the veterans and members OF kindred
organizations and invited guests adjourn
ed to the banquet room where an excel
lent dinner was served.
At 2 O'Clock the Woman's Relief Corps,
with the Grand Army Post and Sons Of
Veterans as escort, marched to the High
School building and presented an elegant
flag to the school. A new pole has been
set in the school yard, and after the pres
entation of the flag by Mrs Joseph An
drew in behalf of the Relief Corps, and
it's acceptance by Rev. G. 0. Howe for
the school officials, it was flung to the
breeze. The pupils of the graded schools
were present and sang "America" and
Rally Round the Flag" Then after
the salutng of the flag by the pupils and
three rousng cheers by all present, the
different bodies, including the school chill
dren, marched back to Grand Army Hall
and disbanded. The flag is 10x20 feet,
and is thoroughly appreciated not only
by the school officials and pupils, but by
all the citizens.
And so Memorial Day, the sad, yet glo-
rious ANIMAL i'll the modern calendar of
patriotism, with its wealth of hallowed
recollectous, and tender loving memories,
has come and gone; leaving behind in its
patriotic wake another splendid lesson
for the youth of our town to study, alb
sorb and digest, and thus become better
equipped for and in the duties attendant
on the splendid heritage bequeathed them
of free and unencumbered citizenship in
the greatest country the world ever saw.
We wish that time and space would
have permitted us to go more into detail
in reporting Memorial Day Services this
year. but we will give our readers what
is far more interesting, the Grafton in full.
W. Z. RANGERS ADDRESS.
In continued and fitting observance of
this day-Memorial Day-we have as
sembled to unite by thought and word
in worthy consideration of its great
lessons, and through profound appreci-
alton Off rich significance to quicken i'll
the patriotic heart a Cherishing memory
that shall give honor to the dead who
died in sacred service for their country,
likewise to the survivors of battle-felds
who have added to service in war years
of patriotic service i'll peace, and to all
through whose sacrifices of lie our ma
tiOnal union was preserved and more
firmly established Even as we, our tel-
low-countrymen have gathered together
in hundreds and in thousands on this
day that, throughits appropriate observ-
ance, within the hearts OF passing and
coming generations there may grow a
love of country so deep, so wide, so
mighty that our beloved land wherein
love of man may find it's highest eX.
preston, may become the home of a race
of patriots, our Union maintained
through advancing ages. and the Ameri
can people attain its God-given destiny.
United III purpose and zeal we observe
this day. but necessarily our minds are
actuated by different thoughts, our hearts
are swayed by varied emotions. The
veteran laying flower upon the grave
of long dead comrade in whose danger
and burden he shared knowing we'll that
but for the mysterious ways of provi
dence he too might lie beneath the greer
turf, or perchance beholding the widow
or orphan Of a comrade who still sleep
far away in the southland in a grave un
marked by monument
but b1ithesome lark
Sings softly from a rose-bush DER his grave,
can but feel that first of all the 30th Q
May is day OF tender memory of tn
dead. Hardly less significant is Memoir
al Day to the mothers and wives AM
widows and daughters and sons of vet
GRAMS. Though not Sharers in the strii
OF battle, yet were they sharers in tn
sacrifices that war claimed from ever
soldier home, and sharers, too, are the
in the sorrow for departed heroes and i
the sweet memory inspired for the brave
Others there are who mourn not the los
of soldier-son, solder-father or soldie
brother, and may not know the person;
sorrow that this day renews, but VIII
cherishes pure gratitude to the defender
of their country's honor. While some {
these who have gathered here have hardl
been famed by the warm breath OF wa
and while Others have felt it's scorchin