Arizona republican., 1896-05-31
Honor Freely Given to
 Warriors.
Observance in Phoenix of Me-
 morial Day.
Business Ceases for a Day-Parade and Services at the
 Graves.

Yesterday was the day of the civA war veterans. A day of memory 1t was, and within the memories came thoughts of many a comrade mustered out. The graves of the dead were at tended and on the sod were fresk flowers strewn, yet not in grief They who lay beneath had fought the fight and had gone; yet to them is all glory and the knowledge of man is that the Nations gratitude has sanctffied them forever.
 The interest mainly lay in the band of men, aged and gray, who lined to the salute as the post adjutant read the orders of the day of the Grand Army of the Republic. Beside their blue uni forms, donned only for this occasion, were few figures once uniformed in butternut gray. Guests of the Grand Army for the day were they and over the graves, Confederate and Union alike decorated, all the bitterness was forgotten and only the chivalric and pathetic were left in memory's casket.
 Of the Grand Army post, named af- ter that western hero, John W. Owens. there are but siXty-two members. An are near to the allotted three score and ten and the space of a decade win bring many a vacancy in the ranks. Phoenix is frontier town, it's growth is but recent; it's very existence dates from time three years after the close of the great civil struggle and from it's region went few to fight the battles of the Union. Yet here came many of the men who laid down their arms at AppomattoX or who were marched be- fore Lincoln at Washington, here to aid in the upbuilding of western en- pire of grandeur.
 The graves of the soldiers were marked in the cemetery. Forty-eight little American flags fluttered above as many mounds. Some were in the mould that covered a confederate's breast and several marked the spots where soldiers widows lay. The Grand Army burial plot had but about fifteen, but throughout the secret so- ciety sections were the bright spots Of color
 The city's observance of Memorial day was not general, save to the ex- tent that all stores were closed after noon, that all banks and public offices were not opened and that the flag of the city hall waved at half mast. A store or two dressed windows in trib- ute to the day and the streets, till at time of parade, bore the calm of the Sabbath. Over the corner of the bal ! cony in front of the Grand Army haH was hung, black-draped, the flag that first was raised at Fort Mcdowell, now first was raised at Fort McDowell, and | now the property of the Phoenix post. About p. m., preceded by the bat talion band, detachments from the mi l litia companies of Phoenix, Mesa and Tempe marched to the cemetery, soon | followed by the Grand Army members | in carriages and by the public in large number. The programme was carried out as outlined without divergence. The oration by Rev. Chase was brief and eloquent, the ritual service of the c. A. R. was read in all solemnity,
 there was music by the Methodist ] church choir and a recitation by Miss | Clara Galpin. Then a firing party of the National Guard fired the three vol
 leys of salute, the bugler stepped for
 ward, the sweet, lingering notes of
 Taps" the soldiers farewell, fioated out on the evening breeze and due ob-
 servance was complete of Memorial Day.