Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1896-06-04
A RIGOROUS REBUKE
RESOLUTION IS
ADOPTED BY VETERANS.
CONDEMN THE UNIVERSITY
Old Soldiers Are Opposed to Having
Memorial Day Made a Time or In
terscholastic Meets and Re=l-tas-
How c. c. Wasbburn Post fiemem-
bered the Heroic Dead.
Madison. June |

Some thing of SenSat.OI was
caused Saturday when c. c. Nashburn
post, G. A. R., adopted a reaoiutI2n
condenning the Wisconsin u. 9rsity
for allowing an athletic meet to e held
under its auspices on memorial day.
Capt Henry Sanford, editor of the
Manitowoc Tribune and clerk in the
state treasury department, introduced
the resolution and made ringing
speech in favor Of it's adoption. Rev.
William J. Mckay and ex-Congress-
man A. R. Bushnell urged that it be
mouIfied somewhat before being adopt
ed. Commander Merrick was in favor
of it, but took occasion to explain that
Pres. c. K. Adams had offered a few
weeks ago to take charge of all the
memorial services, supplying the
speaker, music, hall, ETC., with the
members of the G 4. r. as specially
invited guests. The Washburn post
had carried it's preparations too far
along, however, to abandon them this
year. Finally the resolution was put
20 a vote and was carried by an almost
unanimous vote OF the 100 veterans and
an audience that completely filled the
assembly chamber where the memorial
services were held from to 4 ?. m.
The resolution fellows;
Resolved, That the comrades of G.
G. WaShburn post, No. II, Grand Army
of the Republic, and friends assembled
with them on this memorial day for
the purpose of paying loving tribute
to the memory OF our heroic comrades
who offered up their lives on their
country's altar, do most empha tically
protest against the custom Of turning
this, our holy lay. into holiday and
it is with the deepest regret that we
see the state university, that which
should be the leading educational IN
stitution in the state, leading in this
wantGn and lneXcusable deSecra1i9n,
and we urgently request that in the
future those in authority will require
at least an external appearance of Ie-
spect for the day by refraining from
extraordinary an.usemerts Sucn as
have been advertised and arranged and
carried out today by the state universe
ty and some of the high schools Of the
state
Tie other features of the meeting
were on the program. At 100 the
members of the G.. A. R., numbering
about 100, marched from the post hall,
above C. r. Welron & Co.'S store, On
Main street, to the east entrance of
the capitol park and thence directly to
the state house and the assembly
chamber During the march the vet
Grams kept step to the beating OF Com
rade Nichols OH his war drum. The
chamber was completely flied with an
audience whose patriotism fairly bub-
bled over. There was singing by six
young ladies and as many young men
under the direction of Prof. H. ID.
Sleeper; invocation by Rev. w. J. Me
Kay; grand army services by CommaE-
der George w. Merrick; memorial en-
blems by Misses Julia Cholvin, Flor
ence Rohrer and Maud Terwilliger; or
iginal memorial hymn, words by Mrs.
c. K. Adams, sung by choir; original
poem entitled the Mission of the Brave
written and read by Capt J. Fl. Whit
ney; more singing. Grafton by Rev. E.
j. Baskerville; America by choir and
audience; benediction by Rev. F. g.
Lyon.
Among those who left flowers at the
capitol for the decoration of graves
were: Capt. J. S. Mcknight, Mrs. Lu-
cius Fairchild, Mrs. John Favil, Mrs
F. W. Oakley, Miss Bird, Miss Com
fort, Miss Klauber, Edna Gibbs, Mrs.
Pretts, Mrs. G. B. Merrick, Harry
Young, John Bergman, Mrs A. Kentz-
Ter, Jr., Fr0eda Lyon, Mrs. Wheeler.
Capt. and Mrs. A. r. Jones, Clara Holt
Mrs. Lansing, Mrs. w. H. Van VIE
Mrs. I. Purtell, Mrs. Goldenheyer, Mrs
Single, Mrs. Allen, Mrs Marten, Mrs
J. +. Mills and daughter, Miss Olive
Davis, Mrs. A H. Hollister, Mrs. Belle
SanbOrn, Mrs. L. 3. Hills, Miss Barber
Ada Mills, Mrs. William Woman, C.
Bross, Helen NJ. Curtis, Mrs. Usher
Mrs. NJ. Smith, Harry TurviII, Helen
Turvill, Tillie Woll, Hariette Rosen-
stengel, Mrs. George B. Pearl. w. H.
Chynoweth, Mrs. S. E. Jones. Mrs. S.
K. Ellsworth, George Raymer, George
H. Shaw, E. Bresee, Mrs. F. L. Phil
lips, Miss Winslade, Miss Beecroft, Mrs.
R. G. Luther, c. c. Washburn post. Sec
ond primary room o. sixth ward school,
kindergarten of the sixth ward and C.
c. Washburn w. r. G.
At 1920 o'clock the detail from
Washburn post to decorate the graves
left the east door of the capitol, follow
ing an express wagon heaped high with
floral gifts. The detail consisted of
Edward Culver, James Bennett, F.
L. Phillips, A. R. Jones, W. W. Jones,
A. F. Dettloff, M. W. Holt, John H.
Nichols, William Hall, S. K. Ellsworth,
Fred Bird, James Burke, John Cory,
A. j. Pierce, A. T. Lamson and Com
mander George B. Merrick. Arriving
at Forest Hill cemetery the detail di-
vided into squads of two, each squad
carrying a huge basket. The graves
in Soldiers Rest" were first decorated
by placing a bunch of flowers at the
head Of each grave. The monument
to soldiers orphans, and the great
granite boulder dedicated to the "un-
known dead were decked with
wreaths and crosses. From Soldiers
Rest" the decorators separated, each
two taking a street Of the city of the
dead, searching for the little flags
which designated the grave of a union
soldier. In many cases friends and
relatives Of buried soldiers directed the