The Saint Paul globe., 1897-05-30

nothing more in sight to conquer.
Their enthusiasm, however, could not
be so easily appeased. A bright eyed
kid from West St Paul let loose an
ear-splitting yell, which awoke all the
sleeping bats which hung to the dusty
rafters. The cry was taken up on all
sides and for half-hour the grim
veterans held their fingers In their ears
and wished 1t were only cannon they
were facing. The children did not
understand that Memorial day patrio-
tism consisted Of long faces. They
were patriotic though, only they
showed it in frantic delight at be-
ing allowed to yell. yell. yell. No one
really objected to 1t except the dear
man in the front row. He objected
to 1t because he could not hear It.
While Seibert's Military band was
playing a touching soldiers dirge the
children whistled in shriH STAG
shrek Of hurricane through
a frigate's cordage. Then by
a subtle understanding, the source. OF
which man knows not, 5000 pairs OF
inspired, but irreverent heels, beat q
rafting tattoo on the floor CLOUDS
of dust hung like a pail of battle smoke
over the gallery and there was no
kind wind to blow 1t away, no sudden
uplifting of the white curtain in which
poets invariably ring in, to reveal "a
scene of carnage" A half hour the
grim hosts stood their ground, while
the children tried all the latest inven-
tions of kidlet warfare to dislodge
them. The ranks of blue in the front
row at the end of the thirtieth minute,
wavered. One veteran said he could
stand 1t no longer. At this Crisis,
Commander l.. N Bryant of Ord
Post metaphorically dashed to the
front waving a crooked cane in lieu OF
a battle sword.
A Sheridan had arrived to save the
day. Swish went the cane, and bang
came the report The cane fell with
thunderous clap upon the reporters s
table. Commander Bryant rallied the
trembling hosts and overawCd the
children long enough to ask silence
during the invocation. Rev. r. NJ.
Avison, chaplain of the post, move
reverently to the front of the platform
and delivered a brief Invocation. The
veterans barred their heads to the in
audible words of the chaplain. But
the tumult continued. The children
could not hear the chaplain's words,
| and under the impression that they
| had Just listened to an Grafton, they
! once more broke into tunUltuouS ap-
plause. Chaplain Avison sighed, and
others smiled.
| Commander Bryant resumed his
| hammerng and succeeded for a sec
ond in restoring order. He announced
| that little Johnnie Bassford had be-
come lost in the building, and that #
| the tiny man would wend his way to
| the main. entrance, he would meet GER
tain people there who would be glad to
see him. This was about the only
thing in the whole programme that
i the children took seriously. That one
| of their number should have become
lost during the first charge, was con-
! IL i H., L.
! hoped that Johnnie would find his
mamma.
Commander Bryant went to the front
of the stage again and made an an
nouncement in Greek. It was hard to
interpret the remarks. Prof c. H.
Congdon, however, climbed upon
chair, and the Interpretation came
in a magic signal and the three thou
sand throats ceased their yelling ami
broke out into a strong sweet chorus.
I'm prison cell l sit, i
Thinking mother dear of you,"
sang the children and the old veterans
the strains of TRAMP, Tramp, Tramp,
the Boys are Marching" continued
until the song was finished
The Hubert double quartette sang
''Tenting on the Old Camp Ground"
With much effect.
Mayor Doran's opening remarks were
something in the nature of a sensation.
After telling the nature of the meeting
Mayor Doran said it was solely to the
honor of the dead and living Union
soldiers that the audience had assem-
bled.. He said feelingly, that he had no
sympathy with the maudlin sentiment.
which prompted many people to +mingle
with their tributes to the boys in blue,
flowers for the graves of those who
hnc
had discovered, much to his disgust,
that in their exercises the school child
reE the day previous, had lauded in
verse and essay, the valor of the Con-
federate soldiers, as much as they had
that of the Union army. Mayor Doran
declared emphatically, that it was not
an occasion for the lauding Of valor,
but for the praising of pure patriotism
The soldiers in gray might have been
brave, but their cause was that Of
treason, and therefore unholy Mayor
Doran also said he had been disgusted
to read in the papers that the South
would erect monument in Richmond
for Lee, as great as that erected in New
York for Grant. He believed that care
should be exercised in teaching the
young the lessons of the war, and not
instill in their minds foolish and maud
lin sentiment.
The mayors remarks were received
with round of hearty applause. The
children, of course, applauded. They did
whenever an opportunity afforded.
Prof. Congdon's chorus sang ga Va
cant Chair" with pleasing effect
Mrs. S. V. Harris followed with
solo, ''The Flag Without A STAIN"
Her notes filled every portion of the
vast auditorium and awakened great
enthusiasm.
Capt. w. H. Harries is in command
of very strong voice, and that was all
that saved his reading of Lincoln's
address at Gettysburg from being
drowned out amid the clatter from the
gallery, for the children had not yet
ceased talking in anxious accents about
the untimely fate of little Johnnie Bass
ford, and wondering If he would get a
spanking when he got home.
The Grafton of the day by Rev. DR..
Robert Forbes, of Duluth, chaplain Of
the state senate, was an effort which
challenged the attention of ALL includ-
ing the larger portion Of the children
The doctors magnetic voice seemed to
hold even the juvenile mind in rapt at
tention. Once during his speech the
doctor saw that the children were get
ting restless. With considerable tact,
he asked the children if his voice could
be heard in the gallery.
"Yep, you're all right, we can hear
you," replied a chorus.
'Then I will not talk so loud" re-
joined the speaker.
DR.. Forbes is an eloquent talker His
patriotism is rare article. It does not
consist of that doubtful character, the
constituents of which are blind love
of America, and bitter hatred Of every
foreign land. In substance the speaker
said:
1--WE are met here today, in the same
manner as are loyal people all over this
broad land. to do honor to the heroic