The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-24

fer you now" Soldiersl the world has
nothing more to lay at your feet. In these
four years OF service you reached the
climax of life. You charged ana were
charged upon. You saw the black
mouthed cannon when its belched fire
you felt the thrust of glttering steel and
dyed It crimson with your own BLOOD you
waded In the swamps, YOU forded the
rivers when they ram with the blood Of
your fellows; you had your life starved out
In the prison pens of the south; you stood
like men to be shot at for thirteen dollars
month"; you fought in the trenches at
Petersburg-under the cross fires OF the
Wilderness and amid the carnage OF the
worlds greatest battlefield-the historic
Gettysburg. You followed Sherman and
Sheridan, Reynolds and Thomas, SiclIles
and Hancock, Mcclellan and Terry,
Meade and Grant You rode and marched
into the jaws of death with the bullet
tattered flag foe ting in the smoke, above
your heads; you won renown such as no
other body of men can ever win again or
had ever won before; you reached the boil
ing point.
All of life seems tame and Indifferent
since those four years which had crowded
into them the entire history of this re-
public. Four million shackles broken
history enriched with deeds such as its
pages never before had been illumined-
by the priceless heritage of a free govern
ment purchased and sealed with the lives
of five hundred thousand patriots--the
flag uplifted to the very blue of the
| heavens, its folds glistenng with every
star that had ever glittered there-and
then return to those sleeping wales and
| quiet hillsides.
Ex-Sheriff Stevens in his address
made point of his caution that in
thrilling over the memories of the past,
the soldiers should not neglect a
thought for their country's future, a
future in which they could take no liv-
| ing part. He urged his hearers to
help inculcate patriotism into the
minds of the young and the genera
tions to come. The teaching of 1t in
the public schools he strongly advo-
Gated.
A good illustration of the sense of
Mr.. Stevens remarks was shown in the
| recitation of "The Flag" by the speak
ers little S-year-old grandson, Walter
stevens. The youngster recited the
selection with correctness and effect
that provoked loud appause-as did
| the words of his grandsire.
Mr.. Crawford occupied brief period
in relating some "reminiscences of the
| regiment. They were we'll chosen and
received with considerable favor.
+ GOOD ADVICE.
Mr.. Colborn was introduced by Chair
! man McClave as "the silver -tongued
orator Of Northeastern Pennsylvania. -
but that he needed no introduction was
| shown in the applause which greeted
him. He delivered one of his ringing
patriotic, characteristic speeches and
dwelt particularly on the need OF
| watchfulness against interior strife
| and on the necessity of patriotic
| thought and teaching.
| Colonel +. H. Ripple offered a mo-
| tion that vote of thanks be rendered
| the newspapers for kind and ample
| notices, the Woman's Relief corps, the
Jones Family quartette, the Electric
| Glee club. the citizens of Scranton
| Lieutenant Griffin Post, No. 139, for the
use of its rooms. Rev. DR.. Joseph X
| Dixon, A. j. Colborn, jr, Master Wal
| ter Stevens and all who had assisted
in making the reunion such a distinct
success. The motion was heartily
| adopted.
The campfire and reunion concluded
with a quartette selection, SLOWLY the
| Veterans are Passing Away" and the
| benediction.
| The arrangements for the reunion
were made by the local members of thu
Fifty-second. They acted as a COM
mittee of the whole, but the detailed
work of preparation was performed by
the following executive committee
| William McClave, chairman; Colone
E. H. Ripple, William Archer, Anthony
Long, James jeremiah, S. b. Mott.