Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1898-06-01

Memorial Day was never more gener-
ally celebrated or with a greater depth
of feeling than it was on Monday. The
country is again at war, and people re-
call the sacrifices made by our dead and
living heroes for the preservation of the
Union, and realize that our army and
navy are now engaged with foreign
| foe that will require many more precious
lives to be sacrificed. The American flag
was everywhere displayed, and was
never before so dear to the eye of every
loyal citizen. Many houses were hand
sOmely decorated and some of them pro-
fusely covered with flags, bunting, and
other patriotic emblems. The weather
was cloudy, cool and comfortable, and
there was but little dust to interfere
with the marching of the military CON-
panies and the Sunday schools. As
usual thousands came over from Atlantic
City-for Atlantic City's dead is buried
in Pleasantyille-tO pay their fiowery
tribute to the loved and lost as well as
decorate the graves of the Country e
defenders. The beautiful custom OF
setting apart one day in the year for the
remembrance of the dead has grown to
snch proportions that the observance OF
Memorial Day is almost uniyersal-and
is by no means confined to the ranks OF
the soldiers.
During the forenoon the soldiers of the
G. A. r. who were specially detailed for
the purpose, were divided into squads
aud visited the cemeteries at Mays
Landing, Port Republic, Leeds Point.
Smithville, Absecon, Mt. Pleasant,
Asbury, Zion, Central, Salem, and
PleasantvilIe, to plant flags and strew
flowers above the graves of their fallen
comrades; and hundreds of people. laden
with bouquets were seen in all the cities
of the dead seeking the last resting
places of their loved ones, and, with tear
bedimIned eyes, tenderiy, lovingly,
silently remembering them with the
choicest of gifts-God's beautiful flowers
of matchless hue and shade.
The principal exercises of the Day took
place in the Pleasantville Cemetery, and
the crowds began to pour in from every
direction shortly after one O'Clock. At
] 80 the children of the several Sunday
Schools met at the Presbyterian Church
and marched to the Cemetery alter being
lined up to see the military and civic
companies from Atlantic City that ar
rived by special train on the Reading
Railroad These consisted of the Morris
GuardF, Capt. Bryant, Company +.
s xth Regiment, N. J. National Guard,
Capt. s. E. Perry, The Atlantic Cadets,
Sons of Veterans, Junior Order OF
American Mechanics and Lexington
Council, Woman's Relief Corps, all led by
the Eagle Fife and Drum Corps. At2.3O
eleven cars, crowded to the doors, arrived
at the Cemetery by the West Jersey and
Seashore Railroad and the grounds were
densely crowded when all had entered
the enclosure Fully five thousand, pos
sibly six thousand, were present and all
who could obtain standing room listened
intently to the solemn and impressive
of their departed comrades. Pastor
Thomas j. Cross, of Atlantic City, offered
the prayer, and an GRAFTON was deliv-
cred by Rev. j. A KunklemaD, pastor OF
st. Andrews Church, of Atlantic City.
Stirring and patriotic addresses were
also made by Capt. Perry, of Co. F. and
Rev. Arthur Douglass, pastor of the
Baptist Church, of Pleasantville.
Special services were held by Co. F.
over the grave of Harry Hand, a former
member of the Company, and Capt.
/ Perry delivered a touching address.
The Atlantic Cadets also held special
services of the grave of their departed
comrade, William Davidson, who died
during the past year, and Lieut.. Carl M.
| Voelker delivered the address.
Inside the gates the best of order pre-
vailed, and Supt. l. C. Gr!scom and his
assistants, and the special police-found
no occasion to exercise their authority.
Outside there were many wagons and
booths and no attempt was made by
the authorities to enforce the recently
enacted ordinance against peddling and
selling within five hundred feet of q
cemetery. Altogether the celebration
was orderly and decorous, and the
number present far in excess of any
previous year.
EVENING EXERCISES.
In the evening, shortly after 8 o'clock,
| the Baptist Church was packed to the
doors to listen to the program which
had been arranged, by Pastor Doug
lns, and Others, commemorative OF
| the occasion.
The exercises were opened with prayer,
by Rey. s. w. Steckel, of the Presby ter.
| ian Church and the choir sang 1.-THE
Red White and Blue" in which the
audience joined.
Pastor Douglas made the opening
address saying, in part, that every man
is made aware at some period of his
life that he has an Influence reaching
beyond himself He exercises it for good
or bad-and in life he benefits or irjuree
somebody. He was here to honor the
soldiers who in trying times had done 90
nobly-and he believed that every person
present felt the same. Our influence il
they fought for. Let US honor them for
they were true to God and their country
and were willing to risk their lives, and
sacrifice them if need be, for their princi
pies. They make us realize more fully
what we owe to the state and the
country and the entire world. The past
of our country has been glorious. The
future is still more so. 1t means the
advancement of Humanity and every
good cause that we believe in. Let vi
realize more fully the greatness OF oul
country, it's grandeur and it's destiny
and in being true to ourselves then shal
we also be true to God.
The choir and audience then sans
"America," and Henry Lake, ESQ, thu
Past Commander of Joe Hooker Post G
A. r. was introduced who said that il
1861 q wave Of patriotism swept ovel
this community and q large number o
soldiers were enlisted in this immediat,
vicinity. Sometimes he thought tha1
the wave had subsided, but recenteventl
led him to believe that there was no Iacl