Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-05-26
falling tears. Her son had come
home. New York Sun.
MEMORIAL DAY FOREVER.

MEMORIAL DAY FOREVER.
More than thirty years ago, when
General John A. Logan, then COM
mander in chief of the Grand Army of
the Republic, issued the order desig-
mating May 80 as decoration day
(since changed to memorial day. and
called upon the members of the posts
to assemble in their halls, march to
the cemeteries and with appropriate
ceremonies strew flowers upon the
graves Of the departed soldiers, he
did service for his country only sec
ond in value to that country to his
deeds as a regimental, brigade, divi-
sion, corps and army commander.
That year, 1868, the Grand Army was
new, and it's members composed of
young men. There were no gray
hairs, dull eyes or bent forms then.
These young men the day before
gathered blossoms and deposited them
in their halls. On the Goth they as
sembled, formed line and marched to
the cemeteries, lovingly placing the
blossoms of spring upon the graves of
their former associates, sang a patri-
otto air and disbanded.
From that small beginning in 1868
Memorial day has grown to be one of
| the most impressive and useful of all
of the holidays. The ceremonies in
| PRODUCED at the call Of Logan three
years after the war have resulted in
! thousands Of patriotic sermons,
preached by Jews and gentiles, Pro-
testant and Catholic; thousands Of
| addresses, many of them by the first
| orators Of the nation beautiful, i'm
pressive and attractive ceremonies In
schools yearly,
| In these memorial ceremonies
| there is an entire absence of every
thing calculated to disturb the har-
mony between the people of the north
and the south. On the contrary, they
are Of such a character as to bring
closer together the people of the
| north and the south, the east and
west, and center their hearts and
minds on the one great country and
its one beautiful, much meaning en-
| blem, the stars and stripes.
| There may have been a time when
| the ex-soldiers Of the north and the
south entertained fears that when
| they left the stage of action memorial
| day ceremonies would be abandoned.
That day has passed long ago. The
veterans, looking through dim eyes,
and some Of them through tears Of
/ gratitude, see swinging into line the
national guard, the republics new
army, millions of school children, the
| churches and great numbers of other
citizens, to take the place of the old
armies mustered out, to perpetuate
! the valuable and beautiful memorial
day remonies-Chicago Times
Herald.
| GRANDEUR OF THE DAY.
A nation may be judged by it's
| holidays, and to no nation can come
a grander day than the one we cele-
brate now. A day chosen when ma
ture is at it's loveliest, when flowers
unfurl the colors of the flag and blue
| skies bend lovingly over the last
camping places Of those who wore the
| blue. Not a day of mourning this,
but of solemn rejoicing. Rejoicing
for the men who knew not selfishness
nor fear and so obeyed their country's
| call. Men who lie today, perhaps, IN
| alien graves, their only personal mon
ument a numbered headstone, but
men who live immortal in Fame's