The Portland daily press., 1898-05-31

Cemetery. The cars also carried an i'm
mense number of citizens while man,
drove out in private teams. Upon arriva
the first business was the decoration O
the graves of which there were Al, al
increase of twenty-five over last year.
After the graves had been decorated
the comrades and reliefs formed AROUND
the Soldiers lot, and the public Iine(
I'D in their rear The band played {
dirge, after which Rev. Mr.. Ayres, of tn,
First Baptist church, Portland, Offered
prayer. Music followed and then Rev
Mr.. Ayres spoke as follows:
This is such Memorial day as we
never observed before. 1t has new sig
nificance to us. There are many OF us
who have looked on the war as history,
but when we babe God speed to the
brothers from our iiresices who go to
fight another battle for us then we began
to realize that cur liptrEy was bought
with the price of blood The young men
of our day never looked on these graves
with such emotion as they do today The
day has peculiar significance to us also
because of the testimony it brings of the
completeness of the triumph of the cause
for which you fought, The whole nation
today rejoices that the victory was with
YOU. With the instinct of Southern blood
have long been convinced that the
South rejoices as heartily as you do that
we are living together under the stars
and stripes. Your victory in as precious
to them as you. We only needed this test
to make that fact evident. This. day also
makes the cause of our country more dear
to us as its destiny and responsibility be.
comes clear. We fought the Revolution to
secure liberty. We fought the civil wal
to maintain our liberty. We are fighting
same liberty.
1t is dawning upon us that the posses
sion of such priceless privilege is great
responsibility. A man cannot be strone
without owing something to the weak
There is no place under the stars an6
stripes for a moral shirk. am glad il
the beginning of this war we are called
upon to look on the graves Of those wht
love to fight for the sake of fight ar
not those who know what war Is. Thu
| men who stood on the field once will
throw their influence against the spirit O
militarism.
After music the benediction was pro
nounced and the great audience dispersed
Chandler's band as usual decorated tn
grave of Comrade Young and played |
dirge.
AT FOREST CITY CEMETERY.
Thatcher Post, No. iii, accompanied
by the Relief Corps and invited guests
took the Cape eleotrios yesterday at 4.S
o'clock p. m. and proceeded to the Fores
City cemetery there to decorate the grave
of about 1876 departed comrades buried a
that spot.
They were accompanied by Merriman'
band who played most appropriate must
during the exercises which consisted Q
a very fitting address by Rev. Mr.. Kim
NELL and prayer by Rev. Lewis MAJ
vern. During the day at the same GENE
terry the veterans of the South Portlan
association placed three special wreath
over certain appointd graves and also 81
wreaths over outlying graves near For
Preble
| AT CITY HALL.
The evening exercises at City Ha
were al interesting and fitting conolu
sion to a day filed with devotion to th
flag and It's defenders. Every seat In th
floor and in the galleries was occupied
and scores of attentive listeners fianke.
the three sides of the hall and RENAME
throughout the two hours session.
Above the stage and bordering lbs wall
were draped Sc veral large flags. Upon
raised platform in the rear sat nearly 10
girls andfboys. the latter .ttired in white
and all bearing miniturs flags, whio
they proudly waved as they joined l.
singing patriotic songs. The front sea
of the stage was occupied by Major H
S. Melcher, the master of ceremonies
Mayor Randall of Portland, Mayor Moul
ton Of Deering, Rev. DR.. ssBlanchard, Rev
S. E. Pearson, Rev. r. L. Hack, Rev
Lewis Malvern, Rev. Luther Freeman
and Mr.. Edward G. SWEET The chic
marshal's aides, members of the city gov
eminent and other guests were also ocou
pants of the stage. The 10 front rows c
floor seats were reserved for the Gran
Army veterans and members of auxiliar,
bodies. When the veterans marched int
the hall the audience greeted them wit
hearty applause.
After a selection ty Chambers band
"Columbia" WAS sung by Prof. Juliu
E. Ward, the children joining In til
chorus, and in response to.an enthusiast
encore the soloist gave way to the Chi
dren who sang the three verses of tina
familiar song
After prayer by Rev. Luther Free
man, pastor of the Chestnut Stree
church, the children's chorus sweetly rer
dered cred, White and Blue,' an
a brief Introductory address was give
by the presiding officer. ~ Major H. s
Melcher. He welcomed the citizens an
comrades and spoke of the condition
which have made this Memorial day til
most impressive since the close of til
Civil war. He complimented the organ
cations which comprised the veterans
escort and made particular reference I
the Connecticut troops which filed til
place in line usually taken by Portland
national guardsmen. He referred to tn
causes which brought on the preser