The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1899-06-01

crate programs were carried out in
all towns and cities where lie buried
those who wore the blue or the gray
and fell during and since the long
civil strife which passed over the
country from centre to circumference
in the sixties.
People in all sections honored the
memory not only of those who bore
arms during the Civil War but those
who fell in the war with Spain. The
day this year has a special signifi-
cance to the rising generation, as they
have lived through the Spanish war
and some of them have friends or rela-
tlves who were engaged in that strife
In Oakland the usual exercises took
place under the auspices of Crook
Post No. So, of which Col A. G. Stur-
giss is the commander. The post met
at Headquarters and marched in un-
steady column to the cenietery wrer~
the usual ritualistic ceremonies were
gone through with after the graves
of the departed comrades were deco
rated with choice flowers contributed
for that purpose.
The ranks of the veterans this year
have thinned to a noticeable degree
but still numbers of old soldiers with
battle-scarred yisages wended their
way to the holy city of the dead
where they paid their yearly tribute
to their fellows in arms who are now
sleeping the sleep that knows no wax
ing until the great General of all sum
mons them III squads, in companies,
battalions and regiments to appear
before Him and give report of their
lives in the world militant 1t was q
most beautiful and impressive sight,
which gave the best tangible and con-
elusive evidence how much the living
love the memory of those who have
departed
Besides the old soldiers hundreds of
ladies, young girls just budding into
womanhood and wee little lasses were
also present at the cemetery laden
with the most beautiful spring flowers
obtainable, where they strewed the
graves Of fathers, husbands, brothers,
sisters and departed friends with the
beautiful remembrance.
The members of the Knights of
Pythias, following an annual Gus
tom inaugurated here five or six years
ago, also decorated the graves of the
deceased members of that fraternity
with choice cut flowers.
Not only was the day fittingly OBJ
served in Oakland but at Friendsville
where lie buried a number or deceased
soldiers. The members of the post of
that town met at their hall and pro-
ceeded to the cemetery where an
address was delivered by Rev. w. r.
Hennen after which the graves were
decorated. Music was discoursed by
the Friendsville band during the dec
grafton exercises.
But at no place in the county was
the day celebrated with more zeal
and greater preparation than in the
town of Deer Park In the morning
at 10 O'Clock a procession of old sol
diers, school children and citizens
formed a procession on the main street
of the town and headed by the Deer
Park band marched to the cemetery
where the imposing ritualistic services
of the G.. A. r. were read after which
the people wended their way among
the white tombs strewing flowers on
the graves of deceased comrades and
friends. The procession was under
the marshalship of DR.. j. w. Laugh
lin with Joseph Lashorn and Van
Grim as aides. After an adjournment
for dinner the crowd again assembled
in the park at one thirty O'Clock.
After music by the band DIR. Laugh
lin called the audience to order and
iAui iOiuOCo lOl' w. IL. cdIlIcT, Vi YAK
land. who spoke at some length on
kindred topics of the day that the
people had gathered to celebrate.
More music by the band after which
Prof. l. F. Groves with two of his
singing classes rendered some excel
lent vocal music. Hon. A. F. George
was then introduced and held the
audience in rapt attention for half an
hour. His speech was full of elo-
quence and pathos and many were the
congratulations showered upon him
at its close. Rev. w. E. George was
then called to the platform and after
the singing of the doxology by the
people, pronounced the benediction.
In the evening a concert was given
by the Deer Park band. This was
the biggest day Deer Park has had
for number of years and the large
crowd present was treated with cor
diality by her citizens and good cheer
and warm heartedness prevailed
throughout the entire service.
A game of ball was played at Deer
Park between the Oakland and Deer
Park mines, resulting in "A score of O tn