Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1899-05-26

odor from pantry and kitchen in the home
where the out-of-town speaker is to be
entertained speaks for him comfortable
inner man. One of the prominent men Of
the village is to make fve-miuute speech
at the monument "To Our Unknown
Dead" He has rehearsed it for hours
in meadow behind hay stack.
The day dawns. The dew is brushed
away by passing skirts as the women
hasten to their gardens to pick their choic-
est howers-each culls unsparngly. Early
in the forenoon the vcstibule of the church
is filled with fragrance. Flowers Of the
garden, cultivated so tcnderly and gath
cred so willingly, are there and great
masses of snowballs, branches of dog
wood, with their white petals crimson
splashed, the sweet motk.orange the rosy.
Towering almond, all add their beauty.
1he work presses; bouquets 10 tack on to
the little monuments and each to be car
rled TO It's place; great punches of fow-
ers TO be placed in the church windows:
everywhere flowers to he lavished. I'm
stairs in the Infants room," are trays
TO he filled with the bouquets each child
is to wear, and the large ones for the
soldiers graves.
Already, from every direction. lines Of
vehicles are coming into the village from
all the little towns surrounding. The
band wagon is brought out, and trimmed
with flags. The eight white horses which
draw 1t have tiny flags between their ears
and waving on their backs; white horses
always, the whitest in the lead, and the
more speckIed at the wheels. The little
maldens rise from their uncomfortable
nights sleep, with sore heads and exceed
ingly wavy hair. The out-of-town sneak.
er has arrived. The bell in the steepIe of
the white church on the hill tolls the hour,
The flowers have been placed upon the
White columns; masses OF bloom are about
the dark, old pulpit, around the side
lamps, on the walls, and following the
gallery rail. The church is ready.
Ihe procession of veterans forms in
the square" They march to the shrill,
weird notes of fife, and the intrepid roll
OF drum. The ncighborng band has
come with but six horses, and none of
them white. The church is packed to suf-
location. The ministers of all the
churches sit with the speakers in the pull
pit. The veterans file in. The band clat-
ters to the gallery, and sits with the choir
1he standard-bearer drops the great flag
across the gallery rail, and its soft. silken
stripes sweep to the heads of those sitting
beneath. The little girls in white, and
the proudest moment of their lives, march
TO the front seats.
The ceremonies begin. They are very
long. The commander of the G.. A. r
leads the services. The air grows oppres-
sive with the heat and the strong fra
GRANGE of the flowers. "A selection from
the band endangers the tympanums Of
every one present. A poetess recites with
feryor an original poem of many stanzas
to Our Heroes" The choir has n solo
Tor the leading soprano of each church.
and other numbers intcrspcrsed among
the readings, prayers and speeches.
Ihen the procession forms. The flower
girls have their baskets of flowers. Tho
band leads the way to the cemeteries A
grave is reached. Two little flower girls
come forward and kneel at either side Of
the grave. The name of the soldier. his
age, rank, regiment, last battle, and date
OF death are solemnly read. A short
prayer follows. The children place their
flowers upon the mound. The band gives
three solemn signals, and at each the
Stars and Stripes sweep in salute over the
soldiers grave. From grave to grave they
go, till all have been remembered. and the
sun is sinking in the west.
The village homes are full of friends
and relatives from out of town. stnving IN
tea. Young couples stroll in the twilight
through the shaded streets. Old soldiers
sit In groups, recalling their battle scenes.
In the cemeteries on the HILL the flowers
have faded on the soldiers graves. The
little monuments show their whiteness
thickly under the dark Chicago
Inter Ocean.