The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-06-12
in THE SUNSHINE.
Firenen Decorate the
Graves of Dead
Comrades
WITH WREATHS AND FLOWERS.
Tributes Paid By Rev. DR..
Gunnison and Mayor
Dodge.
WITH WREATHS AND FLOWERS.

At o'clock yesterday morning the
members of the Veteran Firemen's as
ISOLATION, and two men in active SER
vice from each company Of the regular
department, formed at fire headquar-
tiers and marched to Salem square, la
den with wreaths and flowers. to take
special cars for Hope cemetery, where
the graves of their dead comrades were
to be decorated.
Leading the procession came the Vet
ed by two drummers. Hiram Jewell Of
Engine and Arthur Brady of Engine
6, commanded by Captain James Mad
den. Following, came the men from
regular department, marshalled by As
slstant Chief B. W. Clifford o. Lamb
The men in line were as follows: II. t..
Ware and B. w. Sweet, engine J; Fl.
II. SCHNEIDER and II. A. Bradley, hose
1; +. l.. Niederberger, c. G. O'Harra
and L. M. Hooker, ladder /; S. e.
Phipps, chemical /; i. b. Rice and r.
w. Ford, engine 2; r. S. Townsend,
ladder 2; John Fabricanin and Thorn
as Howard, hose 3; George r. Jeff aid
A. r. Means, ladder 3; F. A. Carr and
F. L. Adams, hose 3; r. l.. Jewell, en-
CINE 4; O. T. Aldrich and S. C. Holden,
hose 4; A. II. Stone, p. ]. Kane, John
Connor and Joe COnya, ladder I; +.
Bruso and Samuel Clark, engine 5; j.
w. Warren and r. e. COnley hose 5;
George w. Glen and Arthur Brady
engine 6; w. M. Burbank and j. NJ.
Brophy hose Z; 70. Johnson and john
Olson, hose 8; F. D. Hayden, patrol.
Next came the carriage containing
Capt. J. B. Lamb, Chief e. L. Vaughn,
Rev. Almon Gunnison, d. D., and May
or Rufus b. Dodge, Jr. In the second
carriage were John e. Baxter, f. d.
Johnson and j. A. Lancaster OF the
committee on fire department. The
Schumann quartet, VIM. Little, lead
err, occupied the third carriage.
Special cars of the Worcester and
Suburban road were waiting 1T Salem
square, and the firemen were soon hur-
ried to Hope cemetery. At the gate OF
the cemetery the line was formed ana
slowly, with muffled drums, the pro-
cession moved towards the firemen's
lot, where the carriages had proceeded.
The guests and speakers stood under a
canopy erected just in front OF the
beautiful granite monument, and the
firemen ranged in quadruple INES along
the roadway.
Captain j. b. Lamb then introduced
Rev. DR. Gunnison, who read a few
verses from the scriptures and offered
a prayer. Captain Lamb was the first
speaker and in part he said:
1--WE are gathered here this beautiful
morning to decorate the graves Of our
comrades who have gone before US
Only a few weeks ago the members oil
the Grand Army of the Republic came
to this same hallowed spot to snow
tn fbaff daQ6 and If II
not right that you, who risk your lives
to save life and property. should
also show that respect to your com
rades who are no longer with you? May
the day be far distant when any ot
YOU are. mustered out Of service, DUt
when that time does come, you Will
know that you have left behind you
friends who will see that your graves
are decorated. A fireman. In my opin-
ion, is as brave as any soldier VINO
ever fought for his country, and as
such he should be honored.'
Mayor Dodge said in part: From
time immemorial the individual has
felt that the springtime was the most
appropriate season for remembering
with regard those who have passed on
before. and members of the human
race have decorated the graves OF their
families and departed friends. But not
until recent years was tHeIe any ~
tempt to make an organized memorial
day. From that has come an almost
universal regard for the soldiers. Fa-
miles have taken that day to visit the
graves of their ancestors, as the graves
of the soldiers are visited, except that
they have the added association Of
kinship.
1T is "A thought elevating to all OF us
that the custom is growing and will
continue to grow until il becomes al
most universal. And if the living re-
member the dead of their families, how
much more is it to know that we have
one nobler feeling of memory in which
we recognize no tie OF kinship And
when that association leads men to
come as do the soldiers and the firemen
to lay tributes to their comrades it is
a bright attribute which shines out
above lesser things as the glorious sun
shines. Let the custom expand until
certain day Shall be known as an Uni
versal Decoration Day
DR.. Gunnison made the closing ad-
dress. He alluded TO the many years
he had served the firemen as chaplain
and speaker at the memorial service
and OF the beauty and significance OF
the service of comm emoration. The
strife Of life is so great that we can
make slight pause over those who have
fallen at our sides. We stop so =