The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-30
SHOWER OF ROSES
Graves of Soldier Dead Buried
With Garlands.
OutpOuring of People at the
Cemetery Today.
VETERAN RECOLLECTS
Little Bouquet Recalls Scene 81
Years Ago.
Days Services Closed This At
VETERAN RECOLLECTS
Days Services Closed This At
ternO0n at Auditorium.

An old soldier was standing by the
flower table where the women were pre-
pairing bouquets for the decoration OF
graves.
He was not a handsome man. His eye
lids were red; ne had wrinkles and bushy
gray hair. His hands were brown and
knotted, and he leaned rather heavily on
a stout black cane.
John" said white haired woman.
who wore spectacles. you haven't got
any flowers on your coat Here, I'll fix
you" And the white haired woman,
with fingers which trembled u little with
age, pinned a rose to the old soldier coat
lapel.
The feeble old veteran looked just lit
tie bit as though he wanted to cry
Mary" he said do you remember,
thirty-seven years ago this month when
our regiment came home TO re-enlist?
Back there in our old home in Ohio, yoa
and brought Us flowers Saw. Mary.
don't you remember how you pinned a
You were mighty pretty girl, then,
ing chap, either. There wasn't a man in
our company. then who couldn't turn a
handspring. We were some thirty days
said we had been in heaven thirty days,
and then we went back to h But we
didn't have to- We went with Sherman
to the sea. and a lot of our boys never
came home. Mary
Thirty years ago the white haired
women who made the bouquets for the
soldiers graves yesterday, were fair faced
girls, and the old soldiers who now totteF
as they walk were StalWart young men.
Time is rapidly changing the Grand
Army of the Republic and the grand
army Of women who served their country
through the civil war Memorial day be-
comes a more impressive occasion with
each added year
While the cannon of battery B We're
booming in the state house SQUARE this
morning the committees having in charge
the decoration of graves at the cemetery
were busily making bouquets and wreaths
a
which the wagons were bringing in from
all parts of the city.
1t is not often that Topeka has so many
flowers on May 30 The fact that this is
tions --'--- -'--'-~-
But besides the red and white and yell
low roses which were heaped on the long
tables at the committee headquarters at
Seventh and Kansas avenue, there was a
great variety of other flowers. Primroses
and daisies. VerbenaS, fOX-glOVe and hon
eysucllIe feur-de-lis peoiiies syrineas
and clover blossoms were there in great
About $50 the exercises at the cemetery
commenced At the foot of the Gage
monument the G. A R. ritual was per-
formed by the Rev A NJ Reynolds,
J. ". Sidwell, chaplain of Lincoln
post. The various posts Of Topeka take
turns in having charge of the Memorial
day ceremonies This was Topeka posts
tqrn } +; Gray was IN general charge
McIxirahan had charge of the Topeka
After the conclusion Of the ritual COM
pany A. Kansas National Guard, under
the command of Captain w s. Eberle,
fired salute of three volleys- The F1am-
beau club drum corps played the long
roll" and the decoration of graves COM
menced-
Flowers were there by the wagon load,
and all of the 475 soldiers graves in the
cemetery were handsomely decorated
This decorating was done by the women
of Lincoln circle of the Relief Corps.
While this going on the drum corps
played several pieces.
Thank you, boys thank you, ex-
7lef if17a a r1y17i iftl old ncz
the drums and fifes finished their first Sc
lection. The old veteran wiped his eyes
with his handkerchief and continued:
Boys, I helped to play that same piece
just about forty years ago when 1 was
lighting in Carolina Play one more,
won't yOu?
The boys played some more. The mem
berS of the drum corps are Charles Bri-
zendine. major; NJ. B. Salmon, sergeant;
j. A Salmon. Stewart Rowles, ". n.
Anderson, Scott Lucas E. Goff John
Stearns, F. A Church and Bert Krug.
The crowd at the cemetery was very
much larger than usual The cars going
and coming from the cemetery were
crowded all the morning and there were
hundreds of carriages on the ground
Probably 5000 people visited the cemetery
during the morning.
At 2:30 D. m. the parade occurred, fol-
lowed nv the services the Auditorium