Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1901-06-04
MEMORIAL DAY AT PARIS.

The clouds in their almost ceaseless
down-pour had little regard for Memorial
Day this year. During the afternoon
and evening, though the sky was over
cast and the air-was chilly, there was no
rain; but the forenoon was so rainy that
the programme of the day had to be some
what changed. Owing to the condition
of the weather the trip to West Paris
which number of veterans were plan
ming to take in the morning was given
up, and the decorating at that place was
left to the comrades there.
At 80 p. NJ the procession was form
ed at Grand Army Hall to proceed to the
cemetery. Norway Band was in the
lead; then followed detachment from
Co. d, N. G. S. NJ, acting as escort to
VIM. X. Kimball Post, G.. A. r. OF
members of the post and other veterans,
there were some over forty. Behind the
post marched good number of school
children carrying flags.
At Riverside Cemetery prayer was Of
fered by Rev. T. j. Ramsdell, there was
singing by the Partisan Male Quartette,
and the graves were decorated by the
post. The procession then reformed
and proceeded to Moore Park and thence
to New Hall for the exercises of the
day. The hall was simply but effective
ly decorated with flags and bunting.
Capt. Bolster presided at the exercises,
and faced an audience which, in spite of
the unfavorable weather, filled the hall
to it's capacity. There were several
selections by the band, and two by the
Partisan Male Quartette. Miss Olive
Mae Stuart gave a very effective render
ing of "Cover Them Over with Beauti-
full Flowers" Miss Susie l.. Rounds
read an original paper on the Observ-
ance of Memorial Day, appealing for the
preservation of the sacredness which
ought to attach to the day, that was SO
earnest and so eloquently worded il
could not fail to impress her hearers
deeply.
Col. C. II. French of Chicago was then
introduced as the speaker of the day,
Col. French is the well known lecturer
born and reared in the town of Oxford
An abstract or condensation of his ad-
dress could not but do it injustice, as
much of the charm which held his audi
ence throughout lay in the beauty OF
the language in which his thought was
clothed. Near the close of his address
in describing his recent visit to Ander
sonville, he produced the gavel to which
reference has heretofore been made
The head of the gavel is made from {
limb of the tree which has grown ovel
providence spring." and the handle
from piece of the old stockade. Thii
gavel he presented to VIM. X. Kimbal
Post. Ii was received by Commander !
j. Monk, and brief response was mad,
in behalf of the post by Rev. w. L
Brooks, ID. ID.
The exercises closed by the singing o
America by the quartette and audience
In the evening Col. French gave hi
illustrated lecture on the Klondike. III
has some very fine slides, shown in
good dissolving lantern, and the nc
companying subject matter was de
scription and poetry combined. He ais
showed a few Cuban pictures, and afte
the close of his lecture he introduced hi
moving picture machine, and presente
a number of views of a variety of movin
subjects, all very realistic. There wa
a good house, and the post got goo
benefit from the evening.