Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1903-06-05
ALL HONORS TO
OUR HEROIC DEAD
Memorial Day Was Appropriately
Observed by Patriotic Citi.
zens Of Alma.
OUR CEMETERY BL0ssOMED
WITH FLORAL TRIBUTES
Fitting Eulogies Paid TO the Dead BY
the Speakers and Others Who
Took Part in the Program.

Memorial Day, 1903, dswned cold and
unpleasant and the weather continued
to be disagreeabe during the entire day,
but even that could not affect the ardor
and patriotism of the old soldiers who
met TO commemorate the dead those
heroic men who gave all that was best
in their lives-many thousand even their
very blood-to preserve the Union that
we, their children, might still enjoy liv-
ing III this Gland of the free and home
OF the brave"
Saturday morning the members OF
the O.. A. r. were driven to the Wright
cemetery in Pine River where services
were held in keeping with the day and
the graves Of the soldier dead who lie in
that silent city were decorated with
beautiful flowers. In the afternoon
services were carried out as arranged
upon the program, the exercises being
held In the opera house.
First upon the program was music by
the college male quartet, followed by
invocation by Rev H. S. Higgins, after
which q. A. r. orders were read by
Adjutant John Greig. The pupils of the
union school next filed upon the stage and
sang very prettily, and Lincoln's
Gettysburg address was then read by L
Chadwick, after which Miss Blanche
Boughton read an essay on Memorial
Day. This essay was written by Miss
Boughton for the Michigan department
q. A. X. competitive contest for gold
medal, one pupil from each school in the
state being eligible TO enter. There
were twenty eight contestants, and
while Miss Boughton did not win the
medal, Col Potter of the Michigan G..
A. r., recommended that the essay be
read at the Memorial Day exercises.
Following is the address in FULL
Hail, sad but glorious day The
dawning of the bright May morn The
whole horizon glows with purple clouds
and the breezy spring stands loosely
floating on the mountain tops and deals
her beauties around. Yonder ascends
the sun in splendid array sending forth
her beams; here catching up the dew.
drops from the petals OF some lone flow.
er there darting In and out from some
shady nook atfording warmth TO the nest
of the robin, who has built his dwelling
place safe and secure on the inmost
bough Of a forest tree. Up springs the
lark that messenger OF the morn and
with tuttGring start she proudly scars
to the skies, pouring forth, upon the
air, strains OF love from an overflowing
heart. From neighboriug thicket the
mocking bird, widest Of singers, swings
upon bow, rejoicing in the beauties of
Nature and singing such beautiful
music that the whole air seems 20 listen.
Pure Is the temperate air and a calm
reigns save where the winds breathe
softly on the gentle earth and seem to
beckon with an invisible hand the little
restless leaves 20 follow its footsteps
through the air. From every city,
hamlet and schoolhouse as far as the eye
can behold, there CLEANS aloft banner
unfurled from a glittering staff and
SHINING like meteor "a it is playfully
caught up by the same soft wiud and
whirled over and under.
but look at yonder tapering mast
from whose summit floats Old Glory, |
the stripes significent Of sacrifice and |
purity, the stars on field OF blue OF its |
country; both, emblems of freedom, |
who, tried by storm and battle, tore
away the robes of tyranny and planted
her own flag there. But bark what
means those martial strains? See
yonder, vending their way along the |
dusty road, there comes band carrying
the cleaning banner, that was seen in |
the distance. They are clad In uniforms
and seem to be aged veterans and as they |
Continued on page four.)