The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1903-06-05

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After prayer by Rev. +. 1. Walker,
OF Byron, DR.. f. S. Ruggles, chairman
Of the monument committee, made
the following interesting remarks:
Patriotic citizens, loving friends and
members Of the Michigan National
Guards meet today to mark the rest
Ing place Of one who died while nurs-
Ing our boys who fought for the honor
OF the old flag that makes us free. But
not alone on the cold tablets of ever
lasting granite Is the name and men,
DRY Of Ellen May Tower perpetuated,
but upon the impressionable tablets
Of that great eternal heart of humani.
TVS gratitude which can never die.
Criticisms have been offered because
q monument was not sooner erected.
1t is easy enough to talk about erect
ing monument for one who has re-
Gently died, but when the green grass
has covered the spade marks, and the
first impulses of sorrow have given
way to sacred memory, 1t is vastly
different thing but 1t means volumes
more. Americanized communities
need not fear that the graves of the
honored dead will be forgotten any
more than q mother would forget to
plant the rosebush to mark the resting
place of her first born.
I could almost envy this gray haired
man sitting here, the veteran of the
sixties, the father of the girl, who
during the closing scenes of the nine.
teenth century, did honor to herself
and service to her country by daring
to go where duty called and daring to
do her duty knew how to do 1t we'll.
What must be the feeling Of that
father today and what emulations
come to that sainted mother and how
lifted up should be the thoughts of
every young woman who witnesses the
passing honors OF this hour and II
angels could carry message from men
to beyond the sunset, Ellen May Tower
would hear whisperings of swell done
thou most appreciated one. Peace;
farewell"
The monument was then unveiled by
little Beatrice Williams, cousin of the
dead girl. Miss Beatrice stood upon
pedestal by the side of the stone, and as
the flags futtered to the ground, there
was burst of applause. The monu-
ment far exceeded expectations, and is
much more handsome than the pictures
of it which have been published.
After three volleys and taps from the
National Guardsmen, Major George B.
McCaughna, of Owosso, secretary of the
monument committee, gave the follow
ing report:
MY FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORs-
The citizens of Byron who knew
Miss Tower in her girlhood, and the
U. s. volunteer soldier who knew her
as ministering angel in the army hos
pital, know full well why yonder mon
ument was erected. Indeed, If any
there be here today who are unfamil-
lar with the history Of the one Michi-
gan woman, and so far as is known the
one woman in the United States to
give her life to her country in 1898,
they will have the privilege of listen
ing to the deeply interesting story as
related by the eloquent chaplain Of the
Third Infantry who will claim your
in a few moments.
To my lot falls the duty of relating
how, not why, this tribute Of love and
respect was paid by grateful people.
1t was your towusman, Hon. L. Q.
Kanouse, who first took action in this
matter by introducing a bill in the
House in 1901, providing for an appro-
priation of 1000 for a monument to
mark this grave.
After considerable delay the bill was
passed by both houses, the amount Of
the appropriation having been cut to
$500. Gov. Bliss, however regarded 1t
as an unwise precedent to establish
and vetoed the bill. That the COVER
nor was. sincere In the position he
took is proven by his action in SUBJ
$50 to the present monument
fund.
While Rep. Kanouse's bill was de-
feated, his action served to arouse
public interest not only in Shiawassee
county but throughout the state, and
among the members Of the
Grand Army and the Michigan Ma
tional Guard, until all that seemed to
be lacking was leadership.
This was the condition of affairs on
Nov.31, 1902, when H.Kirk White, edi-
tor of the Press-American, made pub |
lie the fact that he would attempt to
raise by popular subscription suffi-
,ient amountIto pay for monument |
TO mark the resting place of this noble
girl whom Shiawassee county as well |
IS all Michigan is proud to call daugh-
ter.
From the start the nature Of the |
was such as to indicate |
the success Of the movement, and when