Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1905-06-06
Memorial Day at South Paris.
AN INSPIRING ADDRESS BY DIR. SMITH
BAKER, AND OTHER APPROPRIATE
OBSERVANCE.

Tuesday was a perfect Memorial Day
The gentle showers of the night before
had laid the dust and left everything
clean and fresh. The sky was bright
and the temperature just right for com
fort. Not only was the day enjoyed a.
holiday, but it was also well observed
in the spirit intended by its founders
While there was, as there always will be-
more or less going on in the line OF
sports. there was nothing which inter.
fered with the appropriate exercises OF
the day, and due respect was shown oy
the people for the heroes whose deeds
the anniversary commentaries.
Graves in the outlying cemeteries In
the town were decorated in the forenoon
by details from VIM. X. Kimball Post,
lG. Ar. The Spanish War Veterans,
who had been decorating at Norway
Pine Grove Cemetery, also came here IN
the forenoon and decorated the graves OF
two of their comrades who are buried In
Riverside Cemetery.
A dinner was served by the Relief
Corps at noon, and soon after o'clock
the procession was formed in front OF
Grand Army Hall to march to Riverside
Cemetery. A drum corps led, followed
by detachment from Co. ID, n. q. 5. NJ,
acting as escort, Spanish War veterans,
members of the Grand Army OF the Re
public and Relief Corps, and good
number of school children carrying flags.
At the cemetery there was short
programme of singing by a quartette
composed of Messrs. James Dunn,
George A. Briggs, Carl Briggs and Fred
E. Hall, prayer by Rev. d. F. Nelson of
West Paris, and brief remarks by Rev.
II. A. Clifford. The soldiers graves
we're then decorated by the post, the
Relief Corps also decorating the graves
of their deceased members, with me-
mortal service. From the cemetery the
veterans marched by way of Moore Park
and the soldiers monument to New Hall.
Capt. H. n. Bolster presided at the
exercises in the hall, which opened at
little after 2 O'Clock. After singing by
the quartette and prayer by Rev. j. w.
Chesbro, Capt. Bolster gave summary
of the work done for the day in decorat-
ing, giving list of the cemeteries in
town, with tie number in each. From
this it appears that there were decorated
in town the graves of 50 veterans OF the
civil war, 2 of the Revolution, of the
war of 1912, and , of the Spanish war.
Three members of VIM. K. Kimball Post
have died during the past year.
The exercises were continued by sing
ing BY the quartette, reading by Miss
Rose Murphy, singing by Miss Helen
Barnes, and poem, written by the wife
Of soldier and read by Mrs. j. S. Bur
bank, entitled "Our Risen Comrades"
Rev. Smith Baker, d. D., of Portland,
was then introduced to give the address.
DR.. Baker as a speaker was known to
all the people, either by their having
heard him or by general repu-
tation. A powerful and thoughtful adj
lress was expected, and every one of the
audience which filled the hall and stood
even outside the doors felt that his ex-
pectations had been more than fulfilled.
it was an address which combined a
sincere veneration for the heroes dead
and living with a lofty spirit of patriotism
and an intense appreciation of the prob |
ems which we as a nation have to face, |
now and for the future.
1t is almost pity to do violence to
DR.. Bakers most impressive address 6y
Attempting to condense a portion OF his
thoughts into few sentences, but some
Of its salient points are touched in what
follows: