Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-06-01
MEMORIAL DAY OBSERVANCE.
Sermon before Post--Address of Hugh
Henry--Exsrcises Of Schools.


Henry--Exercises Of Schools.
The Memorial service was held at 2
O'Clock last Sunday afternoon IN the bap-
tist church, whose auditorium was grace,
fully festooned with bunting and deeked
witn flags and flowers in honor ot the
US. Grant Post. No. e6, with 81 yeter-
ans in the line, marched to the church, es-
eorted By the Woman's Relief corps
whose flag bearers, Mrs. \. I. Greene,
Miss Susie Bower, Mrs. Byron Goodwin
and Mrs. r. +. Parker, held their banners
over the main aisle while the soldiers
passed beneath the flags to the pews re-
served for them.
Excellent music for the service was tur-
nished BY the male quartet Of the church,
whose selections were of iittingly patrl-
otie nature. The Scripture lesson was the
33d Psalm, read by Rev. Fraser Metzger.
The sermon was delivered by the PASTOR
the Rev. Samuel Knowles, who chose hls
tevt from Romans XIII Iu:7-HRender there
fore TO all their dues: honor 10 whom
honor.n The horror Of war was hrst
brought yiyidly to the attention OF ms
hearers bv a list Of the great battles OF the
world and the number OF soldiers slain IN
each, startling figures OF carnage ana efaeI ll
loss Of life. In our own civil war 5,OoO,uV9
men were engaged on both sides, and
while the amount OF treasure destroyed
and expended in this fratrieidal STRIFE
would have built two railroads around the
world.
The black picture OF war is brought
back to our memories at this season. anu
its raVages who can estimate Let the
widow and orphan tell, to whom was de-
MED even the last privilege of burial OIL
those they loved. Our liberties were pur-
chased at the loss Of life, limb and health,
and this gleat price can never be measured
nv money value or calculated by any sys-
tenn az arithmetic Today we express our
gratitude to the soldiers living and dead
for keeping our country undivided ana es-
tablishing the principles under when we
live. To the mothers ana wives " no ghNe
un sons and husbands no adequate remu-
neration can be made, and the presence oil
a thankful people at these annual obserV-
ances is but poor return for the mighty
struggle which gave us national unity ana
prosperity. This is not only day OF
I thanksgiving to God but of honor TO the
| soldiers, TO whom honor is indeed due.
/ The speaker urged upon the young the
/ duty of reading the history OF our country
and of her great men. The foreigners
who flock to these shores have no interest
/ in the past and are often too low in the
/ human scale to care for 1t, The Grand
/ Army OF the Republic is fading away and
/ it is lifting that the descendants OF IT'S
members should become living reposi=
/ tories of the truths for which their
/ fathers fought and died.
our flag has never yet gone forth for in
/ Justice or oppression. II Is peculiar
4 fact that our greatest wars have been
I fought with our own kindred and blood,
/ first for national freedom and then Tor
national life. In the Spanish war our
4 banner was upllfted to right oppression
and ia the Boxer uprising China's hope
/ OF integrity was in the stars and stripes
/ In the strife now waging, she looks more
confidently to the American flag than 70
ali the world besides, and after cycles Of
time. 1t may be, the chief regret OF the
FilIpinos will be that they ever raised
/ their hands against that emblem OF free
I dom, the star spangled banner. Seizine
the flag. he held II .aloft aud apostro,
phized ii in his peroration in a strain oi
I glowing eloquence.
MEMORIAL DAY.
Tuesday. the 30th OF May, was an idea
Memorial day, bright and fair, and more
i than the usual interest seemed TO be taker
in the proper observance OF this nationa
holiday. Shops and mills were closed
i business blocks and private residences
were elaborately decorated, and large CON
courses OF people paid their respects e
the nations heroes by their presence a.
Il the exercises in the cemetery and hall
The procession formed at the Higl
school yard under the leadership OF th,
mounted marshal, NJ. b. Rumrill, witt
the Randolph Center band, the uniformed
body OF firemen, and 40 little flower glfi
In white escorting Z. S. Grant Pos
and the Woman's Relief Corps, followed
by a long line Of carriages. Fifty veterans
marched to the cemetery where the Post
Corps and flower girls formed about tht
grave OF Knowlton p. Howard, SECOND
lieutenant Of Company +, 18th Vermont
regiment, who died OF typhoid fever a
i Alexandria, Va, November u, leb1
After the Grand Army service at TIM
grave, conducted by Commander JOIN
Manney and Chaplain +. y. Rising, tn
old soldiers dispersed to lay their flower
and evergreen wreaths on the grass,
mounds OF the deceased comrades.
When every fiag-marked grave ha'
been sought and decorated by the sur
yiving veterans, the line reformed ant
proceeded to the urn of the Woman
Relief Corps, in which the members o
that organization, with an appropriate
line or stanza, placed their floral tribute
to the memory of the unknown dead
Leaving the cemetery, the procession
wended its way to Dubois a Gays hall
which presented a very attractive appear
anee with its tasteful arrangement OF flag
and bunting, and was filled by an as
semblage OF people that taxed its seating
capacity. Capt j. +. Eldredge presided
over the exercises, and Rev. DR.. A. L
Cooper offered the opening prayer. 4
quartet, composed OF Or. w. Nj. Kelly
Miss Nj. Blanche Sparhawk, Miss z. Kat
Howard and A. III. Beedle, sang delight
fully three well-chosen selections, "Wel
come, Grand Army Men, "The Nation
Dead and sStill Remembered A prett.
feature Of the preliminary program was
flag exercise by q number OF school chill
dren under the leadership OF Edward III
dredge, which ended in the chorus sing
ing Of stColumbia, Gem of the Ocean,
Hon. Hugh Henry OF Concord, Unite'
States pension agent for Vermont an
New Hampshire, was introduced as tn
speaker of the day and delivered an ad
dress that was thoughtfully conceived AM
eloauently expressed. II was seriously il
. Keeping with the sad memories and asso
Citations Of the day and was dlstinguishe,
bv an unusual smoothness of diction ant
beauty OF imagery.
He pictured first the early days OF th
war when President Lincoln called 10
1000 men, then for 100000, and the en'
was not yet; when cloud hung over tn
Hand. and women and children, in tremb
ling apprehension crowded the postotiic
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