The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1906-05-31
TIE NATIONS DEAD
befitfing Ceremonies Held in Prince
ton in Honor of Soldiers Who
Have Passed Away.
Residents of Village Strew Springs
Fair Flowers Upon the Graves
of Their Beloved Ones.

iAA o11S JSUA especially Scu
apart by the American nation to pay
tribute to it's soldier dead-the day
which every true American, whether
he resides in this country or in some
remote part of the globe, observes
the day above all days that should be
held8sacred.
With true patriotism Princeton be-
fttingly observed this day. ALI
places of business were closed and the
residents of the village generally at
tended the exercises held in commem-
Grafton of the heroes who sacrificed
their lives to their country's cause.
For salubrity the day could scarce
have been surpassed. It was one of
springs supreme ethereal
izedsby the balmy zephyrs which float
ed tween the pines and gathered from
the wild flowers that redolence known
onlysto jewellers in this glorious cline.
Alarge number of people from Mil
aca,s Foreston and other neighboring
towns were present, including many
veterans, who did not form part of
sprocession to the cemetery. The
townHwas fairly crowded with people
and the opera house packed to the
doors.
Atsl:30 p. N. the members of Wal
lace I. Rines post and other veterans
metin the Armory hall and from there
proceeded, under Commander Thos.
b. Galley, to Jesmer's opera house,
where the exercises were held.
Adjutant A. z. Norton presided
and the observances commenced with
a chorus by the choir. Rev. Hender-
sonthen offered the invocation, which
wassfOllowed by solo and chorus,
Henry Avery rendering the solo.
TheNorator of the day, Hon. G. A.
Diekey, then delivered an address in a
most impressive manner. Mr..
Dickey's Grafton was substantially as
follows:
Time in it's ceaseless march may en-
shroud the glory of kings in the dark
pail of oblivion, but it will invest
with ever increasing radiance the
triumphs and conflicts of heroic and
devoted minds. Luther and the Re-
formation, Hampden and British
liberty, Lincoln and American eman-
cipation. So long as honor and
patriotism hold their abode in human
hearts will these be the watchwords
of freedom. Mighty men were these,
and vast and far reaching were the
results of their lives and the princi-
Piles for which they fought.
Luther spoke and wrote for the prin-
ciple Of religious freedom; Hamp-
den for relief from kingly tyranny;
and Lincoln for an absolutely free
nation and universal suffrage.
The freedom of thought, word,
speech and action which we as ma
ton and as individuals now enjoy are
not the result of the wisdom or striv-
ing of DAY or week or year or
century. f..
The human race in it's infancy was
but a poor, weak, savage and ignor-
ant mob of individuals; savage and
selfish by instinct: narrow and bigoted
in all things mental and spiritual.
But the divine spark was there, and
through all the centuries since the
Divine Creator said ''Let there be
Light" that spark has grown and
strengthened till the spark has become
a mighty beacon enlightening the
world. Untold generations of men
have come and gone; Kingdoms and
empires have risen and fallen; great
men and women have fitted across the
stage and are of the past. But
steadily has man worked upward and
onward. Nineteen centuries ago, in
one of the sunniest parts of Italy
where the sky is ever blue, and the
breezes are ever soft, there stood one
cities the world has ever seen. Far
away to the north, south, east and
west stretched the great highways that
connected her with all parts of the
then known world. Over these roads
marched her mighty armies going to
and returning from the conquest of the
world till Rome was indeed and in
truth sitting on her seven hills and
mistress of the earth. Literature, art,
architecture and war were her idols;
temples, palaces and public works
that were dreams of beauty crowned
her hills. She was the mother of
Horace, Virgil, Cicero, Caesar and
Livy. To her citizens she was the
sum OF human endeavor and was called
the Eternal City. !" Yet Rome fell.
And how poor and imperfect to US in
the light Of the twentieth century seems