Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1906-05-26

For 40 years in this broad land, upon
each Both day of May, men and women
have gone forth with their burdens of
blossoms and the graves of the soldiers
who died that they and their children
might live have bourgeoned anew with
every gorgeous flower that blows and
every shy blossom that lifts its face to
the sun.
Not so with the soldier-sai1Or dead,
lost forever upon the oceans boundless
waste.
They tarried long in unquiet graves
ere a memorial was made for them;
ere a single flower dimpled the CLASSY
surface above to say: Here lies a
hero
But they were not to wait forever.
There came to a California woman the
thought of strewing flowers upon the
waters of the mighty deeps in honor of
the men who will rest there until the
day when the sea gives up it's dead.
Thus was born a beautiful custom
which in five years has spread north to
Lake Erie, east to Philadelphia, south
to Havana and New Orleans, and from
the Golden Gate of San Francisco to the
Delaware river the naval dead receive
in flowers a need of remembrance
upon each recurring Memorial day.
A National Custom
The custom thus established is rap
idly becoming a national one. 1t has
been cordially Endorsed by Dewey,
Sampson, Schley and Long, by naval
captains and officials by the score and
has been incorporated into the national
naval memorial ceremony by the Navy
Veterans association.
It's originator, Mrs. Armitage S. c.
Forbes, of Los Angeles, was made an
honorary member of the National
Association, Ladies of Naval Veterans,
and of various women's relief corps and
organizations throughout the United
States, besides receiving official COM
mendatfon from the Grand Army of the
Republic and the navy department at
Washington.
With her patriotism is a passion and
1t is through her untiring efforts that
the custom has received such wide
spread recognition, though the ex-
quisite sentiment which it expresses
has found ready response in every
bosom.
Mrs. Forbes Inspiration.
Just five years ago this earnest lit
tie woman was seeking some new
thought for the coming memorial; a
snatch of song was running through
her head:
Cast your bread upon the waters"
"Why not cast flowers upon the wa
tiers for the men lost at sea-" she cried.
1t was an inspiration and had come
to a woman who had the energy to
make it great
Her plans were formulated that very
day and with the hearty Endorsement
of the state superintendent of public
instruction she sent out a circular let
ter to the heads of schools in all the
coast towns of the country proposing
that such a floral memorial be observed
by the school children of California in
honor of the heroes who fought the last
battle for the flag upon the sea, and
the result was the first glorious observ-
ance along the Pacific coast May 80,
1900.
Thousands of children marched to
the waters edge and with reverent
hands scattered the wealth of Califor-
mia flowers upon the tapping waves
lifting their young voices in songs OF
patriotism and remembrance Naval
veterans and naval reserves assisted
and from San Francisco to Santa
Monica and to the blue crescent OF
Catalina, there were flowers, flowers
and everywhere flowers, wreathing the
waves and floating out upon the tides
in memory of the soldier-sailor dead
that lie in quiet rest beneath the ocear
from the far cold waters of the NORTH
to the coral reefs of the sun-kissed
south
The story of this first celebration was
heralded affair; Mrs Forbes wrote to tbs
naval officials telling them of the Cali
fornia observance. The replies which
she received were most gratifying
In Various Cities
Detroit welcomed the poetic observ
ance the same year and from Belle Isle
bridge the flowers were dropped upoI
the emerald surface of the Detroit rive