The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-06-01
DecoRATmK DAY ADDRESS
Mayor Branson GAYS a Patriotic Adj
are.. at the Afternoon Meet
Continued from Page -Four.
Ing Decoration Gay.

continued from rage fUuT.
The afternoon exercises of Dec
grafton Day were held in the city
hall auditorium. which commenced
at 5 O'Clock. Shortly before that
hour the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie and The Woman's Relief Corps as
sembled in the post oom and
marched in a body to the place of
meeting. aud there was a large rep
resentation of the two ordets.
General i. b. Wolgemuth acted as
chairman of the afternoon, and in
calling the meating to order, made a
few remarks concerning the future
observance of Decoration Day, in that
arrangements should be made by the
citizens and to inculcate in the
heafts of the growing generation to
revere the day and impress upon it
the duty of observing the OCCASION.
A sextet, composed of Miss Goody-
koontz, Mrs. Emily Bras-Switt,
Misses Mccormick, WEIGH, and
Messrs. Boyles and Downey furnished
the music during the afternoon,
singing three appropriate selections.
Mrs. Cora Bolce-Crow presided at
the piano. The invocation was given
by Rev. A. Craig Bowuish, pastor OF
the Congregational church. which
was followed by music. General
Wolgemlth introduced Che speaker
of the afternoon, Mayor O. L. Bran
son. His address was a patriotic
and inspiring Ia and it teemed with
passages that filled the heart OF the
old soldier with pride. Mr.. Bran
sons delivery is dignitied and he
speaks with an e~arnestness that de-
notes the deep interest he has in his
subject. The mayor spoke in part
as follows:
To me the most beautiful. the
most magnificent, the most patriotic,
sight in all the world is to see men
who having fought successfully the
battles of life and having reached
the twilight OF their manhood are
qulctlJ p1c1CllGif, Joyluliy, WdluliIR,
waiting. not for the bugle call to
muster of death. When General
chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, formally designated the 3oth
day of May in eacn year as Memorial
Day. as a day when soldier and civil
ian, alike, might pay tribute to the
memory of the nations dead soldiers
he did the natural thing to do. He
was a great sulGier, a great COM
mandeT, keen of observation. Before
the war closed and after, while yet
thousands of women in the north
were wearing their sable garments
OF sorrow for sons for brothers. for
husbands, for the love of every kind
and condition who were sleeping
their last sleep on southern hillsides,
and in the cities OF the dead of the
north, he noticed that when spring
time came, when nature unfolded
her arms and from her bosom the
daisy, the crOcus, the violet leaped
forth these same women had worn
paths on the hillside whittier they
had gone to pluck the little flower
and bear it away to the grave of
some dead soldier, and with these
SceLes WILDLY before him he said.
sswe will appoint day when all alike
may decorate the grave of the heroic
dead and do honor to the fast de-
pleting hanks of the brave men who
yet survive.
After speaking of the foundation
LOT our government, where liberty
had its brithright, Mr. Branson con
tinued:
From these scene we hastily pass.
FOurscore Years have passed by.
a generation has been born and
passed away. The march of empire
has been Westward; the flag that was
first unfolded in l777, has marched
all the way from plymouth Rock to
the Golden Gate. As 1 speak to you
the scene suddenly changes and we
comeato that period in our nations
history that gave aus for this hOli.
day. While the pulse Of the nation
is at fever heat suddenly, l hear the
booming OF cannon in the distance
and / ask youwhat it is. Ah!it is the
guns of BeauregaId assaulting Fort
Sumpter and firing upon the nations
flag. All! Be%auregard. Beanregard
better a thousand times you had never
fired that shot. See ys not Il plow-
man who, on that April morning,
was blowing for the harvest wher
he hears that rumbling in the dis.
tance and sees the smoke of battle.
stops and listens, unhitches his
team. takes it to the harm and goes
to war. See We not the carpenter
working at his bench, showing the
plane and pushing the saw, wher
he hears that rnmbling in the dis
lance and sees the smoke of battle
stops and listens, puts away Ills tools
changes this clothes and goes to war,
See We not the blacksmith, working
at his anvil, hammering the iror
and turning the shoe, when liz
hears the rumbling in the distance
Il nlad COOS Sinnko nH battlo cfons