The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1906-06-01
SOldier-SailOr Heroes
Given Needs of Honor
Inspiration That Won Instant Approval and
Inaugurated Beautiful Custom.

For 40 years In this broad land, upon
each 30th day Of May. men and women
have gene 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 It's face TO
the sun.
Not so with the soldier-sailor 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 20 say. Here lies
hero"
But they were not 20 wait forever
There came 90 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 its dead
Thus was born a beautiful custom
which IN FIVE years has spread north 20
Lake Erie. east 10 Philadelphia, south
20 Havana and New Orleans. and from
the Golden Gate Of San Francisco 20 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. II has
been cordially indorsed 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.
Its 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 relief corps and
organizations throughout the United
States. besides receiving official COM
mendation from the Grand Army of The
Republic and The navy department az
| Washington.
with her patriotism is passion and
II IS through her untiring efforts that
the custom has received such wide
spread recognition, though the exc
quisite sentiment which it expresses
has found a ready response in every
bosom
Mrs. Forbes Inspiration.
Just five years ago this earnest lit
he 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 east flowers upon the wa
ters for the men lost az sea?' She cried.
II was an inspiration and had come
20 woman who had the energy 70
make q great
Her plans were formulated that very
dav and with the hearty Endorsement
OF the state superintendent Of public
instruction she sent ont circular let
ter to the heads of schools in all the
coast towns of the country proposing
that surh a floral memorial De observed
by the school children OF California Ia
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 go,
1900
Thousands Of children marched 10
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 90 Santa
Monica and 90 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-saiior dead
that lie in quiet rest beneath the ocean
from the far cold wners Of the north
10 the coral reefs of the sun-kissed
south
The story Of this first celebration was
heralded afar. Mrs Forbes wrote 20 M
naval officials telling them Of the Cali
fornia Observance The replies whicf
she received were most gratifying.
In Various Cities.
Detroit welcomed the poetic obsery
ance the same year and from Belle Isle
bridge the flowers were dropped upos
the emerald surface of the Detroit riyeI
and the year following from the side
Of the United States shin Yantic, which
made q short cruise IN honor Of th'
celebration
In Charleston navy yard In 1902 Mrs
Sampson, wife Of the admiral. per
formed the beautiful ceremony from
the deck Of Old Ironsides.
In philadelphia. tie home Of me
MORALS. on May 30. 1903. there was in
augurated this new fashion Of remem
branoe. and Il stands unique amoni
the myriad celebrations Of It's kind j.
/. that city Of "brotherly love" Fiy
o. thousand people on Race street pie
watched four fower-ships set out on
wondrous voyage. There was a Cum