Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1906-06-05

APPROPRIATE OBSERVANCE OF THE
OCCASION IN SOUTH PARIS.

After several days Of storm the linger.
ing process Of clearing Of was comp)et:
cd ON the morning Of Memorial Day. and
the sun shone out brightly in . blue sky
fecked with feecy clouds. Following
the habit of the season, Il was cool, and
the wind was fresh, 20 that wraps were
needed for outdoor exercises, but It Wa
withal q beautiful day, and the landscape
was 10 fresh and green that It made q
most appropriate setting for the I'M
pressive ceremonies OF the day.
At South Paris the decoration services
began promptly Ut 10 O'Clock. Members
Of VIM. K. Kimball Post, G. A. R., the
Ladies of the G.. A. R., and Q good dele
cation Of the school children, formed In
procession ct Grand Army Hall, and to
tho music Of fife and drum marched to
Riverside Cemetery. Though their
numbers are decreasing every year, there
was still q good representation Of the
veterans OF the civil war In line.
At the cemetery there was prayer by
Rev. A. K. Baldwin, the reading Of Lin
coins Gettysburg address BY Miss
Rounds, and several selections by the
Schubert Quartetts. The decorating OF
the. soldiers graves was then done by
the post. There were large number OF
flags to be set, several new graves having
been made during the past year.
While tho decorating was going on,
detail Of Spanish War Veterans. under
escort of Co. D, visited the cemetery,
decorated the graves Of two of their
number who are buried there, and i'm
mediately returned to Norway, after the
bugler had sounded "taps."
The decorating finished, tho process
sion returned to the hall, going by way
of Moore Park and the soldiers monu-
ment. At Grand Army Hall dinner
was served to the veterans and their
families at noon.
q. q. Maxim, commander OF VIM. K.
Kimball Post presided ut the afternoon
exercises, which began promptly at Q
O'Clock. Prayer was offered by Rev. j.
w. Chesbro, and selection was suhg by
the Schubert Quartette, which also con-
tributed several other selections to the
programme later. There were also
readings by Miss Ida N. Field and Frank
L. Starbird. Charles F. Whitman, Esq,
of Norway, was then introduced as the
speaker of the day.
Judge Whitman spoke about three
quarters of an hour, from manuscript,
and held the closest attention of the au-
dience. He first eulogized the mon who
fought to preserve the Union, declaring
that the purpose of this day was to
honor them and to pay tribute to their
memory; that it was established for no
other purpose; and that he deeply de-
plored the spirit which would turn the
day from that for which 1t was intended.
He reviewed briefly the causes which
led up to the war, and then turned to q
more particular consideration of details
of the history of the conflict. In this
portion of his address he devoted con-
siderable time to reviewing the part tax
en- in the war by Maine men and Maine
organizations, more particularly Oxford
County and especially Paris men.
Probably few in the audience were ia
miliar with any part Of the detailed his
tory thus given, and 1t would be interest
ing, If space permitted, to give In full
that part of the address in which the
names and doings Of some well-known
and some little-known men of Paris were
recounted, as we'll as that in which the
history of the Maine organizations which
contained most of the men enlisted from
this section Of the state was summarized.