River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1907-05-23
Town's First Great
Day of Decoration

N4 ~ n IlMO III BULLY AN
"a "a came down from Water
NE Glen, Mimi, and settled at
ii III Boomer, Okla, among the
first corners, and the first
thing he missed was the G. A. r. post.
There were many other things that
Boomer lacked, but the cheerful one
armed veteran did not mind these.
Tley were merely bodily comforts and
cCnyeniences or tho improvements OF
civilization, but the absence of G. A.
r. post struck him in his most salient
spot. 1t hurt his one romantic vanity
and injured him in his one cherished
pride. He loved the G.. A. r., and he
loved the old flag, and his honest,
cheerful, hard working soul lived from
year to year in good natured unim-
portance, to bask for one day in the
deserved honor that was his on Deco
ration day. On that one day he had
always been, at Water Glen, the
proudest of the proud, as he marched
at the head Of the little procession to
the resting place of the veterans of
Kiowa county His armless sleeve
was none the less empty because he
mill and not in battle. The arm, how
ever lost, was veteran arm, and had
bullet in it.
Not that he cared about the arm
itself. 1t was left one, and he had
his pension, and his tastes were SIM
pie He could have lived well enough
in his shanty at Water Glen, but his
friend Foley got the Oklahoma fever,
and Sullivan went with him, taking a
TOWNSHIP claim in Boomer.
The first Decoration day at Boomer
passed tamely for Timothy Sullivan.
There was no band, no flag, no flow
ers, no minister to open the exercise,
no exercises to be opened, not even a
holiday. There were no schools to
close. There was no town to speak
of There was not much of anything
but stakes to mark the claims, tents,
and a pump, but when the second
Decoration day drew near Timothy
Sullivan grumbled audibly.
I've a mind to send home to Water
Glen for my arm" said Sullivan.
IT could come in box by the ex-
press company, and no BARN done
'Twould be fine object lesson to the
town Of Boomer to have the arm of a
buried near by"
Twould So" Foley agreed, with
as much enthusiasm as he could show
while lighting his pipe. "'Twould So
'Twould be the next best thing to hav
ing yourself buried here, Tim"
Get me pen, ink and paper" said
Sullivan, till | write for it."
He wrote the letter to his friend,
Larry Casey, at Water Glen.
dig up and send lne the left arm
of me" he wrote, by express, to be
paid for at this end tbs buried in
the horseradish bed, in the big tin
box. And | hope you are the same
Timothy Sullivan"
Larry Casey did the work we'll, and
in due time a box arrived at Boomer
Sullivan did not open it, and he and
rear southwest corner of SulliVan's
claim They did not attempt nor even
dream of anything ceremonial in the
act. 1t was merely that Sullivan, as
one might say, was getting himself
together. No one likes to be scattered
about the United States. They sim
ply buried the box in the most con-
ventional place and went about their
business, which was principally doing
nothing and waiting for Boomer town
lots to rise in value.
But as Decoration day drew nearer
Sullivan dwelt more regretfully upon
the absence of memorial exercise. He
felt a little delicate about himself pro-
posing exercises to memorable his
own arm. 1t seemed little like seek
ing to sing his own praises, and he felt
a natural reticence about proposing a
procession. He was glad, therefore,
when Foley spoke of the idea as of
one that had been fully decided upon.
Foley opened the subject by saying:
Twill be hard to find flowers to
decorate the arm on Decoration day,
Tim Missus Schwartz will lend the
loan of her geranium plant, but there
be no others, except we pick the wild
ones off the prairie"
Have We spoke to any one else,
Mike, of the procession, and ALP" ask
ed Sullivan, Frightening up.
Schwartz will be proud to belong
to it, said Foley, with his accordion.
And the Chaykas will be in it, though
for why they don't know, except tbs a
custom of their country, and them hav-