The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-05-31

never forget The screams Of men,
women and children; those pathetic
cries which seemed the last before
death, still ring in my ears when re-
call the event. Had the captain not
such a heart, not SO much courage,
who can tell what would have hap
pened? Had the men below faltered
and fell there could have been but one
result. However. we landed safe. 1t
is needless to go further into the story
to illustrate my point. Before the
passengers left they crowded ,about
the captain and his officers. showering
them with congratulations; some
cried, while others laughed in Joy. AS
l was leaving noticed man deep
in the hole. with sleeves rolled up, en-
posing two Herculean arms tanned
as only sailors can be. His shirt
was torn. while his wet clothes chung
to his body. There he lay asleep.
with tiresome akin to death. His bed
and pillow were the water-soaked
ropes. which had been used in the
storm. No word of kindness greeted
his ears: no warm hand OF friend
ship grabbed his; no grateful eyes
looked into his and conveyed the
thoughts of soul; no emblem, the
symbol of appreciation, from those he
helped to save, decked his breast, for
he was what the world terms 'un-
Known Had we sunk beneath the
waves the captains name would have
been flashed across this continent in
every dispatch; or had some passenger
reached shore you would have heard
of the heroic work of the captain and
how he went down at his post. But
who would have heard Of the unknown
man whom have just described? All,
yes, the news would probably go to
some little home, where a mother, a
wife or children, lit the candle in the
window at night and watched and
waited-to tell them that he would
never more be guided by that light,
for he was sleeping in the deep. He
was a private; the other was a gen.
eral. The general deserved every bit
OF praise that could be given to him,
and even more II such thing were
possible. but did not the exhausted
sailor-the private; the unknown-de-
serve some little mark of RECOGNITION?
l leave it to you.
Then it is the unknown soldier,
who held the line in that terrible con-
f1ct as long as there was life in his
body; the soldier who held convic-
tons deared than life; the men who
spurned the pleasures of the world to
defend principle; the men who made
1t possible for us to dwell beneath a
flag of honor, the most sacred heritage
OF a people; those men whose citizen
ship in this land entitled them to the
rank of king in any foreign coun-
try, who gave all this I'D and were
willing that posterity should know
them only as unknown, we honor to-
day. The entire nations hesitates and
pays the tribute; first, in honor of
Its heroes, and. secondly, to teach a
lesson-the price paid for principle
to another generation. In honoring
the unknown dead we learn to more
fully appreciate our responsibilities.
All over this land today-from the
great cities, where thousands of men
march In uniforms of blue or gray,
1t matter not, in honor of the dead, to
the little hamlet where there is but
one survivor, who makes his way alone
to the little cemetery to lay flower
on fellow-soldier's grave-the pray
er OF nation goes up for those who
fought in their country's cause. Our
unknown dead have no stone such
as commentaries those who fell at
Thermopylae. We have no similar in
scriptiOn- such as the one which COM
mands the stranger to go tell at Lace
daemen that he died in obedience to
her laws. 1t Is nowhere inscribed on
any stone on our battle fields; the
sentence is not written on the breast
OF any mountain, nor on any white
shaft pointing heavenward, and not
because we honor less; not because
their valor was not as great; not be-
cause the command is less important,
out because our message is too sa-
cred to trust to crumbling stone, or
even to the mountain which is subject
to destruction to fires beneath. and
the lightning from above may shatter
the white shaft. Their monument is
the lmperiShable splendor of our ma
uonal honor and its message of equal
Ny to all men and surfdom to none,
is tor no city, no country, but for the
world. and Americans will never for
get and never cease to honor the I'M
known dead of the Civil war, whether
tney sleep in garments of blue or gray,
until That monument has been de.
stroyed; not by human agency, for no
human agency can, but by the hand
OF God-if such a thing should be-"
Monument Decoration.
The decoration Of the monument.
another impressive feature of the davis
program, was then made Gen. w. H.
Brown made the decoration. The
quartet rendered another pleasing
number. while Miss Mercer recited a
second selection. Miss Mercer was
heartily greeted by the audience IN
her second effort, which was most
creditable.
Reverend Matthews. the orator of
the day, then followed. After his adj
dress there was another selection by
the band. benediction by Rev. w. w.
Moore and the sounding of taps.
After giving loving tribute to the
fidelity OF the old soldier, Reverend
Matthews, who is himself the son of
veteran. gave an address upon "Our
National Virtues He said in mart.
Rev. Mathews Address.
Again calling to mind the words of
Lincoln, -Four score and seven years
ago our fathers brought forth upon
tnls continent a new nation, conceived
IN liberty We are reminded that one
or our virtues as a nation is. and al
ways has been, a love Of liberty.
Elizabeth, James l. and Charles /.
sought to force our fathers to wor-
ship God against the dictates of their
own consciences. Our fathers felt
they must obey the voice of con-
science as the voice OF God, and SO
they sailed for this glorious land of
ours. When the long parliament met