Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-06-01
Five Thousand Attend Solemn Com
memorstive Service at the
Auditorium.
OLD SONG STIRS VETERANS
Jump to Feet to Ring of Marching
Through Georgia"
TABLEAUx NOVELTY OF PROGRAM
Sleeping Veterans Guard Staged
Before Audience,
DIR. DAVIDSON ORATOR OF DAY
''HOu Taught us How to Live and
How to Die" Says Speaker 20 Men
of Civil War Before Him
Spanish War Men.
DIR. DAVIDSON ORATOR OF DAY

With a solemn dirge by the regular army
band played to 5000 auditors, the closing
exercises of Memorial day for 1909 began
at the Auditorium yesterday afternoon.
There followed service impressive
throughout.
The Auditorium was prettily decorated
with flags and bunting. on the stage,
set apart for the special ritual exercises,
was the unknown grave" with a marble
monument marking II. over the proscenlum
arch was a grouping Of flags with the
monogram of the 90. A. r. and U. s. w.
"" surrounded with a cluster of flags,
Immediately in front OF the stage was a
supplementary platform from which the
speaking too place. The balconies were
also draped with flags and bunting and
raisde seats were provided on each side
Of the main floor for the veterans auxili-
ary societies.
The Ladies' Of the Grand Army occupied
position at the left side Of the main
floor and the woman's Relief corps at the
right side. The school children, under
charge of Miss Fannie Arnold, who led
in the singing exercises, were situated on
the main stage. as were the members OF
the woman's Relief corps and United
Spanish War Veterans who were to take
part in the ritual ceremonies Of the orders.
BrigadIer General Charles Morton and
the officers of the regular army sat at
the left of the supplemental stage and
the sixteenth United States infantry band
at the right.
Roll of Dend Is Called.
The services opened with the dirge DE
parted Days" by the Sixteenth Infantry
band. under the leadership of Chief Must
clan Ernest c. Fisher Captain John A.
Dempster, commander of Grant post Grand
Army of the Republic, was master OF
ceremonies and announced the program.
The reading of the orders was by s. B.
Jones as adjutant, who also called. the
roll of the twenty three veteran dead, who
departed this life In Omaha since last
Memorial day. The salute to the dead was
observed by all the old comrades standing
with heads uncovered.
The Young Mems Christian Association
Glee club under the leadership OF Lee @.
Kratz then sang the Memorial Song"
with impressive effect. following which
Captain Dempster delivered a short ad-
dress OF welcome to the assembled veterans
sang my Redeemer," with Miss Amanda
Tebbins as piano accompanist.
Rev. T. J. Mackay preceded the reading
Of Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, by CIV
ing Colonel Carletons description of the
occasion of which he was witness. 1t
made most impressive preface TO Lin
coins immortal words. The entire audience
arose and remained standing during the
reading of the address.
Following another selection by the Six
teenth infantry band, Miss Amanda Teb-
bins sang The Lord is My Light" The
ritual service of the Grand Army was then
carried out on the supplementary platform.
Il. A. Parmelee acted as commander,
Thomas Hull as officer of the day, E. w.
Johnson as senior vice commander. A. N.
Yost as Junior vice commander, 8. b. Jones
as adjutant and Rev. J. H. Brooks as
chaplain.
Lively Air by school Children.
Chief Musician Ernest G. Fisher Of the
Sixteenth infantry band then sounded
taps on the bugle, which was followed with
the song, when Johnny Comes Marching
Home Again" by the 200 school children
under Miss Arnold's leadership. For an en-
core they sang THE Graves Where Heroes
Sleep"
The ritual service by the Women Relief
corps was next under the direction of Mrs.
J. c. Reed. president OF Crook corps as
sisted by the officers of the other corps.
The ceremony was preceded by a march
and distribution OF flowers by twelve little
boys and twelve little girls. The little girls
dropped their bouquets on the Unknown
Grave" and as each girl did so a boy
dropped his flag over the tomb. Nearer,
Ny God, to Thee" was now sung, followed
with Marching Through Georgia." when
the Relief corps had completed Its wreath
ing the monument o fthe "Unkown grave"
The gray haired veterans could not re-
press the impulse to Join in the old chorus
so familiar TO them, and they rose to their
feet and Joined in the song.
A beautiful tableau was produced at tho
close Of the Relief corps exercises. A large
flag at the rear OF the stage was raised,
disclosing a tent in which an old gray
whskered veteran was lying on a cot
asleep. Al each side of the open tent was
asoldier on guard, one a veteran OF the
civil war in the uniform OF that period of
nearly half century ago. and the other
a Spanish-AmericAn war veteran uniformed
in khaki with the accoutrements of this
later time.
AS the flag rose revealing tho tableau
Miss Edna NJ. Bruning and Mr.. Alfred Z.
T.iompason sang sweety Dear Mother
land" with Miss Tebbins as acoompanist.
Younger Soldiers Are Praised.
This closed the Grand Army part Of the
program and next In order was the ritual
service Of the United Spanish War Veter-
ans. In announcing this part OF the pro-
gram Chairman Dempster paid a merrited
tribute to the valor and patriotism Of the
younger soldiers. saying that they were
worthy sons Of worthy sires, and that the
veterans Of 6l-65 were realizing that this
ceremony of memorial observance would
soon have TO pass to younger hands and
that the young veterans represented here
and participating in the days ceremonies
were the logical Ones 70 take up this work.