Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1909-06-05
MEMORIAL DAY EXERCISES.
Soldiers Graves Decorated-Tribute to
Governor LilIey-Proaramme at the
Town Hall.

A large number of towns people at
tended the Memorial day exercises on
Monday. Three large decorated wag-
ons transported the children from the
schools in the north and south parts of
the town and from Meeting House Hill.
The cemeteries in Gagertown and
Portipaug were visited in the morning
by neighboring schools. The children
decorated the graves in each under the
leadership of veterans and members of
the school board.
At noon public exercises were held
at the town hall and were so largely
attended that many people could not
get into the hall. The following pro-
gramme was carried out under the
general direction of F. s. Armstrong
chairman of the school board: Salute
of the Flag; song. Star Spansled Ban
ner; words of welcome; recitation,
Decoration Day, Alice Lille; recitation,
The Black Blue and Gray, James Muir
ply; recitation, Our Heroes, Helen
Georgia; recitation, Bugle Song, Harry
Richmond; recitation. Where Are They?
John Frink; recitation. Our Flag, Flor
ence and Frank lockwood: recitation.
Nellie and Edward Taylor; song, Rally
Round the Flag, Boys; recitation, In
One Grave. Eleanor Beckwith; recita-
ton, His Choice. George Beckwith;
Armstrong; recitation, A Soldiers Let
ter, Miss Ethel Stewart.
Address by Rev. z. J. Ayers.
Rev. E. ]. Ayers delivered an address
on the Civil war which was full of in
terest. Many facts of personal expert
ence exhibited on side of the war not
portrayed in historical records. The
speaker said that the United States
was counted among the great powers
of the world, since the Civil war-as IT
had not been before-because this
great conflict showed the world the
kind of stuff Americans were made of
| A strong plea was made for the general
| befriending of the colored man. While
| slavery was wrong, ii had not de-
| graded the colored man, but had rather
elevated him, for it took him from his
savage life and put him under the
| civilizing influences Of American
homes. The franchise should be limit
| ed not only among colored men but
among whites as well, so that our gov
| eminent may not be run in the interest
of the politician but run by intelligent
honest men in the interest of all.
At the Cemetery.
| After the exercises in the town hal
public exercises were held at the
Franklin cemetery, at which addresse:
| were made by F. S. Armstrong ano
| w. ]. Cox and a poem was recited by
| Henry Bellows. The decoration of tht
/ graves was followed by the reciting Of
.Lincoln's Gettysburg speech by all the
| children In unison. AS the ~~ocessior
marched out of the cemetery flags were
| carried at half mast in honor of Gov.
ernor Lilley.
COLLATION. on the Lawn.
The collation. included beans meats
sandwiches, cake and Ice cream an(
| was served on the lawn behind th'
church.
The ladies were very successful il
| their arrangements and with the gen.
tlemen of the committee received abun
dant praise and generous thanks.
A vote of thanks 10 all who had con
tributed to the success of the exercises
was passed and the following commit
tee was elected for next year: Theo
dore E. Smith, F. S. Armstrong. Viii
liam Frink, Leander Brown, Henri,
Bellows, c. H. Robinson, A. t. Brown
ing, H. A. Beadle. w. J. Cox, F. K
Kingsley, Edward Howard