Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-06-01
.HON0RS PAID TO
AGED SURVIVORS
OF CIVIL STRIFE
VETERANS IN BLUE GATHER AT
AUDITORIUM
PATRIOTIC ORGANIZATIONS ALSO
PAY HOMAGE
Hon. Webster Davis In Eloquent Ian.
guage Offers Old Soldiers Trb-
ute for Their VaIorous
Deeds in War

| q ELDOM if ever before, has the
n big auditorium which faces Cen
~ trail park presented a more inspir-
| ing scene than yesterday afternoon,
when Grand Army veterans, Sons of
Veterans and members of the Woman's
Relief corps met to celebrate Memorial
! day.
With American flags only as decora-
tions, the simplicity of the scene ap-
| pealed rather to the patriotic impulse
/ than to any idea of an artistic color
! scheme. Flags were used in such pro-
! fusion that the Stars and Stripes greet
ed the eye no matter in which direc-
tion the gaze 'was directed.
! Beneath these banners sat $50 patri-
otic men who nearly half a century
ago followed the flag which now de-
pended gracefully from the balcony
and galleries, having them tented, as 1t
We're, in it's graceful folds.
! What gave additional inspiration to
| the scene were the faces of the grim
old warriors, flanked on both sides and
! in the rear by the Women's Relief
| corps uniformed in white dresses. Re
! sponsiVe to every thrill as 1t burst
| forth in patriotic fervor and tumultu-
Gus applause these old men colored to
the roots of their gray hair and their
| eyes grew moist, as in this timid
! blushing manner they acknowledged
the tributes and received the merted
encomiums of a succeeding generation.
Tears Steal Down Cheeks
During a speech, notable for it's in
| tense patriotism, but more so on ac-
count of its defense of the rights of
the aged soldiers, which was delivered
by Hon. Webster Davis, former assist
ant secretary of the interior many of
the veterans wept and at times there
was hardly a face in the vast audience
that was not lighted with the CLEAN of
tear as it stole it's way down some
furrowed or dimpled cheek, for there
were young as well as old in the audi
ence.
Poet never sang more beautifully the
! praises of a nation or nodded into he
roic lyrics the story of a great worlds
| tragedy more eloquently than did Mr..
Davis picture the service these vet
Grams had given their country. The
most eloquent and telling periods of his
! speech were directly due to the inspira-
| ton of the moment and do not appear
in the prepared manuscript at all. The
! speaker actually got his theme from
the upturned faces of the hundreds of
veterans. 1t was a spectacle which in
its far-reaching ramifications, its color
and scope and tone almost beggars de-
| scription.
Perhaps Of all the features of Memo
| rial day the exercises at the Audito-
rum exceeded in magnitude and gem
eral public attention. The more tender
and dutiful service to the dead of deco
rating the graves with flowers, those
! at Rosedale cemetery, at the soldiers
| home at Sawtelle and elsewhere was
performed as religiously as custom and
devotion to principle have fashioned
any human course.
Graves Entombed in Flowers
| The graves which entomb the hon
| ored dead were themselves entombed
| I'm flowers. Flags were placed on the
| graves by Union veterans and follow
| ing them softer hands, those that
| rocked cradles while sturdier and
harder ones handled musket. sword
| and cannon scattered flowers above the
| sleeping heroes.
! Never before has there been a more
! generous Outpourng of devotion, love
and tender care for the aged soldier,
! living or dead, than l have witnessed
| today said a gray haired veteran
after he had emerged from the audi
torium. And he expressed the unani-
| nous opinion of all the old guard.
| The veterans marched into the audi
! torium by posts. the Women's Relief
corps followed the post to which they
| are attached. The veterans occupied
the center seats on the first floor The
women were "deployed,' as a veteran
expressed it, to right and left. occu-
! pying positions in the rear. This man
ner of seating them presented a pret-
ty picture.
Promptly at 2 o'clock the veterans
drum and fife corps, led by Comrade
c. H. Hazeldine, sounded assembly
Thomas P. Lyon. grand marshal pre-
sented Captain Newton c. Whims
president of the day, who presided
Captain o. n. Thomas sounded the as
sembly bugle call and then Lucille
| Mayne Windsor sang "Our Starry
| Flag" The invocation was offered by
Rev. Will A. Knighten, himself a COM
rade Tho veteran drum corps orches-
ira, under the leadership of Comrade
G. w Wolfe rendered 1.-THE Vacant
Chair"
Incident Is Pathetic
A pathetic but impressive feature of
the program was when the eighth num-
ber was reached, this being assigned
died. He was to Lave sung the BAT
tie Hymn of the Republic"
Captain Whims, referring tenderly to
the comrade who had passed away,
asked the audience to stand i'm silence
couple of minutes in honor of his
standing while Prof. j. B. Pouliu sang
the "Star Spangled BanDer." the au-
dence joining in the refrain.
Colonel Allensworth, a Colored vet
eran. read Lincoln's Gettysburg speech
very effectively, and was followed by
tenor solo. "Beloved Columbia" by
Prof John Haae Zinck.
After listening to the orator of the
day, Mr. Davis, and singing america"
and God Be with You Till We Meet
Again." the audience disnersed.
Mr.. Davis said in part
Commander and Veterans: You were
called on to take part In the most ter
rible war of the nineteenth century.
There have been wars of longer dura-
tion but none more terrible than that
war OF neighbor against neighbor.
brother against brother and father
against son. For four long years the
echo of the pickets' rifles did not
Cease.
The total number Of men comprising
the Union forces, in army and navy,
during the civil War aggregated g.
O00N)O There were more than 100 land
battles in which side the other
lost more than 500 men. At Gettys-
burg alone more than 10000 Americans
(ContiDued nm Pare Eighty