Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-06-02
Memorial Day Exercises
Successfully Carried Out. !.
Usual Service Of Decoration
o. Graves BY Comrades.
$plesdil Address In Evening BY
!. Guild Of Bath.

churches for worship in the Old South
Congregational church Sunday evening.
of which notice has been taken in these
columns. It seemed as If the entire
town was astir by 8 o'clock in the
morning and on the sidewalks waiting
for the procession to move. Everything
was done decently and in order.
Promptly at 9.l5 o'clock the parade was
ready for the march, starting from City
hall and following the route. down
Second street to Academy; down
Academy to Water thence to the GEM
etery, in the following order:
Hallowell police. C. A. Brown mar
shall; aids; Dennis Band of Augusta,
Gen. Tilden Camp. S. Of ". John F..
Hubbard Post, No 20. G. A. r.. ex-
soldiers and sailors, disabled soldiers
in carriages, carriage with flowers.
members Of the city government in
carriages, clergy in carriages, citizens
in carriages.
Al the cemetery the people number
ing at fair estimate about 900. stood
or sat as far as could be provided for,
and gave attention to the program as
carried out. There was music by Den
MIS- Band of Augusta. which was foi-
lowed by the reading Of General Or
ders by Adjutant D. c. Nye. In clear
and distinct voice which could ne
heard by the entire assemblage. Mayor
d. G.. Skillin made brief but very APP
propriate remarks in part as follows:
1--WE are met today to decorate again
the graves of the brave sons of Halo
well who served in the ranks in that
great struggle of 81 and 20.
IN the time that has passed the bit
terness of the struggle has passed
away. We now treasure the bravery
and the valor of both sides in that con-
troversy.
1.-THE contending forces of now half
century ago have given place t" a
new North and new South, and to a
more enduring union in whose glorious
destiny we equally and gratefully
share.
an closing these brief remarks
cannot better express by thoughts than
nv using those beautiful words of
Iongfellow in his tribute to the ma
tons dead.
'Sleep comrades. sleep and rest
On this field of the grounded arms.
Where foes no more modest.
Nor sentrys shot alarms.
'Ye have slept on the ground before.
And started to your feet
At the lannon's sudden roar.
Or the drums rebuilding beat.
But in this camp of death
No sound your slumber breaks:
Here is no fevered breath.
hot
'All is repose and peace.
l-ntrampled lies the sod:
The shouts of battle cease,
1t is the truce of God.
Rest. comrades. rest and Sleep
The thoughts nf men shall be
As sentinels to keep
Your rest from danger free.
Your silent tents of green
We deck with fragrant flowers
Yours has the suffering been.
The memory shall be ours
Rev. r. f. Turner offered a fervent
and very beautiful prayer, after which
the citizens joined with the veterans
and the Sons of Veterans. and the Wo-
mems Relief Corps. State and nation
al. in placing flowers upon the graves
Of the departed comrades. This over.
the procession reformed and marched
via Of Second street to the City hail
and We're dismissed.
In the evening City hall was the
scene of en- attentive audience to tai.
part in the closing hours of the day.
The music on this occasion was by the
Orpheus Quartet of this city. consis- :
ing of G. W. Alexander. first tenor: J.
a. Snare. second tenor: W. j. Run
nells first bass. and r. c. Pearce sec
"nd bass. They gave "Tenting On the
Old Camp Ground Memorials Hymn.
by Kratz. and closed With America. =
the audience joining. Hon. Mayor y.
c. Skillin presided at the evening ex-
ercises: Rev. II. l.. Nichols made the
opening prayer and Rev. J. W. Steele
pronounced the benedicton. G. X.
Tiiden read "Lincolns Gettysburg Ad-
dress in most beautifully touching,
manner. The chief feature of the
evening was the Grafton by W. a.
Guild of Bath. who said in part:
since | have arrived at the years of
manhood it has been one of my fondest
desires to. i'm some public place. registe:
my gratitude to the soldiery who 81
valiantly and faithfully prevented this
country from being wrecked. re-
gard 1t as an honor to have been in .
vited by your Post to be your speaker
this evening"
Then attention was called to the day
and the need of observing such a
beautiful custom as has been estab-
liShed.
Mr.. Guild pictured the scenes. sur
roundings and customs OF the city 50
years ago. He recounted the patriot
ism shown by the men Of Maine noting
that this was one of the very few
states that lost in population in the
years from go to 20 saying that this
was the best indication of the LOYALTY
OF the State to the Union
He recounted the reunion of tho
Veterans held in Boston a few yea,s
ago and the deep impression it made
upon him and drew a comparison O,
the review of the Army of the Potomac
which his father witnessed in Wash
ington at the close of the war;
Then followed a comparison Of the
standing of this Nation among the Ma :