East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-05-30
PendIeton Recognizes Deco
ration Day With Fitting
Observances.
ALMOST WHOLE CITY
PRESENT AT EXERCISES
Memorial Day More Generally OBJ
served i'm City Than for Many Years
Graves of Dead are Strewn With
FlOwers-Parade Leads Crowd to
Olney Cemetery Where Tribute Is
Paid Dead Soldiers-Stores Close
During Day.

q general observance of memorial or
decoration day in Pendleton. Busi-
ness houses are closed, graves have
been decorated and several hundred
citizens participated in the exercises
at the cemetery this forenoon.
Never has Olney cemetery present.
ed such an appearance as 1t did this
morning. The grassy plots had been
cleaned of debris, the streets and
roadways nicely graded and the city
Of the living had been stripped of its
garlands to decorate the resting places
OF Pendleton's dead. The decorating
Of the graves was started yesterday
and from early this morning until
the procession arrived at the ceme-
terry, the work was continued.
May 80 was first set aside by the
government as time for paying trib-
ute to those who gave up their lives
for the union during the great civil
conflict 1t has long since, however,
attained countrywide magnitude un-
til almost every cemetery in the
country, no matter how isolated or
forgotten during the remainder of the
year has been visited by some per-
sons and tribute paid to the one hav-
ing his or her resting place there.
Though the members Of the Grand
Army of the Republic hold the center
Of the stage on this occasion, the
graves of the departed veterans are
not the only ones visited or trimmed
with care. Almost every person in
the country has paid a tribute to
some departed friend or relative
some with floral displays costing hun
dreds, even thousands Of dollars
while others have been remembered
perhaps only by children who have
picked wild flowers in the open fields.
In Pendleton the day has been OBJ
served in much the same manner as
on former occasions, only more gen.
orally. The annual memorial SER
mon was preached at the First Bap-
tist church yesterday morning by Rev.
Ralph E. Storey and the edifce was
crowded to the doors with an atten-
tive audience, consisting for the most
part of the members of the G. A. r.
and their friends.
This morning at Q o'clock, members
of the different lodge organizations
ana lHe CltlLeuShip III Seheidi hiSt ct
the court house with the soldiers Of
two wars. and those who have not yet
seen any war and proceeded to the
cemetery Sheriff T. D. Taylor as
grand marshal of the day rode at the
head of the procession. He was as
sisted by Captain M. S. Kern. They
were followed by the drum corps and
then came the members Of Co. l., be-
hind whom marched the members OF
Malabon camp Of the Spanish-Am-
erican war veterans.
Then came the veterans of the civil
war, but instead Of plodding down the
hot street as on former occasions,
they were conveyed in automobiles.
Lodge organizations and citizens in all
walks of life in autos and carriages
brought up the rear.
The line of march was from College
street down Court to Main, up Main
to Alta. out Alta to Chestnut, thence
to Webb and out Webb to he ceme-
terry.
The ceremonies at the cemetery
were brief but very impressive. I'M
mediately upon their arrival at the
cemetery the members of Co. L took
charge of the work of decorating the
graves of the old soldiers which had
been marked with flags the day be-
fore. This completed. assembly was
sounded and all gathered at the G. A.
r. plot where Captain Charles j. Fer
guson delivered an address which
won for him the congratulations of all
those who heard 1t. Neither long nor
tedious but beautiful in sentiment and
well delivered, his remarks aroused
a feeling of reverence for the dead In
the breasts Of all who heard them.
The firing squad then fired the
three volleys, taps were sounded and
the exercises were at an end.
Through a misunderstanding of ar
rangements there were more people
and rigs at the cemetery when the
procession arrived than marched out
This will be avoided next year. The
committee on arrangements desires
to thank the women Of the civic club
for their cooperation and also the
owners of automobiles who so kindly
donated the use Of their machines.
They only regret that more Of those
who promised their machines did not
make good so that all who gathered