The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-05-31

Fully 10000 people saw the Memorial Day parade in this city yesterday af- ternoou- The throng which lined the streets and gathered at Seaside Park to see Old Veterans and school boys march with the militia and semi-mil1- Etary organizations was the largest in sands always turn out to see the pa rade but this year the crowd was aug mented by those who have gone to tSteeplechase Island or other amuse- ment places This year the island was closed and there were few attrac- lions to draw the crowds from the Ecelebration for which the day was really set aside as a holiday.
 The old veterans made a splendid appearance. About 50 of them marched and kept step with the martial music while those who were too infirm to parade rode; in carriages. Neverthe- less there were half a dozen or more old veterans who rode prancing horses and seemed as young as ever they did.
 But the real attraction of the pa rade was the school boys. There were about 500 of them in line and this year they were marching for a prize of $50 which is to be divided three ways One for the most correct attitude, one for correctness of step and silence in the ranks, and the third for the com pany making the best evolutions. The judges were Judge A. B. Beers repre- senting the G. A. R., Lieut.. F. A. Bartlett representing the Sons of, Vet erans and the third was Lieut.. Dana P August of the Eleventh Company of Coast artillery. The judges re- served their decision.
 The boys did not know there was to be a prize until about three days ago and it is going to be hard to award a prize because of the unequal representation of the schools. Next year the schools competing will be re- quired to turn out certain per cent. of the boys in attendance.
 The 500 boys had a chance to see the parade this year and to be review ed by the mayor and other city offl- cials The officials reviewed the pa rade from stand on the Broad street side of the city hall green soon after the procession started. At the close of the ceremonies at the Soldiers and Sailors monument at the park the school boy battalions left the. park first and in Broad street near Atlantic street they were halted ana gwen chance to see the rest of the parade.
 The schools did not march in num- erical order this year as in the past. : Waltersville school which has a band of its own was last in the line last year but it was given the right Of line this year and had over a hundred boys in line besides it's big band and drum and fife corps. Supt. c. w. Deane placed the numbers of the rest of the schools in a hat and they were placed in line in the manner the numbers were drawn from the hat. This made Grand street which is school No. come last in the line
 The desire of about every other youngster in town to march with the waltersville band was defeated this year by fencing off the band with a huge piece of bunting. This was carried by boys who formed huge square about the band and prevented the outsiders from breaking into the ranks and asking for chance to beat the base drum or to try to blow the bass horn.
 The Waltersivlle marchers could be distinguished from the others by blue sasheS which they wore with white letters upon it bearing the name or the school. Not to be outdone the Lin- coin school soldiers had red sashes with black letters upon it. Barnum school had the marchers decorated with white stripes and braid epaulets. {. Lincoln school had double drum scorps in line which played spiendldly iand made almost as much noise as the band Barnum school sprang little surprise this year and also had . drum corps in line. They were the smallest musicians in the parade be- sides being the fewest in numbers. But they made a lot of noise and their
 dfers were great.
 The cops never looked better. It was their annual Spring parade and the city has good reason to be proud of them. No city in New England has a force than can make a better showing They marched like West Point cadets. There were five com- panies- of them in command of Supt. Birmingham who was mounted upon a handsome black charger. The com- panies were in command of Capt. Will liam H. Anderson, Capt. John H. Red gate Sergeant Frederick c. Webb. Ser ceant Charles Suckley, Sergeant Carrie Sanger and Sergeant George Coley. 4 provisional battalion of the coast artillery in command of Capt. George