Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-06-01
HONOR IS SHOWN
OTTUMW WAS DEAD
poPuLACE TURN OUT TO BESTOW
cAaLANps OF. FLOWERS ON
GRAVES OF DEPARTED.
DIR. JEFFREY SPOKE

able orator EioqueH.'J -
Soldier Of the Civil War ana
Told of Debt Country
owes Defenders.
1ncan address that teemed WIFI
eulogies for the brave men whose
memory was honored by grateiu
people throughout the land OF the
stars and stripes yesterday, ano
which discouraged criticism OF tht
motives that led men to take up arms
AGAINST their fellow citizen In the wal "a,
that had no parallel in history, Dr. !
w. jeffrey at the memorial service
held in the Ottumwa cemetery yestei
day afternoon discoursed in eloquehcee
upon the de. owed by the people u
the country to the men whose memoir
les we're being honored. The ADDRESS
was the feature of the service Whlcn
began upon the arrival of the parade
at the cemetery. Here upon Tue
marchers arriving at the soldiers. lot,
taDs were sounded and the mllltaiy
rites for the dead were given.
yolley fired by the guaTdsmen re-
yerberated throughout the peacetul
abode Of the cemetery and memories or
other fields were readily recalled ny
many of those present, whose years III
the warfare that brought union TO the
country witnessed many such volleys
fired some of which were over tne
dead in the burial rite Of the soldier
while many more were conslgnlns
companions to the sleep that has no
awakening here. Martial music by
the Fifty-fourth regiment band lent to
the solemniuy of the occasion by the
weird tones of dirges, while at other
times the airs played tended to aWak-
en- the spirit Of the days when youth
and patriotism threw itself willing
sac. .ce on the nations altar.
The graves of the departed Vetel,
ans were decorated by the scnool
children who had accumulated count
less bouquets ard garlands OF nature
foliage and flowers that the defenders
az the union might sleep beneath inc
f1ower-strewn mounds The program
at the platform erected for the occas-
ion was in charge of A. w. Enoch, as
president of the day, and the program
began by Rev. r. J. Locke oHerlns
prayer. Music by the band ana selec,
lions by quartet composed OF Edward
,eeks. F. L. Daggett, G. G. keyhoe
and w. c. Martin, were rendered pre-
ceding the address of the day by Ut.
Jeffrey who said:
Or. Jeffrey's Discourse.
Decoration Day Address. ;,
MI. Chairman. Members Of the Grand
Army OF the Republic, Sons OF vet
Grams. Ladies and Gentlemen:
One half of a century has shipped
away, leaving to us only its shaao",
shapes. since Fort Sumter was lireo
upon and thereby calling men TO arms
from sea to sea and from the DOMINION
to the Gulf. But honor does not age
as do comrades in arms and honor
does not die as do men who gave tnelf
all to, save the flag and the Union.
Therefore, the return of this day SENDS
thrill of patriotic fire to the heart OF
every lover of liberty It's observance
Is commemorative of the deeds OF
those brave men who fought the
ho1iest battles of human history. In
their honor are we met, knowing them
"a be the leaders of our noplest
achievements. With req HANS anu
over threshing-floors OF hre tney
threshed out the wheat that feeds this
generation The progress ana lDerty
we enjoy come as result OF 'heii
heroism.
We may be excused if, on an occas-
ion like this, we stop to enumerale
The blessings we enjoy because OF INC
heroisms and victories OF the men
whom we would honor. We Wouid De
unworthy their name and fame II we
were not stirred by the memory OF
their deeds. That they move us 10
larger patriotism is proof that they
have not lived and suffered IN vain: !
we hail the victories they won anu
nromise. in, the name of a greater
Republic and under the sacred folds
ST the flag they bequeathed to US Wlth'
mt the loss of a star, that we Will per
petuate them by a devotion 10 tne
principles for which they fought as un-
diving as their mightiest achievements.
Men Of Our Own Time.
We are not under the necessity OF
turning to the remote past Tor the
noblest examples of patriotic resolve
and heroic endeavor. These belong to
orr own history and were wrought out
nv men who are yet with us, and by
those whose graves we laurel this DAY.
These words we do not speak unad-
yisedly. II we were unacquainted with
the facts of history our words OF
eulogy would fall into meaningless
sound. They come with force only 10
those who know the paths which
humanity has trod and the battlenelds
left in the rear:
FOUGHT For Good Purpose.
Events far-reaching as mountain
shadows lie across the avenues by
which man came to his present degree
Of civilization. We hold in loving re-
membrance the men who lighted the
fires upon the SUBMITS reaching back
to the beginning. Our admiration for
some of the heroes of history is well
nigh bound1ess and those places which
became the scenes of their greatest
activities are almost sacred to US. We
know the fields where the Norsemen
broke their lances in the play OF
battle, and we hold the tombs of the
Vikings dear. We are familiar with the
of the great Caesar, who
ruled as no man since him has ruled
or will rule again. We know the con-