The Sauk Centre herald., 1911-06-01
Decorations Placed on Graves
of the Dead
TRIBUTE TO DEPARTED
Observance of Memorial Day in
Sauk Centre With Usual Ap-
prOpridte Ceremonies

Memorial Day in Sauk Centre In
1911 was rainy day, but it did not
interfere with the proper observance
of the occasion. Heavy rain fell DUR
ing the preceding night, and there
were showers, both light and heavy,
during the forenoon. At noon the
skies cleared up and the afternoon
was bright.
Notwithstanding the rain, the old
soldiers, the members of the Relief
Corps, the firemen, the band and the
flower girls appeared and took part
i'm the procession from the G. A. r.
hall to the cemetery the same as
though the weather was bright. The
veterans, the women and the girls
were provided with vehicles in which
to journey to the cemetery.
The day seemed to be more general
ly observed as holy day than ever
before Business houses closed from
a. m. till noon, and from 2 to 4 p.
m. People quite generally abstained
from making merry. This general
recognition of the day as a sacred day
in the history of the nation, is re-
garded as auguring well for the re-
public and is especially pleasing to
the griZzled veterans.
At 2:30 p. m., at the Grand Opera
House, occurred the formal exercises
of the day. The seating capacity Of
the house was taxed. The front of
the stage had been prettily decorated
with bunting, flags and flowers, while
the national colors appeared at other
vantage points.
The program, all home talent, was
a good one and thoroughly enjoyed
by all. The opening number was a
selection, well rendered, by the Sauk
Centre Band Comrade Jas. A. Nor
ris of B. R. Palmer Post, presided.
Rev. Osborne offered the invocation.
A mixed chorus composed of Mes
DANES Nelson and Schleusener, SO
pranos; Mrs. E. E. Compton and Miss
Florence Compton,, altos; Rev. S. L..
Mitchell and T. w. Mann, tenors;
with four members of the boys choir
of the Church of the Good Samaritan,
rendered three fine vocal selections at
intervals on the program. Pupils
from the second, fourth and sixth
grades Of the public schools furnished
three numbers. The second grade
boys and girls sang and gave a skip
ping dance; the fourth grade sang, as
did the sixth. All made good ap-
pearance and elected well merited ap-
place. Mrs. C. G. Tobey delivered
Lincoln's Gettysburg speech in man.
ner that brought out the force of
that matchless classic of American
patriotism.
There were two addresses, one by
Rev. j. II B. Smith and the other by
Rev. S. L. Mitchell. Mr.. Smith said
that the eyes of European nations are
on America to set the pace for civiliz-
alton and in patriotic effort. He
noted President Taft's proposed peace
pact to illustrate his point. The
speaker emphasized sacrifice, referring
to what the veterans of the Civil war
had done and turning from that to
Christ's sacrifice for man. Memorial
Day. he held, should be holy day.
set aside TO honor those who died that
the Nation might live. He also
thought that the living should re-
ceiye some honor: flowers, instead of
all being heaped upon the grave
should be handed out to man while
he still lives. He considered it of i'm
portance to teach the young to honor
the old soldier and to inculcate in the
youthful mind lofty principles of pa
triotism. He l Sc d by reading
Robert G. Ingersoll,s tribute to the