Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1912-06-05
HONOR NATIONS DEAD
Annual Memorial Day Observance in
Decorah is Particularly Impressive.
One Of the Most Beautiful Process.
siOns Ever Seen in DecOrah Is
Witnessed by Large
Crowd.

The annual observance Of Memoir
ial Day in Decorah last Thursday
was particularly impressive and was
witnessed by large crowd Of citi-
zens The stores and shops for the
most part closed for the day, and the
citizens generally turned out to as
sist in paying tribute to the nation s
heroes, while quite a number came
in from the adjacent country. The
city was beautifully decorated with
flags and bunting, and patriotism
and reverence were the watchwords
of the day.
At ten o'clock the procession
formed on h-ain street, in front Of
the court house. Officer c. o. Maltby
rode at the head, and then came that
wonderful Luther College Band Of
one hundred and ten pieces, playing
sweet strains Of harmony under the
direction Of Prof. Sperati; behind
taem marched the battle-scarred
old veterans. enfeebled with age. yet
determined to march once again be-
hind the old stars and stripes which
they had so bravely defended; then
the ladies of the Woman's Relief
Corps; flower girls, the speakers
carriage; tle Decorah Fire Depart
ment: the Decorah Merchants Band;
a long. line of school children. about
five hundred; four young ladies on
horseback; the Ladies of the G. A.
r. and citizens in autos. AS the
procession moved to Water street
and marched its length to the con-
crete bridge 1t was a beautiful and
impressive sight, fitting tribute to
the veterans in whose honor it was
given, and q lesson in patriotism and
discipline to the children who par
ticipated with them.
A large crowd gathered at the
concrete bridge, where the service
In memory Of the naval heroes was
augmented with q special Offering Of
remembrance to those who recently
lost their lives on the Titanic Supt.
Eva M. Fleming of the city schools,
in a brief but touching and eloquent
address, lowered beautiful ship of
flowers to the waters, which floated
away toward the Mississippi and the
sea, Decorah's Offering to the lives
which were sacrificed in the greatest
ocean disaster in history.
The procession then countermarch-
ed and returned to the Grand opera
house, where the Memorial Day pro-
gram was listened to by an audience
that packed the theatre. The pro-
gram was opened with music by the
male quartette, reading OF the Mem
orial Day Orders by Commander l..
L. Caldwell, and calling the roll of
the deceased members of Colonel
Hughes Post, G. A. r., Lincoln's
Gettysburg address, we'll render
ed vocal solo by Miss nellie Jewell.
and the Memorial Day address by
Attorney E. r. Acres. The address
was one of the best heard here in
years. and was given the closest at
tention. Without attempt at oratory.
Mr.. Acres told the old veterans and
the citizens the lessons Of patriotism,
and described visits to the great bat
tie fields Of the civil war 80 vividly
that the veterans were brought
back in memory to the scenes Of fifty
years ago. 1t was splendid ad-
dress. and was closed with the audi
ence singing America" and the
benediction.
After the program. dinner was
served by the Woman's Relief Corps
In the Post Rooms and the Ladies'
0f the g. A. r.. IN tho Yeomen hall.
followed by patriotic programs. and
In the afternoon committees visited
the various cemeteries and decorated
the graves OF the deceased soldiers.
In the evening the Decorah Mer-
chants Band, B. o. Marsh directing.