Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-06-04
Memorial Day Once More Observed.
OUR SOLDIER DEAD HoNoREp By SONG,
SPEECH AND FLORAL TRIBUTES.

In the midst of Memorial Day sun
less and gloomy as to skies, the rail
ceased long enough for the usual services
OF the day to 60 on here, though unde
rather hard conditions. The wreath ant
the flag were placed at every soldier
grave, and song and address testified th'
appreciation of the services rendered no
only by the dead but by the living.
At 9 O'Clock in the morning, after |
night of rain which still came down fast
it looked az If the ceremonies of decora
ton In the forenoon would be at leas
doubtful; but by 10 O'Clock the rain haC
stopped, and the line was formed for the
march to Riverside Cemetery.
Lumley Castle Band, OF twenty-foul
pieces, F. P. Knapp leader, headed thu
procession. The boys not only playec
for the forenoon services, but at the
exercises of the afternoon. Never have
they played better, and their work WA
the subject of much comment and con
graduation.
Following the band was delegation
of VIM. K. Kimball Post, G. A. R.-only
q haudful-and then members Of the
Boy Scouts and Boys and Girls Brig
AIDES and school children.
No exercises were held at the GENE
terry, the band playing while the graves
of comrades were decorated by the
veterans. The line then reformed and
marched back to the Square, and the
band and the veterans marched to
Moore Park, past the soldiers monu'
ment, and returned to Grand Army Hail.
A dinner was served there by the ladies
to the veterans, the band, and others.
W. S. Starbird presided at the after
noon exercises, which opened in New
Hall at 1:3O with music by the band.
Prayer was offered by Re-. A. T. Nc
Whorter, and Lincoln's Gettysburg ad.
dress was read by Miss Eva E. Walker.
Several appropriate selections were sung
during the exercises by the Schubert
Quartette, made up of Mrs. Wilson, Miss
Noble, Mrs. Smiley and Mrs. Burnham.
There were also readings by Miss Airline
Croker and Miss Nettie Newell, an
original poem by Mrs. Alice Elizabeth
Maxim addressed to VIM. K. Kimball
Post, read by Miss Croker, and the in
PRODUCTION to Beethoven's Twelfth
Sonata on the piano by Miss Winifred
Robinson of Hartford.
Mrs. Maxim's poem, read by Miss
Croker, was as follows:
MEMORIAL DAY, 1912.
TO KINBALL POST, G. AR.
From our home circles, one by one they are
Our cherished old soldiers who fought in the
"blue;"
And above earth's haze their grand columns are
Filled with the Souls of the tried and the true.
Their bodies of clay in the brown earth sleeping
Sense nothing Of the life above them to-day;
But their souls, forging on past the region Of
Feel our love and remembrance ascending al.
We honor their graves with crowns Of sweet
Lily o. the valley and pink apple. blows;
violets and MOSES from green woodland bowers,
And all the bright beauty our sweet May time
knows.
The comrades vet with US, LIES mountain still
With faces set calmly toward heaven above
We greet this spring day with speeches and
Heedful Of ~ the vsior we honor and love.
They fought. with the many brave comrades
arisen,
Shoulder to shoulder in the thick of the aght;-
Suffered with sickness, with wounds. and In
And never gave over their patriot.might.
And our town regards them in gratitude ever, -,
Approaching all their youthful endeavor
A true part to bear In the nations sore fray.
o may this memorial day be one Of many
Yet blessed with their presence In friendship
And the years long and happy, that pass ere any
Join the ranks Of the Great Grand Army
ALICE ELIZABETH MAXIM.
Comrade w. S. Robinson of Hartford
was then introduced to give the address
of the day. Mr.. Robinson is soldier
who saw long service, wounds and i'm.
prisonment in the civil war, and he is no
stranger to the people here, to whom he
has before spoken on Memorial occa-
sions. He spoke about three-quarters OF
an hour. His address was somewhat
rambling, as 1t mingled personal ex-
periences, counsel to the youth before
him, and flashes of philosophy, with bits
of eloquence which would grace any
platform. HIS said in part:
Those comrades whose graves it Is
our privilege to decorate to-day need no
eulogy from US. Nor is any granite
memorial needed. When granite and
even more enduring bronze have
crumbled into dust, that which they did
will stand as their monument. They
were never beaten in the history OF the
world for their valorous deeds, and they
never will be.
The animosities and bitternesses en-
gendered by the strife, when every man
was inspired with the desire to slay bis
enemy, are disappearing, as they should.
The Blue and the Gray are coming
nearer, and up yonder they will join
hand in hand and sing together Nearer,
my God, to Thee"
What a Titanic struggle-the greatest
the world has ever seen! Two million
men in the Union army alone. II that
two million men should march through
this public square, four abreast and
ranks fOur feet apart. travelling twenty