The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-06-01
.|DEA AL CONDITIONS
PREVAILED ON
MEMORIAL DAY
One Of the Largest Gatherings in
Years Attended Exercises
GRAFTON BY REV. ]. C. MITCHELL
Usual Program Carried Out at Sol
dlers Home and at North Ben
nington Cemetery.

Favored by warm, pleasant wealth
er, the observance of Memorial day
Monday brought out one of the larg-
est crowds that ever attended the ex-
ercises in Bennington. Despite ad-
vancing age and thinning ranks the
veterans turned ont in good numbers
an dthe grave of every soldier in
town was decorated and. marked with
national flags.
The streets were well filed all day
and the trolley cars brought in
scores from surrounding towns, in
Guiding Hoosick Falls, North Adams
and Pittsfleld, who took advantage Of
the holiday to enjoy pleasant ride
through the Berkshires while more
guests than usual visited at the
home of some friends or relatives in
town.
Some OF the stores and business
places were open until noon, but
those that remained open later than
one o'clock, except the ice cream par
lors, did but little business. The fac
tories were closed all day and nearly
everyone was given an opportunity
TO properly observe the day. The
evening dances were we'll attended,
and the Bennington opera house had
a big opening day, the house being
we'll filed for both the afternoon and
evening shows.
The day was observed here in ac
cordahce with the general plan
Which has been in effect for many
years. Theomenibers of George' a.
Custer-6th Corps Post assembled at
the ppst rooms atil1 o'clock for dim
ne:3. se.5a3a8s 3H .aal
At one o'clock the parade formed !
opposite the school building ons
School street and advanced over
School street to Main, west over
Main street, north over North street
to the Vermont Soiedsr home grounds
where the exercises were held. The
parade was composed of the local
nnlice department, chief marshal and
aids, Boy Scouts OF America, the
Bennington city band. camp fire
girls, Taft Commandery, Knights
Templar, Capt. Frank Ray Camp,
Sens of Veterans, Spanish-American
war veterans, George A. Custer.6th
Corps Post, and many children of the
graded school. Members of w. K. C.
the orator, president Of the day,
clergy and invited guests were in
carriages.
Upon entering the grounds of the
home the parade first formed in
hollow square at the home cemetery
where the service of the grand army
was held with the address by the
commander, A. M. Downs and prayer
by the chaplin, e, p. Hathaway.
Lincoln's Gettysburgh address was
read by Nathan Madison. Prayer
was offered by Rev. Isaac
Jennings of Old Bennington. The
services for the unknown dead were
conducted by the W. r. c., and the
decorating of the graves of veterans
by inmates OF the soldiers home.
There was hymn and taps by the
band
The president of the day was
Philip I. Fl. Pierson and the orator,
Rev. j. c. Mitchell of White Creek.
One of the features of the exer-
cises at the home was the reading
by Edward Donnelly of New York of
James Whitcomb Riley's poem Dec
Grafton Day" Benediction was Civ
en- by Rev. p. l.. Dow
At the conclusion of the exercises
at the home, the ceremonies were
continued at the North Bennington
cemetery with the address by Rev. c.
w. Turner, exercises by the school
children and music by the Benning-
ton city band.
The trip was made this year by
trolley instead of by train as has
been the custom in previous years.
There were four special cars which
made the trip. The memorial day
committee consisted of e. P. Hatha-
way, Eli Briggs, j. d. Curtis, S. T.
Chamberlain, Alonao Bent and Henry
I. Cushman.