The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-05-29
WILL DEVOTE DAY
TO MEMORY OF
PATRIOT DEAD
Annual Memorial Exercises at
Soldiers Home Grounds
ORATOR REV. G. W. TOWART
Members of Local Post and w. r. c.
Will Carry Out the Usual
Program.


Fourth Of July trimming on Memoir
ial Day is to be happily absent this
year and the day in Bennington is to
be quietly celebrated with exercises be
fitting the nature of the holiday.
There are about 20 men here who saw
actual service in the war and only
about 40 among this number not in
mates OF the soldiers home from other
places. A pathetic reminder of the
nature of the day lies in the expec-
tation that not more than so Of these
are physically able to take part in the
memorial tribute to their departed
comrades. The statement has been
made that the old veterans are dying
at the rate of 10000 year and more
and more Decoration Day is being OBJ
served by the Sons OF Veterans and
other organizations made up of the old
soldiers progeny.
At II o'clock tomorrow the members
OF Custer pest will assemble in the
post rooms for the annual dinner
which will be served by the w. r. c.
Much comment was made last year at
the manner in which many people
whose connection with the post is not
intimate enough to warrant secure
seats at this dinner where they right
fully did not belong. Last year large
party Ct people who had simply fol
lowed the crowd" from the cemetaries,
gained entrance to the hall and appTo-
priated seats while many old soldiers,
members OF the post and relief corps
and invited guests. had to wait. The
committee did not feel like causing a
sensation on such a day by requesting
them to leave or arguing with them
over their eligibility to the dinner.
This year, however, the corps do not
feel they are going outside the bounds
of common courtesy in requesting that
only those attend the dinner who are
members of the post, the corps, or of
the organizations which have been
especially invited.
In the afternoon the line of March
will form at o'clock in front of the
School street school in the following
order:
Chief Marshall and Aids
BOY Scouts OF America
Bennington City Band
Taft Commandery. Knights Templar
Capt Frank Ray Camp, No. 81 S. OF V.
Spanish American War Veterans
George A. Custer 9Th Corps Post
Children of the Graded Schools
Orator w. G. Towart
Pres. of Day, A. j. Dewey
Clergy and Invited Guests in carriages
The exercises of the day are to be
held as usual on the Soldiers Home
grounds, where the procession will
move from the grammar school. Com
mander Albert Downs opens the mem
orial services in the cemetery with the
ritual address, followed by the chap
lains prayer John Ii. Evans was for
many years chaplain OF the post, but
he has joined his departed comrades
during the year just passed, so his
place will be filed by Payson Hatha-
way Following Chaplain Hathaway's
prayer, the commander finishes his
ritual. followed by an address by the
officer of the day, John c. Clark There
is also an address by Mr. Hathaway,
after which Wilbur Lambert is to de
liver Lincolns famous address at
Gettysburg and General Logan's Order
Nc. IL.
The services for the Unknown Dead
| which are In charge of the Woman's
| Relief Corps are to be conducted by
Mrs. Ernest Lambert, after which the
decoration OF soldiers graves officially
begins. There is to be music by the
band while this is in progress and
afterward, concluding with Taps, after
which the column will march to the
band stand where President a. j
Dewey, is to give an address, followed
by the main Grafton by the speaker OF
the day, Rev. w. G. Towart. The
benediction is to be pronounced by Dr
Isaac Jennings.
After the services at the Home, the
old soldiers and guests take the troll
ley in Putnam Square for North Ben
nington and hold similar memorial SCI
vices there. The program follows,
Address by Rev. II. |. Hayward
Exercises by School Children
Music by Bennington City Band
The Memorial Committee is com
posed of ELI Briggs, j. ID. Curtis, j
Clark. S. T, Chamberlain, Henry 7
Cushman.