Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-31
Memorial Day 0bservances
Are Successfully Carried 0ut
Despite Johnson's Illness
Rev. Herbert S. Dow Methodist Church Admirably
tutes the Senator Principal Speaker-Bad Weather No
Barrier to Plans of Day-Hon O. Cason Stirring Speaker


Barrier to Plans of Day-H
Although dreary. moist weather was
allotted to this section for Memorial
day, it was not allowed to interfere
with the plans for the observance of
the day. To cap the climax word was
received from Senator Charles F. John
son that he was confined to his home
in Waterville by illness and would not
be able to deliver the memorial address
at Gardiner in the afternoon or at To-
gus in the evening This was a severe
disappointment The hour was too near
TO secure another speaker from out of
town. Local speakers, however, were
utilized to good advantage.
In the forenoon, after the rain had
somewhat abated. delegations from
Heath Post G. A. R., and Pell Clason
Camp, Sons of Veterans decorated the
graves of the veterans at Highland
avenue, The Rips, West Gardiner, Lib
by Hill and South Gardiner Later
some of the veterans and Sons of Vet
Grams, headed by Hazards Band, re-
paired to the Randolph cemetery, where
after brief services the graves of the
soldier dead received the customary
decorations of wreaths and flowers Fol-
lowing this the line of march was re-
sumed to the hall where it was dis
missed by Commander c. L. Merrill
AT l O'Clock Grand Army hall was
we'll filled by those desiring to hear
the memorial address. Commander
John 7. Grant opened the meeting by
calling on Rev. H. S. Dow to open with
a divine Invocation Adj George E.
JOY read General Order No. II, calling
for the observance Of Memorial day and
then Lincoln's Gettysburg address
mixed quartet of High school students
composed of Misses Beatrice Spinney, An
mabel Fuller, Raymond Monaghan and
Lawrence Emerson sang two selections
very pleasingly.
Hon. o. B. CIason
Hon. o. B. Clason of this city was the
first speaker and opened by giving a
brief history of the organization of the
6. A. r. Posts, which was in April. 1865
he called attention to the diminishin,
ranks OF the members Twenty years ago
there was membership of 100000 and
today there are but 10000. Heath Post
has been reduced from 200 to but a few
above %. He commended the organiza-
ton of the Sons of Veterans, of which
there are l2U camps, with a membership
totallnS $4,000 now in existence, but be-
lleved that they could never take the
; place of the 6. A. r. for there is lack
ing the bonds that bind the G. A. r. to-
gether The principles of the latter or.
ganization will live long after the 'ast of
the boys in blue have been laid at rest
Moral Preparedness, said the speaker,
was the attitude of the boys of '61 and
| it is this that bro sat about a united
nation Moral preparedness is, and
should be the bulwark of the nation
| The speaker then referred to the fact
that whereas but 80 years has been re-
| CURED to repair the devastation of the
war, centuries must elapse before the ter
rible carnage and devastation of the
present European war shall be obliterat-
ed He advocated preparedness and
pointed to the G.. A. r.. who, by LOYALTY
to their principles. had erected a lasting
monument to preparedness
Rev. Herbert S. Dow
Rev. Herbert S. Dow, pastor of the
Methodist church, opened by saying that
he fully sympathized at that moment
with a pinch hitter and that he had
responded to the call simply through a
sense of duty, for such a meeting puts
! into one the spirit of 81 and '65 The one
thing that Memorial day stands for in
the opinion of the speaker was just one
word. Sacrifice" He touched very feel
ingly on the bygone days, when the no.
and went forth at their countrys call,
| to they knew not what. The names of
/ these men are truly written in letters
OF fire on history's pages as real heroes
roes.
He referred feelingly to the thousands
of graves in the Southland where the un-
known dead now lie. AS an answer to the
question, Did it pay?'' he pointed to
united nation, never to be divided, one
contemplate the picture of the North and
South clasping hands. we throw back our
heads like the war horse while to our
ears comes the rumble of fighting from
below our southern border: far to the
westward we see the scowling face of
Nippon Dapan) while from the east
comes again the runbles of a great
struggle. All this makes one wonder
if the shipping of munitions does now
invite disaster. Concluding. the speaker
stated that we must one and all stand
for the flag and should decidedly be pre-
pared, such perfect preparedness as shall
save our children and our children's
children from being torn by shot and
shell. Our broad Americanism must
grow broader and still deeper.
In answer to the question of apprecia-
ton of the sacrifices made by the vet
Grams, the speaker said. There is no
other nation where the young men are SO
ready to fight for some. of the principles
that the G. A. r. established as the youns
men Of our own. All honor to the men
of 81 and IS. May the blessing of eter-
nal God rest upon them
Melvin c. Wadsworth
Melvin c. Wadsworth, a comrade of the
10th Maine, was the next speaker. He
told stories illustrative of the ties that
bind the veterans together and of some
of their experiences. He thought the
true motto of all life should be For
getting the things that are behind. /
press forward" yet he considered that