Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-05-30
BRAVEDEFENDERS
OF The FLAG ARE
RENDERED PRAISE
Annual Memorial Day Exercises Are
Held in Rock Island Under Most
Favorable Auspices.
PARADE Is MORNING FEATURE
Flag Drin by $50 School Children OF
Fifth Grade Inspires Crowd
at Court House.


at Court House
Smiling skies, a program OF unusual
merit and the largest parade of its
kind ever attempted in the city, COM
bined to make Rock Islands observ-
ance today OF Decoration day the most
successful in the community's his
tory.
Ideal weather conditions prevailed,
making it possible not only for the
Civil war veterans, his friends and the
general public to assist in the exer-
cises, but primarily the school chill
dren who seemed to take exceptional
interest in the event.
The parade which attracted great
crowd. was formed at Fifteenth street
and Third avenue with c. F. Gaetjer
as marshal of the day The line of
march was east on Third avenue to
Twentieth street, north on Twentieth
street TO Second avenue, west on Sec
ond avenue TO the court house.
Parade Formation.
Formation Of the parade was as
follows:
Platoon Of Police.
c. F. Gaetjer, marshal and his aids
Paul Dufin, H B. Simmon, Harry
Welch, D. A. NJ Hollingsworth, Frank
Yerbury and Mrs Fred Ward.
Bleuer's band.
Company A, I. n. G.
". 0. W. drill team
Speakers of the day in autos.
City commission in autos.
Veterans OF the Civil war in autos.
Rock Island Fire department, in
Guiding chiefs car, Central depart
ment motor truck, Number Five motor
truck, Central station hook and lad
der, Numbers Two. Three and Fours
horse drawn trucks.
United Spanish war veterans.
Sons of Veterans.
Daughters of Veterans.
Womans Relief corps.
Ladies of the G. A R.
G. 4. r. veterans, with Mrs. Bessie
Barth Richardson carrying the colors.
Boys on decorated bicycles.
Four hundred and tifty-ive grade
school children carrying flags, led by
City Superintendent f. c. Fisher.
Haubergs boy scouts and fife and
drum corps.
It was noticeable the large number
of veterans who rode in automobiles.
Each year the marching line OF the
boys in blue is reduced, and fewer are
able to walk, but those who did held
their heads high and kept step with
the music as best they could. The
contrast between the gray-haired, bat
tle-scaTred veterans of the dark days
OF 1861, SaCiOrS Of the nation, and the
young and jubiIant school children
the hope of the nation, was so great
that it made a vivid and lasting i'm
preston upon those who witnessed
the procession in which at least 1,500
participated.
Flag Drill PleaSeS.
At the conclusion OF the parade the
customary exercises were held this
morning on the court house campus at
the north side OF the county building
Captain J. N. Beardsley was master of
ceremonies and c. F. Gaetjer marshal
of the day Following the bugIe call
by A. Bleuer and a patriotic selection
by Bleuer'S band 450 school children
OF the fifth grade. under the direction
OF Miss Marguerite COnger, repeated
the beautiful flag drill which was one
Of the features of the annual field day
exercises witch were held recently at
the Island City baseball park The
little folks had been well drilled and
went through their work with a pre-
Cision that was remarkable The
street in front Of the north entrance of
the court house had been roped off in
order to give space for the exhibition.
Prayer was offered by Rev. f. ].
Rolf, after which the Memorial day
quartet composed of Mrs J. X. Scott,
soprano; Mrs. j. W. Crandall. alto:
W. G. Oglevee, tenor, and Charles Hoge
basso, with Mrs. Charles Hoge, accom-
PIANIST, sang Then Raise Old Glory"
Scott Is Orator.
Captain ]. NJ Beardsley introduced
John K. Scott, Rock Island, as the prin-
cipaI speaker for the morning. Mr.
Scott delivered fine tribute TO the
veterans, his address in full being
printed elsewhere in this paper.
The quartet sang Memories on
Memorial Day" after which little Ara
laine Wagstaff, clever little 7-year-
old reader, gave Two Colors." Fol
lowing the song, They Love the Flag,
by the Memorial day quartet, Bleuer's
band gave another selection and then
hitting services were held at the sol
diers' monument, which had been at
tractively decorated for the occasion.
Martial music was given by the band
and the quartet rendered Rest, Sol
diers, Rest" which was followed by
the impressive Grand Army rituaIistic
services, in charge of John Buford
Post. a salute to the dead was given
by company A, Illinois national guard.
and Linvall Cox read 'Lincoln's Gettys-
burg Address" The audience sang
america taps were sounded by Al
bieuer and the program was brought
10 a close by selection by Bleuer's
band.
Tribute to Sailors,
At the conclusion OF the program
members Of the ". r. C., accompanied
by the United Spanish War veterans,