Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1916-05-30
Sedgwick Post G. A. R. Opens
Day With Services at
Soldiers Monument
ACRES OF FLOWERS TELL
OF NATIONS GRATITUDE
Greatest Parade In SaIem'S
History Feature Of After
noon Program

the entire day thousands of Salem 3
citizens paid tribute to the soldier dead
Of the Grand Army of the Republic in
the greatest Memorial day service ever
held in this city. The feature of the
day was the parade which got under
way shortly after 4 O'Clock this aft
ernoOn and wound through the streets
to Wilson park where the principal
exercises were held. From the point
of numbers taking part in today's pa.
rade was the greatest ever attempted
in Salem, and brought universal com
mendation to the general committee in
charge of the affair.
The time honored "thin blue line"
which grows painfully thinner with
each succeeding Memorial day, con-
cluded this year to leave the brunt Of
the management of the Memorial day
exercises to a general committee. Here.
tofore the veterans of the great strug-
gle for the integrity of the Union have
shculdered the responsibility Of honor.
ing their dead comrades but this year
the matter was left to the younger or.
ganizations by the members of Sedg.
wick Post, No. 10. The result more
than fulfilled the expectations Of the
post. Not only were the dead honor
ed, but q rare tribute to the few sur
vivors of the national conflict was
shown when the on-military organiza-
tions as well as the military, the fra
ternal societies, the churches, the
schools and the patriotic public in gem
eral, hastened to lend all possible aid
in making the 1916 Memorial day in
Salem one that will remain as a prece-
dent for the succeeding years.
Services at Cemetery.
The hopes Of the Grand Army Of the
Republic that the day might be perpetu-
ated long after they have answered
their last roll call were assured of
fulfillment by the interest shown by
the children and younger men Of the
city, whose only recollections of the
Civil war are the pictures of tho CON
flict in their school histories.
Now when all traces Of the struggle
which threatened to divide the nation
have been erased and when time has
obliterated the marks which SCARED the
fair name of our republic, it is fitting
that only the memory of the principle,
which triumphed through the loyalty
and bravery of the men who were hon.
ored today, should be upheld as the
standard of patriotism for future gene.
rations.
The regular Memorial services con.
Quoted by Sedgwick post, No 10, at the
base Of the Soldiers Monument in the
cemetery this morning, opened with
the reading Of General Logan's or.
der No. by Comrade Good setting one
day apart upon which the graves of the
dead might De decorated. Commander
w. G. Faulkner then delivered the Me-.
mortal address which was followed by
the placing Of flowers at the base Of
the monument in memory Of the dead
who rest in other spots. Each member
Of the G.. A. r. deposited his floral
tribute in memory of the deceased mem.
bers of his own company as each other
surviving comrade is doing today.
Bugle Sounded "Taps.''
Rev. +. T. Porter. Of the Sons Of
Veterans read Lincoln s Gettysburg ad.
dress and the Boy Scouts laid their
flowers at the foot Of the monument.
The Woman's Relief Corps held their
regular services after which the firing
squad from Company NJ, o. N. G., fired
three yolleys over the graves and the
bugle sounded "Taps." Rev Porter
pronounced the benediction and the
crowd dispersed to decorate the graves
in other parts Of the cemetery. The
Boy Scouts and the school children
spread out a truck lead Of flowers
which was contributed by the Boys
Training school. Prominent among
those who took part in the exercises
was Comrade Mitchell, Of the Salem
Sons Of Veterans, who is SO years old
and the Oldest son Of a veteran in the
United States belonging to a regular
organization.
Basket luncheons were held by the
families of the Woman's Relief Corps
at the Moose hall, the families Of the
Ladies Of the G. A. X. participated in a
basket luncheon at Ryan hail, and the
families Of the ladies' auxiliary Of the
Spanish-American War Veterans held
their basket luncheon in Marion
Square
The parade which was formed on the
streets near the armory in three diyi.
siOns, marched north on Commercial
street to Court, east on Court to Liber.
ty and south on Liberty to State, then
CONTINUED on Page Five.)