Bridgeton pioneer., 1917-05-31
HONOR
THE DEAD
OF NATION
Memorial Day Observance
Yesterday Was Inn
pressive.
PARADE WAS
BIC FEATURE
Thousands of People at Broad St.
Cemetery, Where the Principal
Exercises Were Held

The Memorial Day observance yes
terday under the direction of A. l..
Robesoa Post, No. AZ, G. A. R.. and
other patriotic citizens, was more
impressive, perhaps, than any cele-
bration of the day ever held here.
The thousands of people who
thronged the streets to witness the
| parade, and the other thousands who
surrounded and poured into the old
Presbyterian Cemetery to witness the
impressive ceremonies in memory of
the dead comrades who there filled
the hallowed graves, abuntantly tes-
| titled to this fact.
| The committee who had visited in
| the morning the various cemeteries
in the nearby villages, as usual, dec
Grated with flags and flowers the
| graves of their comrades who were
| inferred there, and, in some of them,
| special ceremonies were Observed
| notably at the cemeteries at Shiloh
| and at GouldtOwn, where scores and
| hundreds of people gathered and
where patriotic addresses were de-
livered.
The parade through the streets of
| this city was indeed inspiring and
beautiful. 1t was according to the
| program.
| Marshal James w. Trenchard head
ed big parade. Music was furnished
the parade by the Bridgeton Band
| and the Wesley Memorial Drum
| Corps. Mayor Whitaker had provid-
ed automobiles for the old soldiers.
and city officials were also in line
| Company L under the command of
| Capt. Coyle, was the military feature
of the parade and the young soldiers
now awaiting their country's call,
gave a splendid military demonstra-
ton.
! There was a particularly large
| troop of Boy Scouts and the Camp
| Fire Girls also made splendid ap-
| pearance. School children carried a
large flag, and Tewah Tribe of Red
Men also carried a flag in line. Hope
and Welcome Councils, in full uni
form, were another feature of the
parade.
| Beautiful floats were in line. These
were provided by Branch 8, G. B. 3.
A., Tewah Tribe, Welcome Council,
and the Patriotic Sons of America
When Broad Street Cemetery was
| reached, the hundreds of waiting au-
tomobile loads of people from every
where, lined both sides of the street
from Lawrence st. to West Ave-, and
the occupants, with enthusiasm,
gazed upon the marching hosts.
Chief Marshal Trenchard and his
mounted aides, headed the process
sion; the automobiles, with their
loads of the aged veterans and the
clergymen, halted and the tottering
Boys in Blue" following the clergy
| AAASh' oliu NhuSl SOluiltAu III tuc OC-
togenarian commandant James
Cheesman, marched in and took their
position in the enclosure surround
ing the soldiers plot.
The band, playing the dirge, took
| its position at the west side of the
| plot.
Company X, Boy Scouts, Hope and
Welcome Guards, Camp Fire Girls
and school divisions, took their po-
sitions.
| Prayer was offered by the Rev. A.
B. Collins, and the G. A. R. ritual
was given by Commandant Cheesman.
Solemnly and without a break, this
long ritual was recited by the Com
mandant from memory; the appro-
pirate portions were read by Com
rade ]. ]. Boon and ]. Lenhart Rice.
In the same manner the COM
mandant recited Lincoln's famous
words at Gettysburg a half century
ago.
r