St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1917-05-30
Military, Fraternal and Humane
s. Organizations March in
Big Parade
Veterans of 81 Highly Honored In Days Celebration;
Scene At Soldiers Monument Touching One AS
Aged Heroes Place Wreaths

The warmth of a late spring after
noon sun shone down with it's kindly
radience the soft spring breezes watt
ed the flags, and gently caressed the
cheeks of the veterans of fifty years
ago, and the birds sang simple un-
pretentious hymns of love and rev.
erence as st. Johnsbury came out to
pay reverence to the memory of the
boys of 'G1, both the dead and the
living
Five thousand persons of St. Johns
bury and the surrounding towns lined
deeply the line of the procession.
Nearly all of them united at the SOL
/ diers' Monument to join in the mem
orial ceremonies held there. Here the
ever thinning line of veterans of the
Civil War stood at attention while
some of their members offered pray
ers for the departed comrades.
Line Of March
The parade began promptly at one
| O'Clock. The marchers passed; a long
line of proudly waving flags and bril-
liant uniforms. Never has st. Johns
bury witnessed Il more pleasing or
stirring spectacle. First came the St
Johnsbury band led by Marshal +. L.
Carr, and his aid, II. NJ. Ladd. The
music rendered by this organization
was inspiring and served greatly to
make the parade the success it was.
Next in line was the Palestine Com
mandery. Marshal II. Stearns at the
front. their flashing uniforms and
tufted hats, together with their splen-
did marching line, presenting an ap-
| pearance truly beautiful.
/. They we're closely followed by the
| Canton Crescent, I. q O. F.. and the
Uniform Rank, Knights of Pythias,
the bright colors of their uniforms
flashing in the afternoon sun. Fol-
lowed the order of Red Men with a
large American flag carried before,
the buff and blue of their costumes re-
minding us of the heroes of the Revo-
luton The ST. John Baptiste Guard
of Honor came next, their dark uni
forms contrasting with the more brill
liant ones of the organizations pre-
ceeding them, with swords swinging
by their sides.
The second division of the process
sion was led by the ST. Gabriel School
Band The boys rendered patriotic
music in veteran fashion and brought
applause many times from the on
lockers The Boy Scouts, carrying
dummy rifles and marching in fash
ion which would have done credit to
an older organization, followed the
school band. The Academy students
with their white naval caps. presented
perfect formation, while the st. Johns
: bury Military Home Guard Company
; which followed them showed well tho
training the members have received
) at the hands of their officers.
: Then came the veterans in automo
: biles provided for them. They were
: received with enthusiastic applause
: along the entire line of march. They
, were followed by the Woman's RELIEF
Corps and members Of the Red Cross
, some of wnom were dressed in fiel'
uniforms. These women received ova
tions from every side, as representa-
tives of the greatest humane organi
zation in the world.
} Services At Monument
r One of the most impressive features
? of the days celebration was the ser
vice at the Soldiers Monument il
5 Court House Square. The parader
marched to the monument and form
< ed in line about it. The veterans stoot
at one side; two short lines of heroes
2 AS they came into line "America' wa
< played by the st. Johnsbury Band
and all hats came off in salute.
l Prayers were offered by some of th'
members for their dead comrades ant
: wreaths were laid on the base of th'
monument This was followed by th
'Star Spangled Banner by the band
The parade formed again after thes
services and marched to the Colonia
Theatre on Main street. Here ever.
unit drew up at the side of the stree
and stood at attention while the vet
: Grams marched by. When the G. A
r. members had passed into TIL
theatre the marchers were dismissed
f The entertainment and address at tn
a Colonial made up one of the finest an
most interesting celebrations of it
kind ever held here. The program wa
;. varied and pleasing from beginning t
d end.
: Program At Colonial
e The meeting, Charles Ross presid
;. ing, was opened with a prayer by Rev
Frederick B. Richards. He aske
blessings for the veterans of the Civ
War and for the young men who wi
:, be engaged in the struggle with til
. German nation. Miss Violet Darling
reading of General Logan's Comman
H. was loudly applauded by the audienc
, The flag salute. led by Mrs. Col
~ Waite, was most impressive. ST
came onto the stage bearing a lars
in silk flag, and as she came the bar
played a verse of the Star Spangle