Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-06-20
REUNION
is WELL ATTENDED
Strong Address of Welcome Is
Given the Veterans by
J. Henry Roraback

town hall last Friday was attended
by forty-five veterans from Connec-
ticut, Massachusetts, and New York.
The oldest member present was SO
years of age and the youngest 10.
E. B. Peck, of Winsted has the honor
of being the youngest and Peter
Millus of Millerton and A. J. Hunt
of Great Darlington are both 88
years of age.
The morning session was devoted
to the election of officers and decid-
ing where the next meeting was to
to be held. After much discussion it
was voted to hold the reunion in
Great harrington next year. The
officers elected for the ensuing year
are as follows: President, E. S.
Roberts; Secretary, M. D. Rudd and
assistant secretary, Mrs. w. G. Will
cox.
Ten deaths of members of the
association were reported last year;
three of them being from this town.
After the business session, short
talks were. given by several of the
veterans, many of which were hum
orous and gave many incidents of
Civil war days. Col. S. B. Horne of
Winsted gave an interesting talk on
the pension bill which has just been
signed by President Wilson. Col.
Horne stated that Senator Smoot
of Utah, has proven to be the ablest
man in the senate to look after the
interests Of the veterans. He eX-
planned that the Smoot-2ayne bill,
which is now in effect, allowed every
veteran who served six months, $50
per month, after which the amount
was regulated by a sliding scale up to
$40 per month for two years or more
service.
The morning session adjourned
at twelve o'clock and the veterans
and their families and friends went
to Pilgrim church, where a bounti-
full dinner awaited them. The dinner
was served by the ladies of The
church ad was much enjoyed by all
present.
The afternoon session was opened
with the singing of patriotic songs,
led by Rev. R. M. Timberlake, with
Miss Gladys De Hart at the piano.
The children of East Canaan school
taught by Miss Catherine Finnegan,
gave an exceptionally fine demon
stration of military movements, rec
itations, singing, etc., which conclud-
ed with a pledge to the flag. j.
Henry Roraback then delivered the
following address:
North Canaan welcomes you today
because North Canaan is loyal, be-
cause her people love liberty, justice
and fair play, and above all because
they love to honor brave men.
She welcomes you especially on
this day which is set aside to honor
the Nations flag because the day re-
calls more wildly to mind all the
flag stands for and what you men did
to make it stand for what it does.
We realize what the United States
means to US and to the entire world.
We see more clearly that if this
country with its traditions and prin-
ciples had been torn asunder the
great principles of freedom and lib
;erty upon which it was founded
would now be very uncertain, if not
lost, to the people of the world.
While the great conflict which you
so gloriously carried to success has
been spoken of as war to free a
race from bondage, we now fully
realize that this result was but Incl
dental and that the eliminating re-
suit was the saving of nation which
would perpetuate not only for itself,
but for all the races of the world,
the principles of liberty upon which
it wos founded
1t is that principle of civil liberty
which came across the water and
made its landing on the coast of New
England in mid-winter, which tanned
a wild and savage land and turned
it into a garden of productiveness,
which fought it's way through a will
derness until it's boundaries included
the richest country of the world, and
inspired our grandsires to defy their
autocratic ancestors who interfered
with its right to exist and led them
to found a government of their own
of the people, by the people, and
for the people"
1t was to make secure the fact that
this government so founded "did not
perish from the earth" that you men
with your comrades went through
with that awful ordeal from Sumter