Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-06-10
Soldiers Welcome aJOyOus0n8
Greeting to Returned Oxford County
Men . Glad Occasion.

49, oSSoSaoa WAtuOut poI8l6l III pro
vious years wa, the welcome to the re-
turned soldiers that was held ut the
Oxford County fair grounds on Monday,
June 8. From near and far people flock
ed to the scene, and the grounds were
filled with hundreds of automobiles and
thousands Of people. II the grand stand
when filled holds three thousand people,
as its capacity is generally understood,
there must have been we'll towards ten
thousand people on the grounds. It
was day long to be remembered
we can but hope that there will never
again be occasion for such q demonsta-
ton; that war shall be no more.
In point Of weather the day was about
as different as possible from several of
the days of last week. The thermometer
was in the fifties instead Of the nineties,
the sky was gray through the morning
hours, and there was a drizzle of cold
rain during portion of the afternoon.
But even that did not dampen the ardor
of the people.
Flags and bunting along the streets
and on many Of the public buildings and
residences gave an air of festivity and
patriotic feeling to the two towns. All
business places were closed ,for prac-
tically the entire day, factories were
shut down, and everybody joined in
observing the holiday.
A short parade was the first feature
of the day. The procession formed at
the Grand Trunk station in South Paris,
in charge of Major B. r. Bradbury of
Norway as marshall II was headed by
the Lewiston Brigade Band, and after
them came the boys in khaki. OF these
there were about $50 on foot, and others
were in automobiles or elsewhere.
Following the soldiers were auto
mobiles carrying Gen. Edwards, Col.
Hume and their party, and the members
of the reception committee. Other auto
mobiles carried civil war veterans and
Spanish war veterans. Behind came q
long line OF automobiles carrying people
who were only spectators, which for
long time crawled through the gate at
the fair grounds. The procession proper
only from the station to the
grounds and once around the race track,
and was then discharged.
Stands had been erected in the space
near the exhibition hall, one for the
band, and the other for the speakers,
the civil war veterans, and the reception
At11:l5 Hon. B. G.. McIntire, chair
man of the day, welcomed the assembly
with brief appropriate remarks. A
poem of welcome to the soldiers, written
by Mrs. Alice z. Maxim of South Paris,
was read by Donald B. Partridge of
Norway. Chairman McIntire then in
Col F. NJ. Hume of Houlton,
of the 10Sd Infantry.
Col. Hume devoted himself to matter
ot-fact talk regarding the 10Sd Regi-
ment, saying at the outset that there
were in that regiment when 1t was
formed two thousand Maine men, and
that better men never trod the earth.
he made special mplimentary mention
Of Capt. Guy I. SWEET and other members
Of Co. D. He then gave brief outline
Of the history Of the 10Sd from the time
it left America in September, 1917,
through its several campaigns until its
return to this country In April of the
present year. In closing he said, "These
boys have come back to you with .
broader view, q wider vision. They are
going to demand q high standard of
civil government, and God help the
politician who opposes them"
Chairman McIntire then introduced
Gen. Clarence R. Edwards, commander
Of the 26th, the famous Yankee Division.
Gen. Edwards was received with three
cheers. he paid high tribute to the
men who served for America. He said,
Keep a card index of these men, and
don't distinguish between those who
went across, and those who ate their
hearts out to 60, and couldn't. But put
a red ink note on the man who used in
tluence not to go-the Stacker. In about
ten years the men of that stamp will
be claiming to be the ones who did 1t,
and asking for political preferment."
Gen. Edwards read the names OF q
number of men of the Goth in this vicin-
ity who had made the supreme sacrifice,
and number who had suffered wounds
or had done special service, and called
for the last named to come up in front.
But he succeeded in getting up before
the audience only Capt. SWEET, who was
in the stand, and Sergt. Albert
C. Bracket, who won the Distinguished
Service Cross, and who apparently much
against his will was finally brought to
the front.
There never was bunch of men, said
Gen. Edwards, who would lean up
against q barrsge and follow 1t fastcr
than these Maine men. These lads have
been up against it. They are the hope
of the country. 1t is an honor to have
such division.