The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1922-05-04
SPLENDID GRANT OBJ
SERvANCE
Impressive Services in
Opera House
Patriotic Exercises Commemorate
Tooth Anniversary OF Noted
General

ly carried out in the Skowhegan Opera
House last Thursday evening with
/ large number Of local citizens parti-
cipating. Adjutant S. f. Emerson,
well known in local grand army cir
cles. called the meeting to order and
mentioned the orders for the service
given by the communicating chief Of
the Grand Army Of the Republic. He
presented clyde II. Smith, the first
sclectmen of Skowhegan, as the fir!t
speaker and presiding officer.
Mr.. Smith said that Gen. Grant Was
the Worlds greatest General and men
toned several reasons which made
him such and if we were to study his
character we would find IL fashioned
and moulded in true democracy. he
was retiring. digniiied. unaSuming
and unpretending and above all he
was kind Grants wonderful Kindness
was demonstrated at the time of Lees
surrender, then there were no trum-
pet calls and the horses of the south
erners were generously returned to
them. Mr.. Smith effectively quoted
that poem which closed with "All This
Old World Needs is the Art Of Being
Kind In closing Mr.. Smith said
that we were unable to find words
pure. right and true enough to glorify
Grant but that we may flttngly re-
solve to increase the pleasure and
comfort of the Boys in Blue, whose
reunions are nearly over and whose
camp fires are burning low. Mr.. Smith
presided in a most cordial manner and
rlowcd his great respect for the mem
bers of the Russell Post, who were
seated upon the platform.
Mrs. Martha Morrill,, the president
of the Russell Relief Corps read an
excellent paper on Grants life
The second speaker was Col. Roy
l.. Marston. who congratulated the
men of the Civil war that they had
such a general in command as the one
for whose memory that service was
called. He stated that the World war
had no such general and poke OF the
different manners of conducting the
| late war, rs it was waged from the
rear and that the men in the ranks
never saw their generals.
/ Col Mars.on read the orders Of
General Clarence II. Edwards which
he said were read In every part OF
the American Legion in America on
| Thursday
Roland r. Patten, business manager
! of the Independent Reporter, was the
/ third speaker and he gave several
quotations from Grant and said that
! he believed Grant was present In
/ spirit aud that although he were
| spreaking. he wished the audience to
"let it be Grant who spoke" and Mr..
! Patten continued to quote from an
address of Grants
} The platform at this time was clear
cd and the boys and girls of the
/ schools gave handsome flag drill
j with, Mrs. Gates at the piano. Column
bia was represented by Miss Annie
: Goodwin and Uncle Sam by Kenneth
| Martin. Toward the close of the drill
some Young ladies of the high school
came in and stood at attention at the
sides of the platform and with those
taking part in the drill sang feveral
/ patriotic songs, after which they all
turned aud salutcd the ifg and
/ marched off the platform. This part
OF the program was especially enjoy
/ ell and the drill was well executed.
! Rev George Merriam was the first
! sneaker after the drill, and he quot
cd "Wh"t shall he do who cometh af-
! ter Kirg" and questioned What
! shall he do who cometh after the
children of the Skowhegan schools?'
I Mr. Merriam poke of his early pas
tnrate in Kansas and said that the
! first struggle of the Civil War oc-
i cured on Kansas soil. He told OF
when he was boy he was taken by
his father to White River Junction,
Vt. at the time that Grant visited
that town and said that Grant was
man of action and that at this time
| he was told to ki"s the handsomest
woman and that in this he respond
ed by kissing a very plain woman
who came along carrying her baby
and also kissed the baby. Mr.. Mer-
riam said that Grant was great in
times of crises in state, national and
personal and mentioned his writing
his Memoirs that he might leave
.omething for the support OF his wife
of his youth after the loss of his
property, and said that Grant with all
his many wonderful qualities was a
good husband. He said that the
world today needs men, good men,
who would measure &c inches to the
yard and stand all kinds of weather
without shrinking or falling. He also
aid that Grant was great in his
death.
The solo sung by Mrs. Morgan with
the male quartette standing at the
front of the balcony leading the au-
dience in the chorus was most effec-
tive and the chorus was heartily sung
by many.
Adiutant Emerson who 81 years ago
in the engine hall signed his enlist
ment papers and who gave tx years
service to his country gave personal
recollections of his meeting with Cen
eral Grant. Out of respect to Mr.,
Emerson and the other men in blue
the audience was requested to stand
during Mr.. Emerson's remarks.
! Major John W. Fogler Of the Rus
sell Pot gave pleasing remarks and
among other things stated that he
had the pleasure of casting his first
vote for president for Grant. and that
Grants name was really Hiram L.