OBSERVANCE OF MEMORIAL DAY

G. A. R. cemetery marker.

Cortland Evening Standard, Friday, May 29, 1896.

PAGE TWO—EDITORIALS.

Observance of Memorial Day.

   When Memorial day, or, as a it was named then, Decoration day, was first instituted, it was an occasion of such overwhelming sadness as was scarcely to be endured by those to whom its sorrowful meaning came home most fully. Fortunately, however, kindly time softened as each Memorial day came and went, the recollection of the tragedies which wrung so many hearts, till gradually May 30 took on many of the features of a gay holiday. How could those who had not tasted of those bitter sorrows remember them?

   Against turning Memorial day, one of the nation's most solemn anniversaries into a mere careless holiday, the Women's Relief corps of the G. A. R. protested earnestly last year. They recommended that the day be devoted to exercises of a patriotic nature, particularly to impressing on school children the significance of this sacred occasion.

   The ladies are right. Memorial day turned into an occasion for mere light amusements would be meaningless. When those whose duty it is to teach school children what the day means take up their appointed task, let them not fail to tell the coming men and women how many soldiers gave their lives to their country.

   The records show that the United States government takes care of 330,692 graves of soldiers who fought in the last war. Most of these, of course, are Union soldiers, but in many of the national cemeteries lie also the bones of Confederates who either died in hospitals as prisoners of war or were found dead on the battlefield. Nine thousand of these graves are known and marked. Of the Confederate soldiers in Union burial grounds 4,039 lie at Chicago, by the lake shore. Most of them died at Camp Douglas. In the cemetery at Elmira, N. Y., 2,908 Confederates sleep. Together they lie, Union and Confederate, under the green covering Mother Earth cast over them both, peacefully as though they had never struggled together in unholy strife.

   The saddest feature of these great national cemeteries is the host of those whose names and history can never be known. There are not less than 140,000 of the Union men. They are marked simply by a number, that is all. On this sacred day of all the year, let those who recall the noble deeds and sacrifices of those who perished in the line of duty breathe also a sigh to the memory of the dead who lie in unknown graves.

                           The Boys Who Never Came Back.

   In New England the annual fast day, that which "Old Pils," as one of their descendants irreverently calls them, designed to be spent in humiliation and prayer, without much eating, has become one of the merriest holidays of all the year. Baseball and good dinners are a distinguishing feature. The day is given to recreation and pleasure.

   So Decoration Day, May 30, twenty-five years ago, the saddest, solemnest of all the year, is being transformed. It is at the season when all outdoor sports are at their best. Splendid athletes in running, walking, rowing and cycling get the day off for their practice. Walking clubs take it for health bringing pedestrian trips. In the evening there is good cheer, followed by amusements and social pleasures. Little is left of the old time May 30, when, clad in their mourning robes—more than half the women in the land wore mourning then—ladies went sadly to the open churches, where sacred memorial services were held. At the close, grave processions kept step with the sound of funeral marches to the cemeteries, and flowers were sadly placed upon the green beds of the fallen in battle.

   Little of it remains to the eye of the present generation, and it is well, for the sadness of those days was almost overwhelming. But in the hearts of those who remember that old time, there are vacant niches which cannot be filled. The youths of this generation are gallant and handsome, none goodlier to look on. Yet those who remember carry hidden away in their hearts the pictures of those who were braver and goodlier still. If these had lived to fulfill their lives they would have been statesmen, orators and poets. Fame would have cast her wreath upon their brows, history would have chronicled the good they wrought to mankind. However generous, strong, beautiful and gifted the boys of today are, these boys who never came back were more gifted and beautiful still.

   Mostly in the hearts of tender, unforgetful women live those radiant heroes. Gentle, gray haired matrons, once the lively, rosy sweethearts of those who marched gayly out, gun on shoulder, and never returned, sit in the twilight and think—they cannot help it to this day—of how different life might have been. Perhaps in time they wedded others, and are mothers of lads as comely as those who went away yet, true wives though they be, in their souls is one shrine to which none may enter—the shrine that is sacred to the soldier who never came back.

   Others, too, fathers, children, teachers and friends who are old enough to recall war times, have recollections of gallant lives cut off in their flower. Such recollections make the heart always tenderer, purer and more unworldly. And the saddest fact of this grand new time which is on us is that each year there are fewer who remember personally those to whose graves sacred offerings used to be brought each Decoration Day—

   Laurels to deck the Blue,

   Willows to cover the Grey.

MEMORIAL DAY PROGRAM.

Order of Exercises in Cortland Saturday Afternoon Beginning at 1:30 o'clock.

   Memorial day exercises will occur in Cortland Saturday afternoon. The column will form at 1:30 o'clock sharp on Main-st., right resting in front of the Garrison block on the east side of the street in the following order:

   Marshal—Capt. J. W. Strowbridge.

   Aids—S. N. Holden, E. D. King, Theodore Sheeley.

   Homer drum corps of eight pieces.

   Jas. H. Kellogg camp, No. 48, Sons of Veterans, W. C. Wolcott, captain.

   Willoughby Babcock Post, No. 105 of Homer, Commander Williams.

   Grover Post, No. 98, Grand Army of the Republic, M. E. Corwin commander.

   Veterans not members of the G. A. R.

   Two-hundred children from the public schools commanded by Comrades H. B. Greenman and J. F. Wheeler. [“Comrades” was the familiar address among civil war union veterans—CC editor.]

   Speaker and clergy in carriages.

   Disabled Veterans in carriages.

   Woman's Relief Corps in carriages.

   Citizens in carriages.

   The line of March will be as follows:

   North on Main to Clinton-ave., to Church, to the Monument where the following exercises will be held:

   Singing, Male Quartet, led by C. R. Doolittle.

   Prayer, Rev. J. L. Robertson.

   Address, Comrade George W. Edgcomb.

   The column will then re-form and march to Port Watson-st., to Tompkins, to the cemetery where the exercises will be as follows:

   Singing.

   Prayer, Rev. M. J. Wells.

   Address, Rev. J. A. Hungate of Homer.

   Singing, America.

   Benediction, Rev. A. Chapman.

   Decoration of graves by the comrades of Grover Post assisted by the school children.

   Firing salute over the grave of Col. J. C. Carmichael.

   The procession will then re-form, march to Main-st. and be dismissed in front of the G. A. R. headquarters.

   In case of inclement weather the exercises will be held at the First Baptist church at 2 o'clock P. M., after which the veterans will march to the cemetery and decorate the graves.

   Persons willing to donate the use of private carriages will please report to

Captain J. W. Strowbridge, the marshal of the day.

   Contributions of flowers may be sent to G. A. R. headquarters Friday between 4 and 6 o'clock or early Saturday morning.

   Carriages for the speaker and clergy and village president and trustees will be stationed on the west side of Main-st., in front of Fireman's hall facing the north. Carriages for the W. R. C. will form on the north side of Court-st. facing west, and will he assigned to their position in the line by Marshal Strowbridge.

Maximo Gomez.

MORE TRAINS BLOWN UP.

Cubans Making It Lively For Spaniards With Dynamite.

   HAVANA, May 29.—At the plantation of Nuevo, in the Artemasa district of the province of Pinar del Rio, the insurgents have hanged two men and on their breasts were pinned pieces of paper upon which was written "For selling tobacco."

   In an insurgent camp hear Guira Melena, a colonel in charge of a Spanish force found two bottles of strychnine. This is held by the authorities here to confirm the report that the insurgents intended to poison the water supply in that vicinity.

   Between Conteras and Irmarones, province of Matanzas, the insurgents blew up another train with dynamite, no lives were lost.

   The insurgents commanded by Aguirre have burned the machinery building, etc., of the plantations of Piedad and Jueguetillo, owned respectively by Andres Garcia and Jeronimo Smith. The insurgents have also destroyed by fire the houses at San Jeronimo of Jeronimo Pierre.

   A dispatch received from Matanzas says that Juan Benacer Martin, classed as an insurgent incendiary, was executed there.

   It is now officially stated that Maximo Gomez is encamped at the farm of Caja de Agua, in the Sancti Spiritus district of the province of Santa Clara.

   Still another train has been blown up with dynamite. This time the outrage occurred near Fort Tosco, in the Jovollanos district of the province of Matanzas. The train consisted of a number of freight cars drawn by two engines, all of which were partially destroyed.

   Colonel Moncada reports that in an engagement with the insurgents the latter lost 30 killed and 120 wounded, including the insurgent leaders Octavio and Agramonte.

Trains Again Running.

   ALTON, Ill., May 20.—Train service to St. Louis was re-established late yesterday afternoon on all roads, but trains are yet delayed by washouts

in Illinois and Missouri. The fleet of upper Mississippi steamboat packets was almost obliterated by the tornado in the harbor, only two of the nine being left accounted for and seaworthy after the catastrophe. The Eagle packet company lost nearly $200,000.

A HUGE CELEBRATION.

Program of Attractions for the Fourth of July.

   The committee of arrangements on the Fourth of July celebration met last night at the office of E. E. Mellon and mapped out a general program of attractions for the day. This program is not complete, but will give a general idea of what is to take place. Other features will be added as arrangements progress.

   There will be a hub and hub race; hose company contest in laying 300 feet of hose and attaching to a hydrant; a hook and ladder contest; a fusileer parade; catching a greased pig; bicycle roadrace; junior bicycle race; green bicycle race; climbing greased pole; 100-yard foot race; bicycle parade.

   The foot race will be open, but all other contests will be closed to residents of Cortland county.

   This celebration it is expected will eclipse anything of its kind in this part of the state. These attractions with the others to be added, will make a day's sport that will be looked upon with envy by nearby cities and will draw the people from all the surrounding country. In fact it will be a gala day for Cortland.

   The committee on finance, Messrs. E. E. Mellon and W. J. Perkins, will begin soliciting funds early next week and it is hoped that business men and others will respond liberally, not only for their own good, but for the good of the town generally.

   Cortland has not had a celebration since 1892 and this year there is no reason why she should not celebrate in real earnest. The present outlook is indeed very bright.

Sentenced to the Penitentiary.

   James Belcher was arraigned before Justice Dowd this morning on the charge of cruelty to animals and pleaded guilty to the charge. His attorney, George S. Sands, asked the leniency of the court in view of the mental condition of the defendant.

   The court passed sentence of 110 days in the Onondaga penitentiary and a fine of fifteen dollars. This court had no jurisdiction to declare him incompetent and simply did his duty in passing a light sentence. At the expiration of this term the supreme court will be in session and at that time it is probable that steps will be taken to declare him incompetent.

BREVITIES.

   —Two cents a mile to Syracuse to-morrow [via D. L. & W. railroad].

   —The regular meeting of the Sons of Veterans will be held to-night at 7:30 o'clock.

   —To-morrow is Memorial day and a legal holiday and no paper will be issued from this office.

   —Stowell's Bargain house will be closed at 12:30 o'clock to-morrow for the remainder of the day.

   —Mrs. A. S. Burgess has issued invitations for an "at home" next Wednesday afternoon at her home, 4 Church-st.

   —A meeting of the board of managers of the Hospital association will be held at the hospital Monday next, June 1, at 3 P. M.

   —A car loaded with lumber ran away on the Lehigh Valley switch at the screen shops yesterday afternoon, but no damage resulted.

   —A game of ball between the Cascadillas of Ithaca and a picked nine from Cortland will be played at the fair grounds to-morrow afternoon. Game called at 2:30.

   —The quartet which will sing tomorrow at the soldiers' monument and at the cemetery is composed of Messrs. C. R. Doolittle, J. B. Hunt, James Walsh and T. N. Hollister.

   —Oneida has just decided to pave with brick. The village pays the coat of paving all intersections of streets, and one-third of the remainder is paid for by the village and two-thirds by the property holders.

   —New advertisements to-day are—Dey Bros. & Co., store closed Saturday, Page 6; Bacon, Chappell & Co., black dress fabrics, page 4; Wm. Grady, bicycles, page 8; E. W. Edwards & Son, outing suit sale, page 7.

   —The new time schedule on the D., L. & W. goes into effect nest Monday, The corrected time table appears in another column, it will be wise for any one about to make use of that road to look up the time table and not get left.

   —If those members of the W. C. T. U. of the several towns desiring means of transportation from Cortland to Freetown on June 10, will write to Miss Libbie Robertson stating the number to go they will be provided for at a reasonable rate. Word to be sent not later than June 4 or 5.

   —The Protective police [members of the fire department--CC editor] at their meeting Wednesday night appointed Captain A. H. Watkins, President S. J. Sornberger and Secretary J. A. Jayne a committee on revision of the by-laws. A. H. Watkins, Henry Bates, E. D. Mallery and B. R. Carpenter were appointed a committee to report on the advisibility of purchasing new uniforms.

HOMER.

Gleanings of News From Our Twin Village.

   The following is the program for the entertainment to be given at the academy this evening:

PART I.

   Piano Solo, Miss Alice Knickerbocker.

   Bible Legend of the Wissahikon, Louis Collins.

   Kentucky Belle, Miss Katharyne Crarmpton.

   A Ballad of the War, Miss May Kinney.

   Hammer Song, Double Quartet.

   The Black Horse and His Rider, Harry Brockway.

   The Station Agent's Story, Miss Myrta, Haskins.

   Miss Multy's Story, Miss Mable Watrous.

   Violin Solo, Miss Mabel Adams.

PART II.

   Ballad of the Oysterman, Holmes.

   Irish Washerwoman. 

   The Garroters—

   Mr. Roberts, Carl Gage.

   Mrs. Roberts, Miss Carrie Arnold.

   Willis Campbell, Charles Arnold.

   Dr. Lawton, Merett Barker.

   Old Mr. Bemis, Irving Stedman.

   Young Mr. Bemis, George H. Hoyt.

   Young Mrs. Bemis, Miss Josie Watson.

   Mrs. Crashaw, Miss Ienez Churchill.

   Good night Song, Double Quartet.