The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, May 31, 1901, Page 1

VOLUME LXXXIX—NO. 182. SAN FRANCISCO, FRIDAY, MAY 31, 1901. VETERANS OF THREE WARS UNITE TO STREW FLOWERS | UPON GRAVES OF COMRADES, AND THE PEOPLE EAGERLY JOIN IN MEMORIAL SERVICES FOR NATION’S HEROES Vast Assemblage Gathers on the Presidio Hillsides and Listens to Tribute to Our Soldier Dead RUADING “AT HE memorial services at the Pre- sidio were attended by a vast crowd that came from all direc- tions, strolled alopg the handsome drives and neat walks of the mili- tary reservation and converged upon the cemetery until, when the exer- cises had begun, the green sward of the cemetery hilisides was hid by the mass of people. Stretching away much farther than the volces of the speakers could carry were thousands, unable to hear yet eager to join in the tribute of affectionate remembrance of the nation’s heroes. People began to gather early. The pa- rofe was somewhat late, for when so many veterans of separate organizations and varying ages are to be brought to- gether some are likely to be tardy. Not untfl 11 o'clock did the procession move and begin to wind its way dlong the Presidio’s main drive,. up past the street car terminus, the hospitals and bar- racks and officers’ quarters, toward the towering flagpole with flag at half mast fluttering above the treetops, marking the location of the National Cemetery. The Third Artillery Band was at the head of the parade. Mayor Phelan and members of the Board of Bupervisors rode in carriages in the van of the procession. Two companies of coast artillery, two companies of the FEighteenth United States Infantry and two troops of the MRS CLARA PBLLL BROWN ZHANCELLORSVILLE® 2 HE sacrifices of the dead stirred the patriotism of the living yesterday, while garlands were placed with lov- ing hands’ upon grass-grown mounds of Civil War heroes and upon the yellow earth heaped above graves lately made to recelve the bodies of men who dled for thelr country in the jungles and rice paddies of the Philippines. Never have the soldier heroes buried in San Francisco cemeteries been remembered with more of deep, genuine affection and homage than on this first Memo- rial day of the new century, which found peace restored and the glory of American arms and the valor of American man- hood more lustrous 'than ever on the scroll of fame. Citizens gathered by thousands on the grassy slopes of the Natlonal Cemetery in the Presidio and among the gray monu- ments of the Odd Fellows' Cemetery to stand with uncovered and bowed heads while veterans spoke In tender remembrance of their departed comrades, who once fought shoulder to | shoulder with them, and to look on with moist eyes while ¥ roses and lilles, carnations and trembling hands scattered sweet peas and all the beautiful and fragrant blossoms of Cali- fornia gardens upon the graves of comrades. Mén and women _and children gathered at night in two great audiences that lis- tened to song and story and to the eloquent tributes of noted orators to the brave llves and noble sacrifices of the soldiers and sallors who fill heroes’ graves. It was a day for all the people, and few forgot at least to think with tender, reverential affection of the brave men sleep- ing peacefully beneath the sod of cemeteries. But to the'vete- rans was surrendered the privilege of formal adherence to the traditions of the day. And most feelingly did they proceed B VETERANYS oF Fifteenth United States Cavalry, Als- mounted, composed the first division of the =ctumni The Bignal Corps, N. G. C.. the First Infantsy. & battalion of the new artillery and Troop A, N. G, C., dismounted, fol- lowed the regulars. The local battalion of the Naval Militia was next in line, fol- lowed by members of the Sons of the American Revolution and by twenty vet- erans of the Mexican War. Oscar F. Long Garrison No. 101, Regu- lar and Volunteer Army and Navy Union marched next in line, more than a hun- dred strong. The Army and Navy Far- lor, N. 8. G. W., Camp Richter of the Spanish War veterans, Columbia Park Boys’ Club and the Horace Mann Gram- mar Bchool Uniformed Drill Company fol- lowed with martial hearing. Grand Army in the Parade. The Veteran Guard of California led the Grand Army hosts, Next in line marched George H. Thomas Post, 161 strong. Col- onel Cass Post came next with a strong representation and many visiting Grand Army men marched at the rear of the procession. Captain E. H. Plummer, Tenth United Btates Infantry, late colonel of the Thir- ty-fifth United Btates Volunteers, was the efficlent grand marshal of the parade. His ‘alds were Major Willlam R. Robin- scn, N G, C.; Lieutenant Lioyd England, Urited States artillery, W. J. Watson, C. N. Harrls, J Murray Balley and A. B. Donnelly. As the parade neared the gates of the cemetery the Fifth Battery, United States Artlllery, stationed just outside the cemetery, began firing minute guns, which was continued until the twenty-one guns of the national salute were fired in honor of the dead, At the cemetery gates the escorting or- ganizations formed In line and stood at salute while the vetorans passed through and proceeded to the seats prepared and reserved for them in front of the speak- ers’ platform. The platform had been erected to the southward of the flagpole, well up on the hiilside, which formed a convenient sicpe for tlers of seats. Back of them the crowd of standing spectators stretched away Into the distance, until the hillside i follows: honor to the memory seemed black with people. of our heroes. Even iIn the capital of our ..':. General Shatter, president of ' the day, #ister republic of Moxico there Is & little strlp - bad taken his place on the platform, anq °f §round where flowsrs are being strewn: to- Decu-. with him were D. E. McKinlay, the orator z:v”nv;r“m N s e the of the day, General Warfleld, Rev. 8. D, p o] Hutsinplller and others, :thlv wero < The United Btates in the only aation that Dpens has fnaugurated the custom of bringing back the ot those Joined an soon as the procession arrived | sepulcher 1n thelr nitive soll the bodles of e ol by Mayor Phelan and members of the the men who have died in mervice “the - aan i Board of Bupervisors. national boundaries, . More than & thou After an opening song by the California men who met death fn the ' Philippines are' ' I SCENES AT MEMORIAL BER- VICES AT THE PRESIDIO NA- TIONAL CEMETERY. f—— % Quartet, General Shatter spoke briefly, as Companions of the Grand Army, Veterans of the Mexican War and Citizens: The only in flan Franciaco but fa oltles ana CUPA® towns_ all over the 1and are. the people gath- ered to-day to strew garlands upon the with the hallowed and heautiful customs which they and com- rades now dead originated. ' From feeble, white-haired veterans of the Mexican War, and Civil War heroes less feeble but upon whom age is creep- ing fast, to young men, some of them with wounds scarce healed, whose baptism of fire was given in volleys of Spanish bullets or fusillades from Filipino trenches—veterans all of them—they united in tender tribute to the men who once fought side by side with them, endured privation in common with them, and to whom it was vouchsafed to give the ultimate proof of patriotism, The day was perfect, with a calm and brightness of sky that typified the sentiment of Memorial day. The thousands who gathered on the hills of the Presidio looked beyond the graves at their feet to the quiet, peaceful bay, its su:face plowed by fleets of graceful yachts and with squadrons of merchantmen at safe anchorage in its capacious shelter. They saw opening hefore them upon the ocean the Golden Gate, through which so many gallant boys have gone of late to serve their country beyond seas, and through which have been brought back a thousand of them cold in death to be buried in the Presidio Cemetery, so recently that sod has not had time to form above their graves. The new-made graves, the recentness of war and the polgn- ancy of its sorrows, and the Philippines lying over there be- yond that strotch of blue and green water, with their new problems and the hopes and misgivings they Inspire—it was " small wonder that Memorial day of 1901 seemed fraught with greater significance, more' tenderness of memory of the soldler dead, more prophecy of the future than any of its predecessors. TFIFTH BATTERY FIRING MINUTE GUNS IGrand Army of the Republic Posts CondactImpressive Ceremonies at Tombs of Departed Comrades 3 > MeKINLAY S = N ORATOR S | 2 buried here and many more have been brought home for burial elsewhere, The presence of so many young people here to-day gives assurance that Memorial day will be fittingly observed long after you and 1 have passed away. Rev. 8. D, Hutsinpiller, pastor of the Central Methodist Episcopal Church, in- voked the divine blessing. After tho Call- fornla Quartet had rendered anether num- ber, Ralph T.. Fisher read Liucoln's o+ ’ D. E. McKinlay, Assistant United States District Attorney, was introduced to de- liver the oration. He sapoke as follows: Mr. Prosident, Comrades of the Grand Army of the Republic, Iadies and Gentlemen: In almost every city, town and village through- out {he broad land the soldiers of the Army of the Republic have the call of duty service they. are.to i-x H ,E - of our soldiers, H i | i HOUSANDS gathered at 0dd Fel- lows' Cemetery to observe the cer- emonlesaccompanying the strewing of the .graves of the soldier dead with flowers. early through the gates, which were adorned with a -multitude of small Ameriean flags and clinging evergreens. They surrounded ihe Grand Army plat and waited. After a time the booming of the first minute gun told of the approach of the Grand Army pcsts with their bands of music. At Intervals thereafter through- out the services the minute guns punctu- ated prayer, song and oration with faith- Tyl regularity, furnishing a fitting sort of soldier-like music in honor of the martial men who sleep beneath the sod. Before the exercises at the cemetery a parade took place on Market street, Gold- en Gate avenue and Van Ness avenue. In the line were four Grand Army posts— Lincoln Post No. 1, commanded by John C. Innes; Garfleld Post No. 3, commanded by A. E. Cohn; Colonel Cass Post No. 6, commanded by G. W. Arbuckle, and Gen- eral George G. Meade Post No. 48, com- manded by J. Murphy. There were also bluejackets from the battleship Iowa, led by the Iowa's marine band; Troop A of the National Guard of California, com- manded by Captain Charles Jansen; Sons ' of Veterans, commanded by Captain W. E. Lawrence, and boys and girls from the public schools—the Hancock School drill corps, the Irving Scott School drill corps and the Lincoln driil corps, led by Colonel W. W. Stone. There were also carriages, in which rode' the orator of the day, Dr. M. 8. Levy; Rev. Dr. J. A. B. Wilson and others. The procession Included two bands. Charles Edeiman was the marshal and General E. 8, Salomon was his chiet of staff. Proudly marched the veteran soldlers. No less proudly marched the . #chool boys and schocl girls. At Van Ness avenue and Geary street the veterans| ac- companied by the Lincoln Drill Corps and & band, took the cars for Odd Fellows’ Cemetery. at the When the exercises began at the cem- etery the space about the Grand Army : plat was surrounded by Civil War veter- ans. At the east end loomed up the G. A. " R. monument, wreathed with garlands. At the lower end was a stand for the officers of the day, which was draped with an Crowds passed in. throng of spectators respectfully drew near to the outer margins of the ene closure to see and hear. First the band played “Nearer, My God, to Thee” very solemnly and sweetly. Rev., Dr. Wilson led In prayer and the white- dressed girls of the Lincoln Corps repeat- ed together the Lord's Prayer. Peter H. Mass, president of the day, made a brief address In opening. He spoke of General Logan, who orig- inated the Grand Army of the Republie. He said that once more all over the land American soldiers who had served their country had gathered to lay springtime’'s chelcest offerings om the graves of thelr dead comrades. A Great Object Leason. “All over this great country of ours,” he continued,” a grateful peo- ple throng the cemeteries for the purpose of decorating the graves of those who in life’s early springtime or the menith of their manhood went forth at the call of the great emancipator, Abra- ham Lincoln, to save this Union from dis- ruption. htfl&‘lm the deeds of these, our heroes, and to perpetuate the principles for which they fought and bled and died is the great object of our asso- clation and the purpose for which we are assembled here to-day.” Atter this address the Lincoln Corps sang “An Ode to the Dead,” written by W. W. Stone for the occasion. Twenty tresh young voices made rare music. They sang as softly as robins, faintly at first, gathering confidence as they proceeded, but throughout the melody was attuned gently and plaintively, while the minute guns of the artillery outside of the ceme- tery gates, command.@ by Lieutenant Brower, boomed deeply. Mrs. J. Lou Hallett read Lincoln's Get- tysburg oration. The band played “Cover Them Over With Beautiful Flowers,” and the veterans strewed the graves of their comrades with blossoms. An original poem was read by Mrs. Hattle B. Steels that wys composed by W. W. Stone. Ald for Veterans. Dr. M.. 8. Levy, the orator of the day, spoke earnestly In advocacy of ald for the veterans who have been disabled. On this point Dr. Levy sald: ‘“Let us now turn to the living soldier. How is it with him? Look at the faded coat of blue, that armless sieeve, that faltering step, that pallld cheek, that fall- ing vision. He needs something more than a bouquet or pralse on Memorial day. He sacrificed all the endearments of home, lnd)tothuu.uidhl’lhh!.tm ‘wall between treason and home's Continued on Second Page.