[McLeansboro Times ]
Thursday, June 1, 1922

MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES

          Decoration Day was fittingly observed in this city Tuesday by the Grand Army of the Republic, the Spanish War Veterans and the American Legion assisted by our citizens in general.  Contrary to the usual order of things, the weather was ideal.  The sun shown from morning until night, at no time being obscured by clouds, and all nature seemed to vie with the veterans and their friends in paying tribute to our dead.

          A beautiful new band stand had been erected in the courtyard and here the program was carried out.

          Promptly at 2:00 o'clock services were opened by the band playing America, followed by invocation by Rev. W. E. Bennett.  Harry W. Adams, as master of ceremonies, introduced Dossett S. Ledbetter, who made a few brief remarks in the interest of the American Legion, its purposes and intentions.

          S. H. Ward, representing the Grand Army of the Republic, followed in a short address, closing with a reading "Sheridan's Ride."

          A reading by Rev. Frank Hooker, "The Flag" was very entertaining and well rendered.  A vocal solo by Harry Norris, violin duet by Misses Nadine Sharpe and Proctor, and a few well selected songs by the girls of the eighth grade school, made up the musical selections of the program, each number was well rendered and received its share of the applause.

          A reading by Mrs. F. F. Frey, entitled "Decoration Day" was rendered in an attractive manner by a very talented young matron.

          The big attraction of the day and the one to which all had been looking forward to was the address of Hon. Charles Wood, of Wayne County, a member of Co. A 9th Ill., in the Spanish-American war.  Mr. Wood, who is now a member of the Illinois Senate, delivered the Memorial address in this city ten years ago, and his oratory has been commented on many times by those who were fortunate enough to hear him.  Senator Wood delivered one of the ablest addresses ever heard in our city.

          At the close of the ceremony, the march to the cemetery was taken up and headed by the ever popular McLeansboro Band, proceeded to beautiful I.O.O.F. cemetery where the monument to all soldiers dead was decorated by the G.A.R. Post, and the individual graves of the44 ex-soldiers of the World War were bedecked with flowers by the American Legion and a score of flower girls.  The regulation salute of three volleys was fired by a squad from the Legion Post, taps were blown, and as the multitude stood silent with bowed heads the faint echo of a bugle down in the woods reverberated the soft notes of "taps" and another Decoration Day had passed into history, with the thought present in every mind that there were some in the vast multitude this day who before next Decoration Day will have joined that silent caravan to that bourne from whence no traveler has ever returned.

          There were present at the ceremonies survivors of four great wars, Col. H. W. Hall, who participated in the Mexican War, being present through the afternoon.  Col. Hall is now quite feeble, and in the natural course of human events, this will be the last ceremony of this kind where the survivors of our wars will be permitted to gather together to do homage to those who have gone before.