Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 June 1896 — Memorial Day Observance. [ARTICLE]

Memorial Day Observance.

As is al ways the case in Rensselaer, when the weather permits, Memorial Day was fittingly observed here last Saturday. Careful and thorough preparations had been made by the G. A, R. Post, No. 84, ably second by their co adjutors the Womens Relief Corps. The work of the latter being shown in the profuse offerings of> flowers. Attwo o’clock the procession Was formed by chief Marshal W. M. Hoover and his aids, J. C. Gwin and J. Q. Alter, and the march to Weston Cemetery promptly began. The order of the procession was as follows: Rensselaer Citizens Band, 15 pieces. * Detachment of soldiers, with guns, for military salute. School children to the number of about 175.■ 1 , Iroquois Lodge Odd Fellows, in regalias. «. Rensselaer Lodge Daughters of Rebekah. Rensselaer Lodge Knights of Pythias. St Joseph’s College Band, 21 pieces. St Joseph’s College military battalion, In uniforms commanded by Major Cbgan and Capts. Fitzpatrick and Mungovan. Womens Relief Corps. Rensselaer Post, G. A. R. and other old soldiers. Citizens in carriages and on foot. At the cemetery the exercises were. more than usually appropriate and-well executed. They consisted of the following: Opening Address by Post Commander, T. F. Clark. Song,We come Again” by a select choir. Prayer by Rev; C. E. Voliva. Song, “Sleep Comrades, Sleep” by the choir. Address, by Mr. W. B. Song, “The Fallen Brave” choir. Address, Rev. L. H. Findley. Decorating representative grave, by the G. A. R. Post. Firing Military Salute to the Honored Dead. Song, “America.” The address by Mr. Austin was one of the best ever delivered here on a similar occasion. It was full of the highest patriotism; and of the keenest appreciation for the sacrifices of those whose memories the day commemorates. Mr. Findley’s address, though less extended than Mr, Austin's, was also most appropriate to the day and the occasion, and, like his, was thoroughly well received by the audience. In point of attendance, also, the day was a great; success. Great numbers came in from the surrounding country and the town people turned out very generally and together made one of the largest and some think the largest gathering ever held here on Memorial Day. " Fine G&binet Photographs, only 32 per dozen—a whole $ saved, at the Peoples Picture Gallery, over Porter A Wishard’s Grocery. First stairs east of the Model Store. Satsfaction guaranteed. The case of the Monon brakeman, Southwick, was reversed by the Appellate court, one day last week. Southwick was helping unload a piano at the Rensselaer depot in Nov. 1893. He was outside on the depot platform and the conductor was inside the car helping him. The conductor stepped in a hole in the car floor and let go his hold on the piano. It fell on Southwick and badly injured him about the hips, leaving him permanently lame. He sued the railroad, the case being tried in Newton Co., on change of venue, and got a 12,500 verdict. As stated above, the case has been reversed by the Appellate court; holding that the fellow-servant was responsible for the injury. The finding, as condensed in the newspaper report, was as follows: “Where a brakeman and conductor are unloading freight from a defective ear and such defects are known to each and the brakeman is injured by the conductor stepping through a hole in the car, causing him to let go the weight he was assisting the brakeman to unload, and causing injury to the brakeman, such injury was caused by the fellowservant and the company will not be held responsible for the injury.”