Morris Herald – June 2, 1876

Excerpts from the Morris Herald for June 2, 1876.

LOCAL NEWS

DECORATION DAY

Decoration Day was appropriately observed in this city on last Tuesday. Several of the stores were closed and nicely decorated. At 9 o’clock in the morning the procession consisting of about 50 carriages formed on Washington street, in front of the Court House, and proceeded by the Centennial Cornet Band went to the Catholic cemetery. Here Hon. P. A. Armstrong delivered a very able address appropriate to the occasion, at the close of the address the decorating committee consisting of 38 young ladies, attired in black dresses, broad trimmed hats, covered with white illusion with white crepe on the left arm, proceeded to the grave of each soldier, and one of the young ladies placed a wreath of flowers upon the grave, and as the solemn procession passed by each one of the committee dropped a flower upon the grave.

The graves of the following named soldiers in this cemetery were decorated: John McNellis, navy; John Carney, 4th Ill. Cavalry; John O. Mahony; W. F. Topper, 76th Ill. Infantry; Edward Slattorey, sergt. 55th Ill. Infantry; James Maloney, Mulligan’s Brigade; William Hughes, 76th Ill. Infantry; Patrick McGloughlin, 55th Ill. Infantry; Wm. Clarke; James Harvey; John Harvey; Wm. Yost, 76th Ill. Infantry; Patrick McGrath, 58th Ill. Infantry. There is one other soldier buried in this cemetery whose name and grave is not known, and therefore was not decorated.

This closed the program at the Catholic ground and the people returned to the city.¹

At the Cemetery: At the close of the address the decorating committee proceeded, in the same manner as in the morning to decorate the soldiers’ graves, followed by the 450 school children, each of whom dropped a flower on the grave.

The graves of the following deceased soldiers were decorated: Cooper Berry, Geo. W. Horsley, Philip Sealbach, Wm. T. Berry, Capt. Ed. J. Fosha, Wm. Webber, Julius Webber, Richard Garbett, Henry Rutherford, Cardon Wallace, Daniel Caswell, Chas. L. Starbuck, J. Pattison, Geo. Woods, Wm. Johnson, Henry Perry, Thos. Roland, Wm. Stocker, F. H. Williams, Thos. Walker, J. V. Hasley, J. W. Walker.

Throughout the whole ceremony there was no attempt at display, no pomp, but the unity of the citizens with no other object in view than that of paying a tribute of respect to those who had given their lives that our country might live.

Judge McRoberts has granted an injunction restraining the patriotic denizens of Joliet from expending $3,000 of the public funds in the purchase of fire crackers, on the glorious Fourth.

Prof. Clark, of the Chicago University, in company with several other luminaries of the Scientific world, was in this city on last Wednesday. Pioneered by John Winterbottom, they went up the Mazon to hunt specimens.

Several of the flags placed upon soldiers’ graves on Monday were stolen before the decorating committee got around on Tuesday. The person that would be guilty of so contemptibly mean an act is not worthy of recognition by respectable people.

Mr. John Brown has placed in his drug store, No. 22 Liberty street, one of the Matthew’s soda fountains, one of the finest made. It cost $1,000. If excellence of the apparatus will add to the quality of the drink, the soda dispensed at Brown’s will be hard to beat. No one should miss seeing the fountain, even if they are opposed to drinking.

On Thursday night of last week, a horse belonging to Edward Clow, was stolen from the stable of John Clow, of Mazon. On Friday Sheriff Schroder was notified of the theft, and on the following Tuesday the horse was returned to his owner. No use for horse thieves to ply their vocation in Grundy county.

Rev. DeWolf has accepted the call of the congregation of the Baptist church, of this city, to become their pastor, at a salary of $1,100 per year.

Phoenix-like, the La Salle County Press has risen from the ashes.  The first number since the fire was issued on last Saturday. The paper has adopted the quarto form, and in many respects is an improvement over the old paper.

Rev. J. H. Alling was attached on Thursday afternoon of last week, on the street, near his residence, with what to all appearances was an apoplectic fit.  He was taken into the house and before fully rallied, was again prostrated. He was, however, able to preach on Sunday. Mr. Alling had not been feeling well for several days and believes the attack was superinduced by excitement and heat.

Dr. J. C. Andrews, of Hamilton, Ohio, who a few weeks ago was married to Miss Mattie C. Hutchings, of this city, has been prevailed upon to remain in this city, and has opened an office in Goold’s block and will practice medicine. The Doctor is a graduate of the Eclectic Medical Institute, of Cincinnati, Ohio. He has had several years’ practice. We wish him success.

1. Included in the article is a copy of the address by Capt. C. A. Hill, of Joliet. ↩