Memorial Day in Scipio in 1908

I spent some time at one of my favorite websites fultonhistory.com today. I thought it would be appropriate to post how Scipio celebrated Decoration Day while some of our Civil War veterans were still able to participate. Here is the article I found:

Auburn NY Weekly Bulletin 1908-1909 from fultonhistory.com
Memorial Day at Scipio
S.C. Tallman and Rev. A.S. Yantis of Auburn among Speakers

The Decoration Day observance at Scipio Center Saturday last was a very interesting occasion. The brass band from Sherwood’s was in attendance and enlivened the occasion by music before Snyder’s hall began to fill up, as it did, for the afternoon exercises. The band opened the exercises by playing America and received hearty applause. James Hitchcock presided in his usual systematic and satisfactory way, and introduced the various numbers on the programme, the first of which was the invocation by Rev. Arnold Stevens Yantis of Auburn. The scholars of the Scipio school under the direction of Miss Hadley, their teacher, marched in from the rear of the hall each one carrying the American flag, and lined up in company front on the stage and sang with great force and dash the old time soldier’s refrain of Tramp, Tramp, Tramp the Boys are Marching. The choir, Mrs. Pardon T. Shorkley, Mrs. Allen Post, John and William Van Liew then sang Tenting Tonight on the Old Campground. As John Van Liew of Auburn, formerly of Scipio, was a veteran this number was extremely fitting. Mr. Hitchcock then read Lincoln’s address at Gettysburg. The choir sang another selection, and was followed by Selah Cornwell Tallman of Auburn with brief remarks. Among the subjects discussed he referred to the fact that the Scipio post was named after his uncle, Selah Cornwell, and gave a sketch of his life as he organized and went to the front with the Company E as its captain of the One Hundred and Thirty-eighth regiment. Mr. Tallman spoke of his remembrance as a boy of between 6 and 7 years of age when his uncle left for the front and how well he remembered the occasion and of the sadness occasioned by the death of Selah Cornwell which occurred November 1, 1862, about two months after he left for the front, and expressed his gratitude to the officers of the post for the privilege of commemorating the memory of a good man 46 years after his death. He also referred to the great love which General W. H. Seward, his commander, had for him and how he thought a bright future was closed by his death, and that he so wished to live not alone for the sake of living but for the privilege of keeping his company to the front and in the service of his country.
Mr. Tallman gave several humorous sketches and referred to the statistics showing that the country was saved not by men but by boys ranging in age from 10 to 21.
The children then sang another patriotic number and the orator of the day, Rev. Arnold Steven Yantis, gave his address in his customary dignified and masterly manner. He referred to the growth and the grander of the republic, how the ties of the North and the South once so badly separated were now banded together that at Battle Creek Mich., the Decoration day address was to be made by a former Confederate soldier, and the debt of gratitude that this and coming generations had for the soldiers. The meeting came to a close by the singing of America by the choir, and while the audience dispersed the band played another selection.
Several of the veterans were unable to be present owing to feeble health, and there were seven men only to represent the now rapidly decreasing heroes.
Mr. Tallman motored to Scipio in his Reo touring car and was accompanied by Rev. A. S. Yantis, Veteran Thomas Tallman and his son, Carl C. Tallman.