Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1854-07-27
Correspondence of the Democrat g. Sentinel.
The Celebration at Swaney.

Will be impossible Tor me TO give YOU a full ac
count OF all that took place on that day, at that
particular village. An outline, however, L will
try to give.
About the hour of 81 O'Clock, A. NJ, long be-
fore Sol Lad shown the face, or had even mantled
the eastern sky with the rosy blush of morn, our
citizens were reused from their slumbers by the
firing of heavy brass "A, taken at Saratoga a
field on which American prowess shone forth clear
as rotten mackerel by moonlight, and by the
flight of rockets and roman candles, and the wells
Of young America. There was no use trying to
sleep, 50 by common consent we left our lazy
couches and came TO a perpendicular position. and
each patriotic citizen might have been seen at his
door III say hive minutes from the time the firing
&c, commenced L need hardly inform you, that
most Of Us took time to put on our garments, be-
fore coming out. Some, however. neglected this
precauton, the result was as the sequel will show.
that they had TO go TO the ground SANS CULLoT-
TEs. The cannon was manned, or rather boyed,
by Tom Jones, aged IL years and Q months =
Jim Brown, aged IL years, months and 16
days, and the Rev. Josiah Howard, aged "a years,
- hours, 10 minutes and some odd seconds
The sixteenth fire after my arrival upon the
ground, passed off well; but on the 18th, the
grass and sods near by having become scarce, a
young American some Z or years Of age, broke
into Emanuel Darlington's Dry Goods store near
by, and brought out bale of cotton the greater
part of which rammed into the Old Saratoga.
The match was applied, and off she went with
crash that shook the western continent, (this
counts for the earthquake at San Salvador.) |
found myself lying beyonG the Hoosack, and
strange TO say | was not seriously hurt but my
clothes had been mostly removed by the concus-
sion. jumped up, because / could not afford 10
be idle on the 4th, and ran back to Swaney, dis
tant about eight furlongs; ] wish had stayed
away ana left the town to its fate, a grand illu-
mination had been got up. The cotton had set
fire to Mr.. Darlington's Store, and the flames had
communicated to the large tallow-chandler es-
tablishment of the Messrs. Stuarts. Well, We
went to work TO try to put out the fire before We
should commence celebrating the day. The en-
gines worked very well SO long there any
one to attend 10 them. About 20 900 panes of
glass Were smashed by the 4" Herculus'' alone
| did not count the number broken by the 3 Sala-
mander." and - Phoenix" but it is reported that
each Of these companies behaved admirably.
About this time, that is to say about half-past
four, A. NJ, the procession formed for the grove.
Gen. Jonathan Fish, distinguished for his servi-
ces in Mexico, acting as Chief Marshal, and NOV
ed off IN excellent style, large additions being
made at each principal street and alley, The en-
dren, left the devouring clements 20 lick up the
wealth of Swaney, while they went to the grove
70 lick iasses and swaller gingerbread,
But few, very few, were left in town, hut
what few remained formed Inc, / acted as
Captain of the force. bat il was 20. The Her
The Salamander was melted into solid mass of
iron and leather. What became of the Phoenix
is not known with certainty, but it is reported
she was stolen by Mrs. Abigail Roundy, and Sc
creted in a neghboring village. This unfortunate
lady did this out of pure spite. She had lost
pig -stye by the fire. The stye was not Of great
value but in it were no less than three venerable
sows, with their respective Gtters, numbering in
all ffty-six, corresponding with the number of the
signers Of the Declaration of Independence,
| now called Council Of War, Mrs, Shaw,
(yyife of Enoch,) acted as President by common
consent, while l acted Secretary.
On motion of Seth Grimshaw, it was
Resolved, That the Revolutionary fires still
burn brightly
To this Resolve, Peleg Joyce offered an amend
ment which I am happy to say was voted down.
1t was in these Words and further be it."
ResolUed That there is strong probability
that, inasmuch, as the town Of Swaney early on
the morning of the 18TH anniversary OF
American Independence, die take fire, there Is
in the opinion of this meeting, slight fears
that the whole darned concern viii go to.
About this time, an explosion took place, The
large Warehouse Of Dooittle S' Bro, contain
ing $50 tons sat-petre, besides some 1000 kegs Of
Dupont's n-powder-sorne say 1T was merely
common blasting powder-blew up. What be
came of my pen, md inkstand and the book on
which | was then piously engaged, don't
know but on far distant hill, in the crotch of a
Large oak, l found myself with one leg--the left
i think, broken pretty far up. Immediately be
meath Inc perceived the assembled wisdom and
patriotism of Swaney.
Of course / staid there aud listened TO the read
ing OF the Declaration of Independence, the resO-
lutions and the Grafton.
l had not time 10 take down the resolutions
They were read too fast and too careessy by Jriah
Orcutt, Dry Goods merchant Of SAMSON St,
whose store at that particular reading had the
pleasure of seeing from my perch to be ON fire.
The Grafton was much better than most produc-
tions OF the kind, and carefully noted down every
word as follows, to-wit: q forgot the Speakers
| name. We had fetched him from New York;
/ Fellow Citizens-When in the course Of reyolv-
! ing years, the 4th Of July comes round as it:
| bound TO do, once in every 365 days, II becomes
! the duty of every American citizen to sacrihct
! everything upon the altar of Fresdom that altar
! upon which Tell Kidd. Washington, Arnold JEFF
! ferson and Burr, selflmmolated NhC
among you. ..wonld be base enough TO refuse max
ing bonfire of your earthly all, as brother Orcut
! is now doing for the benefit OF Young America
| If one such exists, upon whose tympanium, on
word l now say, shall touch, let him be darned
MAY he be darned in his coat, the sleeves, tn
/ skirt the collar and waist thereof, Let him b
darned in his boots his waist coat, his shirt, HI
cravat, his hat, and particularly in his stocking
and gloves. Wifeless let him lie down, an
childless let him rise ulj. In all things let him
mere Squirt and Owl; thing 10 be avoided
Stunned, spit upon! And when the great day
final account shall burst upon an astonished woriC
| When the elements shall become mixed whe
the awful thunders which for the last time sha
sound upon our ears, may he and his be eternall
and forever consigned 10 that place where enc
less
9 ..
! (CoNcLUsIos NEXT WEEK.
p S. :" i still i've" said the immortal Webste
the great expounder Of the Constitution, and
still live; and yet, Mr.. Editor, l can't tell VIII
for have on the late 4th of July, passed throug
d. he of Ia M2nCh;