The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-07-07
Gotat Matters.
Celebration Of the Fourth.

tnuSiaotio"hs ny VIC PooPic VI tiiS COun
ty. The main celebration was in thi.
village, and we doubt much whether 1;
more satisfactory one came off through
out the State. On Saturday previous
the old liberty pole on the west side o
the river, having previously been taker
down and heightened, was again raised
towering up ll6 feet above the ground
Another pole, rs feet above the surface
was also raised near the Court House
and during the Fourth bore an ensign
belonging to the citizens of Fairbank
The preparation of flags, banners, seats
and tables in the grove, balloons, DC.
kept good proportion of our citizens
busy throughout Saturday, and infused
and kept up, fervor of patriotic spirit
that gave promise of the good time thai
followed.
The weather, during most of the 4th
was clear, cool and pleasant cooler, we
think, than we ever knew it to be al
that time in July. This, with the rains
of few days previous, which prevented
dust, contributed much to the general
comfort and enjoyment. Early in the
morning the cracking Of anvils-the
largest piece of ordnance of which our
county can boast-commenced, and con
tinued at intervals throughout the day
A new and handsome national flag
twenty eight feet long and thirteen wide
was raised on the pole on the west side
OF the river, and fine large new one
hoated gracefully over the store of Messrs
KINsLEY & BowLEr. A white, triangu-
lar flag, ornamented with stars, flung ou
its folds from the top of the pole near
the court house, and on the Revere
House tioated streamer, and upon the
Brewery on Main Street, the French tri-
color.
Almost from sunrise the country peo-
pie began to flock into town, dressed in
holiday garb. Old men and old women
youths and maidens, boys and girls, came
thronging in in all kinds of vehicles
in buggies and on "buck- boards" in
carriages and in carts, in wagons and
on horseback-wIth horse teams, mule.
teams and oX-teams-unti Main Street
was nearly filled with joyful. restless
mass Of human beings. The Pine Greek
band came into town early, and enlivened
the crowd with their martial strains.
The main features of the occasion
were the parade and exercises of the Or
der of Good Templars. The Quasque-
ton, Littleton and Fairbank Lodges Join
ed with the two i'll this place in the cele-
bration. They came into town with ban
ners tastefully decorated, under the lead
of their respective marshals. and the lat
ter two headed by good military bands.
After being escorted through the streets,
they proceeded to the Court House, and
after some preliminaries, the sever al
lodges formed in procession, in order AS
follows Quasqueton Lodge, 40 men,
bers; Wapsipinicon Lodge. IS members !;
Littleton Lodge, 72 members Fairbank
Lodge. so members Harmony Lodge,
"a members. The procession was head
ed by the several bands, who discoursed
some very good music. A fine large
national flag was carried in front, and
each society had an appropriate banner,
the handsomest being that of the Har-
mony Lodge. Of this place, which was
very tastefully trimmed and ornamented.
After passing through Main street as
far as the Empire House, on the West
side of the river, they returned and
marched to the grove north of town,
where stand had been erected and seats
prepared. The crowd present must have
numbered some five or six hundred,
many members OF the order who were
not in procession. besides a large num-
Der of persons not connected with the
Societies. being on the ground. H. w.
GLrSS. Esq. of Wapsipinicon Lodge,
acted as President Of the day. After
music by the band, very appropriate
and excellent prayer was delivered by
Rev. II. kINsLEY, of Harmony Lodge,
after which a spirited temperance song
was acceptably sung by the choir. The
Declaration of independence was then
clearly. distinctly and well read by C. E.
LArHRoP. Esq, Of Wapsipinicon Lodge.
was extended to the clergy and
members of the press present to occupy
seats upon the stand, after which and the
performance of another piece Of music,
Judge TABOR, of Wapsipinicon Lodge,
was introduced, and after welcoming, on
behalf of the independence Lodges, the
guests OF the occasion, and concratula-
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