River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1875-07-09
The Celebration.

The day was fine, the morning being
cloody, and the weather cool. At an
early hour the village was full, and at
nine O'Clock it was running over"
At ] past nine the Band was moving,
and an attempt was made to form a
procession. Moving from the Brack.
EFT House to and around the Pierce
House, they proceeded up TO Fourth
Street, and down Fourth to near the
Normal School building, thence again
west on to Main Street, and up Main
Street to the place of starting Though
the line was compact, the "eud was
not yet" Thence to the grove, where
the IN ain body arrived at ten o'clock,
As to the number, it was variously
estimated There were two hundred
and thirty seven teams which crossed the
bridge in the procession, averaging
not less than six persons to a team.
And this did not embrace oAe.half the
number present. To say the least,
there were three thousand present.
The exercises we're opened by prayer
by Rev. S. w. Horner, and the Dec
laration was read by G. B. Ferguson,
Esquire, of Trimbelle. Mr.. Donnelly
commenced his Grafton at eleven o'clock
and continued to speak for Just one
hour. We v III attemp; no outline of
his speech, and would only say that
il was an able effort, entirely free from
personalities. or partisan denuncialion;
and he was listened to with profound
attention to The end. ~
Then followed che toasts and rcspous.
es, which occupied another hour, and
held the audience to the last. The
responses were brief pertinent and
eloquent. The one by Judge Foster
deserves credit for pith. elequence, or
iginality and brevity. Scarcely less
can be said of the one ny Prof G. W.
Pratt, while that Of Rev. Horner was
the most eloquent, as well as the most
beautiful tribute we ever heard paid to
Woman. The response by f. NJ. Nye,
as well as those by Messrs. +. w. Nye,
Norris Wilkinson, ID. VI. Lusk and A.
p. Weld, deserve a more extended
notice than we have space to give.
The following are the toasts in the
order in which they we're read:
The Day are celebrnte-The Ninety
ninth birthday of American lnde-
pendence. While the first witnessed a
family Of thirteen, the present presents
a family of thirty-eight children. May
their number be augmented till our
National Holiday shall be known and
recognized in the remotest ends Of the
earth Response by the Band
Wisconsin A model commons wealth,
distinguished for intelligence and free
dom-love of liberty and respect for
lava patriotism as pure as her sum.
mer breezes, and prosperity perma-
nently secured - Response by f. NJ.
Nye.
The Goddess Of LiJerty.-Queen of
the West ern World, and here may she
sit, forever en,hroned in her glory,
with the stars of the union for her cor.
onet, and the Rock Of Independence
for her footstool Response by the
Band.
The ST. Oroir VoH,y.-we honor
equally our native homes, and our adopt.
ed valley; the latter with its enterprise
and intelligence, gives us the oppor,u.
nifty 10 use what we Inherited from the
former.--Response by n B. Wilkinson.
Tie Old Setlrs.-The men and
women who have made the wilderness
bud and blossom as the rose; who sowed
the seed that has borne fruitful bar.
vest, and the work Of whose b nds IL
made manifest in the fertile fields
around us, and the happy faces before
us - Response by J. NJ. Bailey.
The Star Span9'ed B1nner. MAY
its folds, woven with the thread of our
Industry, and It's stars, bright with the
efplgenee Of our liberty, never again