The Weekly Kansas chief. [volume] (Troy, Kan.) 1872-1918, 1875-04-22
CoNCeRD-LExINGToN.
The Centennial CeIebrafiss OF the First Rat
tIe Of the Revolatien-Aa u Unseemiy squnbbte
Between the Towns.

The approaching centennial celebrations of the
opening conflicts at arms of the American Revo-
luton are exciting great deal of interest in
this vicinity. Boston is preparing to pour IT'S
population into Lexington and Concord on the
18th Of April, and the whole region of the east
part of the state is excited upon the subject.
Several scores Of thousands of people are expect
ed to attend, and il is not unlikely that the two
PROFESSIONS will be the largest ever seen in Mass
achnsetts. The problem now of most concern Is
how to convey the multitudes, who mean to at
tend, to these spots. 1t is doubtful if the rail-
roads will be equal to the emergency. The anni-
versary occurs on Monday, and almost everybody
must 20 on that morning. There are two rail-
with Concord and but one (the LOVELY to afford
conveyance to Lexington. The towns are about
eight miles apart There has for years been a
| ielousy between them. Lexington thinks that
Concord assumes airs from her literary and other
| intellectual pre-eninence, and the Impression
| prevails that in this she had not been fair
| toward her neighbor. There ought to have been
! union celebration in which both towns should
| have participated in all its features. This was
| made impossible because of the rivalry. The
next paint was, to that the one did not clash
| with the other; in ether words to give all who
| desired the Opportunity TO attend both. In such
| an arrangement, the morning observances would
| have naturally been at Lexington. The British
/ troops first reached here their march out
| from Boston, and the first blood split was on
| Lexington common. Then the British went to
| Concord. as everybody knows, and destroyed the
military stores of the colonsts, and the running
| fight began, which ended in their escape into
Boston. But Concord claims to dictate the pro-
| gramme- 1t has possession of the President,
tlsro"sb JtssiSo hoar, who has secured him his
| guest in Concord over Sunday, and assumes that
| he has him at his disposal on Monday morn
| ing. He, as chairman of she Concord committee
says the celebration must begin there, and that
Lexington can only have the Washington party
after the more Interesting exercises in Concord
are over. This has upset all the Lexington ar
rangements. There has been 80 much clashing
among the committees of the two towns that il
! has BEEN reported that the President il disgust
ed, and has declared that he will 20 to neither
unless it is settled amicably; but my impression
is thatJ udge Hoar has the whole thing in his
hands, and that Lexington will be compelled to
assent to whatever he may stipulate. There are
materials for most interesting observance in
| both places. Concord has the advantage in her
classic reputation in the active interest display
ed by Mr.. Ralph Waldo Emerson who will be a
marked figure of the day. He has engaged Mr..
| Genrge William Curtis to deliver the Grafton.
| Perhaps il may not be necessary To remind the
most of your readers that Mr.. Curtis was once a
resident of this town. He was there with Haw-
thOrne after his experience with the commuuistic
| people of West Roxbury. Mr.. Curtis will doubt
| less deliver most eloquent and admirable ora
| tion. No man had better opportunities.
shall be mistaken, however, if that of Mr. Rich
ard II. Dana, Jr, of Lexington, does not fully
| equal it. Mr. Dana is not familiar to our
| people in this style of composition as he onght
| to be- and see 50 little of him, outside of his
| profession, of late, that we are prone to forget
his very mental gifts. OF the other features
of the day, you ar; likely to be fully informed in
the intelligence that will be published hereafter
/ They include the unveiling of monuments and
statutes, and dedlications appropriate to the Pc
riOd.-BOstOH Correspondence Hartford COHrdnt.