The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1875-07-08
The Hibernian BenevOients Find
Shelter Frcm the Rain at
the ArseI al Grounds.
Our German Citizens Enjoy
Themselves at Various
Places o! Amusement.
The Fireworks, Balloons, Et Set.
terry, Monday Evening.

4
eve OF these three ever memorable DAYS, the
air resoEnded with the continued explo-
sions OF pistols, guns, crackers and topedos,
| while ever, and anon the deep reverberat-
| ing roar oil some revolutionary mu-ket
awoke the already startled echoes. The
| morning OF the Fourth dawned brightly,
and soon the streets were swarming with a
| surging hErrying tide OF struggling human
| ity. Everybody was astir, anxious 10 see
all there was TO be seen, and to: participate
If possible, in the enjoyments OF the coca
! sion. About ten o'clock, the Ancient
Order OF Hibernians assembled al the hall,
on Delaware, between Second and Third
streets, and forming in procession, the mem-
bers marched to the Union depot TO meet
4 large delegation Of the same organization
| from Kansas City, who had accepted the
invitation to join in the celebration at
| Taschetia's Grove. At 1880, the visitors
arrived, and preceded by the Filth
| Infantry Band the long column, reinforced
| by numbers from Atchison, 81. Joe. and
Platte city, moved slowly through the
streets, keeping step TO the soul-inspiring
| strains of our national airs. On arriving n
| the grove, and after the dusty and tired
| marhers had allayed their thirst with the
4 7OIh w Int
| booths, the vast assemblage, numbering
somewhere in the vicinity OF three Thousand,
| gathered around the speaker stand to
| listen To the exercises attendant upon the
great and glorious occasion. The ball was
opened by the Hon. NJ. +. Nangle, who read
| TO his deeply interested listeners that preci
| ous document which states in terms both
expressive and elegant, that our emancipa-
l -. 81 =. l.
was conSumatei upon the day we celebrate
| lapplause.l Orations, appropriate and
| pithy, were then delivered BY Judge T. T.
l:ees T. ii. Coney, Hon. K. T. c. Wilson, OF
Platte City, and Dennis Ilalpin, Esq, Of
| Kansas City. At the conclusion of the ex-
erci~es the congregation dispersed among
the leafy bowers and shady dells, passing
| away their time and amusing themselves Is
| best suited them. But it was destined by
the weather clerk that it should not he all
| Joy and happiness. Dark, threatening
clouds, p6rtending Kansas stoSns, swept
over the hitherto bright sky, and
obscured the suns dazzling rays
The echoing thunder as il rolled
| along through the azure vaults, warned
the heeedless that it was time to charter
| covered express wagons and omnibus, pre-
paratory to homeward fight. AT half
past four the shining pearly drops began to
| fall. and ten minutes later the rain fell in
! torrents. Oh what sight was there.
White dresses which, but one short hour
before had enveloped the fair wearerS in 4
cloud OF fieecy loveliness, now hung droop-
| ing and limp, the starch having evaporated
with the shadowy mist white cockades,
the pride of the bearers and the admira-
ton OF the ladies' flew from chapeaus like
mourning flags at half mast everything
and everybody, together with all nature,
were in the dumps. There not being car
| riages sufficient many OF the weaker sex
were forced to walk home, and as they
| passed along the streets, striving in vain TO
distract attention from themselves, their
sorry plight drew many a witty remark
| from the crowds assembled under convenient
| awnings The picnic as a whole, however,
| without taking into consideration the rain,
| was 4 success.
In the evening an entertainment at Turn
| er Hall was numerously attended by the Ger
man citizens, and Notwithstanding the heavy
weather outside, all present enjoyed them
selves TO their fullest capacity.
MONDAY, JULY 9TH,
set apart by His Excellency, the Governor
and conceded in by Ills What-you-
call him, the Mayor, was very generally
| observed, all OF the banks and many of the
business houses being closed. All was sub
dued and rather quiet, those who had been
drunk the day before being in bed or the
calaboose sleeping off the effects, and those
who had maintained their sobriety icing
in the several saloons getting ready for an
all nights campaign. Early in the morn
ing the Hibernian Benevolent Society
formed in procession at the hall, on North
Fifth street, opposite the Cathedral, and
marched to the Arsenal grounds, near the
Fort, the place selected for the picnic The
rain in the afternoon broke up this pleasant
little gathering, however. and all came
home, wet and disappointed.
At Stahls Garden, on North Third street,
the German Singing Society had a Jolly
time, and under the softening influence OF
wine, women and music the happy hours
glided by. the participants in the JOYS of
| the night being lUred inlSa state OF sweet
| forgetfulness.
Meanwhile the streets of the city were in
| an uproar of excitement On all sides
| could he heard the continuous
racket of the internal fre-cracker as it ex-
| ploded in the midst OF frightened and
screaming women, while hid in the deep
recess of an empty dry goods box, or shelf
| cred behind the towering form of some
portly representative, was the young imp,
| with tiendish light in eve and match in hand
ready TO pcrpetrate some deed vet more di-
abolIcal as soon As the storm of indignation
had subsidized. Harmless CANNES, like Phae-
| ton shooting through space with his hair on
fire, darted bowling, yelling, disappearing,
| weeping through the streets, bunch OF
crackers securely fastened to their tails,
| which kept the poor brutes in IN agony Of
| fear while the explosions lasted. In front
| of FarrelPs fruit store several beautiful ex-
hibitions OF fireworks took place, which
| were enjoyed by vast concourse OF people,
who lined either side of the pavement on
Delaware street. One large piece. Wash
ington surrounded by stars and silver rays,
was much'admired, and prismatic wheels,
| flights Of dragons, and Athenian emblems
i without number, were let off in quick sue
cession. The display continued until about
ted O'Clock. Messrs. Sidney Smith & Son
carried away the blue ribbon in the matter
of balloons, they alone sending twelve into
the starry regions. This firm had large
bonfire on the corner nearest their store,
which was, for time, the center of attrac-
ton, toward which every street-arab natur-
ally gravitated. Farrell Bros sent up one
balloon measuring thirty feet in circumfer-
ence.
The independent Benevolent Society Of
the State OF Kansas held brilliant festival
at Laing's Hall Monday evening, which was
largely attended, the hall being Gncomiorta-
bly, crowded. The Rev. Dennis Jones, Hon.
T. ii. Coney and Col. d. W. Houston adj
dressed the audience in words of patriotic
lire which were heartily applauded,
And thus was the ninety ninth anniversa-
~ of American independence celebrated.
Fortunately there were no distressing acct
dents TO chronicle, and with the exception
of shattered nerves, smashed hats and
burnt linen coats nothing now remains to
tell the doleful tale. Fare thee well, thou
day of eScruciation, and may it he a full
calendar year ere ycu visit US again.