Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1876-09-09
The Centennial Celebration.

WI. IIC 'tutISIl'HlC SSuLSi-
NAL Celebration is over. On the oath
of August, 1876, as we proposed, We
celebrated the first Centennial of the
Nation, which seemed to be highly ap-
preciated by all Wednesday evening,
just about sunset, dark cloud over
Swallowed us, which indicated there would
be rain the cosling day, and am in
formed that old sinners who had never
PRAYED = PRAYER, prayed all night that
God would withhold the rain, and He
did not fail to hear them. / learned
that it did rain in MartInsburg, Charles
town. and other places, from which
many came. Mr. John Frames dream,
during the wight before the Centennial
Celebration, was equal TO Jacobs Of old.
He saw the carriages and horsemen en-
tpring the grove; he heard the band OF
music, and the best OF all he saw him
self sitting at the dinner table eating
mutton. Early in the morning, the
committees were on the ground, and
SOON had their tables prepared for bust
pess. Soon sitter, the band came, and
the various officers OF the day. The APP
pointed speakers being absent, speaking
was post pened until after dinner. Then
the audience was addressed by J. X.
Clifford, Esq, Of Nartinsburg, and a
graduate of Storer College, lIarpers
Ferry. Mr. Clifford, governed as much
as possible by the programme, which
forbade politics, confined himself to that
which had a tendency to prepare and
elevate The races for future usefulness.
MIR. Clifford is a young man, but he has
the interest of his race at heart. Mr..
Clifford after speaking nearly, if not
quite, an hour, he closed by saying,
there is no better way to lay the touD-
dation for the future than this "Put
your hearts and heads together, and
give us Hayes for President and Wheel
er for Vice President" After which
Rev. n. G. Bracket, Principal, of Sto
rer College, Harper's Ferry, addressed
the audience. Pref. Bracket is a per-
feet Orator, AID 10 less historian. He
first thanked God for the freedom of
speech, on the continent, and the chan
ges made since 1916, and the improve
nents of all kinds, especially talent, and
freedom Of speech, &c. Should l at
tempt to describe the logic and elo-
quence displayed 10y Rev, Bracket, |
know / would fail to do it. He made
choice of the most simple words, and
his way of speaking about those who
differ from him is SO pleasant, any one
can enjoy his remarks. You may know
the speaking WAS interesting when the
people refused to eat or enjoy them
selves in any way until the last speaker
ceased to speak. Rev. Bracket closed
by saying: Gentlemen, the programme
of TO day says, no politics, by which l
am willing 10 be governed, but | hope
the next time we meet, the programme
will say, politics" He SAID that he
could not advise very well for the fu-
ture without diving into politics. So |
say TO all educate yourselves and your
children.
Mr. Editor there never was an enter
tainment of any kind to surpass the
Centennial Celebration of the colored
citizens of Shepherdstown, on the oath
of August, 1876. After paying all the
expenses, the remainder OF the money
was given to the Methodist and Bap-
list pastors of Shepherdstown. We
had coed order during the day, and l
am happy to say, we rendered satistac-
tiou to all who were interested IN it.
There were some, of course, in it,
who were not interested in it, and they,
like Judas, complained of the waste, but
such people always lived, and l am sor
nv to say, always will live; some such
will live at the next Centennial Celebra-
ton, in 1876. JAS. Ii. CAREY.
Forney's Press declares that 1.-The
60,