The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-07-08
The Fourth in Ottawa.
Tho Centennial Celebration a Success
A Big Crowd, Fine Procession ana In.
teresting Exercises.

A Big Crowd, Fine Procession anu In
teresting Exercises.
Although liberal sum had been raised
to cover the expenses, and the most e!aoor-
ate preparations had been made, the heavy
rains.orm OF Monday and Monday night
had rendered the roads so nearly impossible
and SO greatly crippled the railroads, that
Ottawa was walked by the booming of can
non from out drizzling rainfall on Tues
day morning. with feeling only of gloomy
disappointment in view of the bright antici-
pations it had been cherishing for weeks in
regard to the great Centennial County
Celebration at Ottawa. Yet as the morning
advanced the sky gave indications OF clear
ing up, and by7 or s o'clock the assurances
OF pleasant day became SO positive 'hat
our people resumed their partially suspend
ed preparations OF the day before with great
vigor, and by 10 o'clock the decorations were
a, least respectable, though greatly inferior
to what they otherwise would have been,
Then, also, our people were greatly cheered
by the multtudes coming in from the coun-
try in spite of the shocking state Of tue
roads, SO that before noon the thr1nging
streets showed, that, in spite OF adverse
weather, the celebration could in no sense
be regarded as failure and indeed as the
day further advanced and delegations from
La Sale and Streator and the surrounding
country still came in as late as 2 and 3
O'Clock in the afternoon, it was manifest
that, upon the whole, our celebration must
be regarded as decided success.
We take from the Republican of Thursday
the following account of the doings" of
the day until the close Of Mr.. Neldon's ora
ton, only regretting that Mr.. w., instead OF
furnishing q copy OF it in full, left for pub
location only an abstract of it:
The celebration was fnaugurated by sa-
lutte OF thirteen guns, Monday evening, one
of the government cannon having been
transported to the south bluff for the pur.
nose. The church bells rang lively peals
before daylight, Tuesday morning, and at
sunrise national salute Of thirty eight guns
was fred. The six-pounders were handled
by veterans Of the late war under command
of VIM Kelley. They were inspected by
hundreds during the day, and had the COM
mittee not succeeded ~ securing them this
important feature would have been tame
affair.
PROCESSION,
Marshal Swift his assistant ard aids were
prompt In forming the procession at the APP
pointed time The right rested on Colum-
bus street near Superior. Wien formed.
the procession moved 10 the following order
Marshal, Assistant Marshal and Aids; Bachs
City Band; Ottawa COmmandery, hnighs
Templsr, twenty nine in number; nine
carriages, containing orator, chaplain, reader
of the Declaration, officers Of the day and
members of city council; two pieces of
artillery, each drawn by a span of Degan
Bros Norman horses and accompanied by
artillerymen Ottawa Martial Band; French
Benevolent Society numbering sixteen men ;
knight iD armor, (Henry EberD; Father
Matthew Cacets and Society Uf Ottawa,
numbering ffty.three; centennial car, drawn
by four horses richly caparisoned, and con-
tanning thirty.nne misses dressed in white,
representing the Goddess Of Liberty and
the States of the Uuion; Ottawa Lodge.
No al, !. o. U. F., numbering fifty; Otta-
wa Turnvercin, numbering 1fty one; Morris
Brass Band; fire steamers City of Ottawa
and NJ. II. Swift, decked with flags ana ever
greens Forbes 81 behring's wagon, with
pictorial representations CT the drug trade;
KING, Hamilton d Co.'S wagon. with corn
shelter In operation, and samples OF cultiva.
tors and other implements manufactured by
the firm; four horse team drawing wagon
belonging TO the Ottawa PlOw works, con.
tanning a forge and wOrkmen engaged IN
manufacturing. also samples OF plows;
Smith & Rlsing's cigar factory wagon, with
men engaged In Manufacturing some OF the
brands for which the house IS famous corn
planting in 1870 wagon containing darkey
dropping corn and planting with an old.
fashioned hoe), modern corn planter, co..!
tiVator, harvester, reaper, mower, horse rake
and hay carrier, all belonging to the agrl-
cultural implement firm OF Porter Il Thomn-
SOD; A. Hess & Co.'S wagon, with cigar.
makers at work; Whites brewery wagon;
StormontIs wagon, with one OF his noted
wiudmils ana pumps; Bowman's photo
graph wagon; citizens In carriages. all of
the trade wagons and implements were
decorated with flags, evcrgreens, banners,
notices, &c. The fire steamers were almost
covered with flowers, donated by the ladies'
OF Ottawa, to whom the department Is under
especial obligations and returns through the
REPUBLICAN, the heartlest thanks CT all OF
i.s members.
The procession moved down Columbus 10
Madison, west on Madison TO Court, south
on Court 70 Main, west on Main to La Sale,
north on La Sale to Madison, west on Msdl
son TO Clay, south on Clay to Main, east on
MAN to Columbus. north on Columbus to
Madison, west on Madison 10 La Sale, north
on La Sale to Washington Square. where
Il disbanded and the escort conducted the
orator and officers of the day to the stand IN
the court house yard, where seats lad been
arranged for the accommodation Of about
fifteen hundred persons. OF the procession
this much may be said: Notwithstanding
the storm had prevented all OF the invited
county societies and township delegations
from coming II was, In fact, one OF the finest
demonstrations ever made in the county ,snd
reflected great credit upon all participating.
Had the Father Matthew Societies of Ia
sale and Utica and the \ Dung Crusaders oi
Ia Sale, numbering two hundred and forty
men and boys, who came Ia after The eIer.
cises at the stand had begun. the length OF
the nrnression would have been materially