The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1876-07-20

PHILADELPHIA, July IL, 1876.
At last the long expected day has come
and gone, and we have reached our hun
dred years. Nothing has occurred in the
least to mar the general harmony of the
occasion. Our motherland, forgetful of
the strife and bitterness of past conflicts,
sends one of the foremost gentlemen of
England to do us honor. Germany, un-
mindful that we are annually depriving
her of millions of her choicest SONS and
daughters, flashes her greeting across the
sea, and bids us hearty God speed.
Our old-time cousin and friend, Canada,
loving, as she does, her institutions and
her Queen, nevertheless, through her
Press Association-representing no less
the patriotism than the intelligence of
the New Dominion-joins in cheers for
the young Republic and hoorays for
Yankee Doodle. 1t is especially crafty
ing that this should be SO, and that ma
tions representing even the despotisms of
the world rejoice in our success.
When ]. closed my last letter, it was on
the eve of the third of July. The whole
city was in q state of breathless expecta-
ton for the night parade which was to
precede the ceremonies of the fourth.
Towards evening on the third the popu-
lation residing in the upper portions of
the. city and its environs turned their
faces towards the scene ofthe procession.
Street cars were crowded, horses strug-
Cling for life, conductors swearing, men
quarrelsome, women screaming and scold-
ing, till it really seemed as if the utmost
limit of human patience had been reached.
Wagons and carriages, of all characters
and styles, festooned with flowers and
decked with gay ribbons, constantly fit
ted by. Arriving at the junction OF
Broad and Chestnut streets, the scene
defed description; struggling mass OF
humanity choked every avenue and
crowded every street; policemen strug-
gled with fate and the crowd, and, not
withstanding the locust and the majesty
of the law, fate and crowd generally got
the upper hands. By nine o'clock the
line of the route was all ablaze with
various colored lights, rockets filled the
air by the thousands, and Old Glory
illuminated by the red glare of innumer-
able -streamed out upon the
night like a star of hope to the shouting
thousands, who, for the time being, were
forgetful of everything but the approach
ing completion of the Nations hundred
years. In my brief space cannot at
tempt to describe the. procession, any
more than to say it was grand success
and as the new clock on the old Inde-
pendence Tower announced the hour of
twelve, which sounded like the requiem
of the departed century, the street in
front of the hall, for many blocks either
way, was illuminated with blaze Of
glory-cannon thundered, steam whistles
screamed, people shouted, drums beat,
small arms ratified, till it really seemed
as if the roof was gone up or the bottom
was dropped out, or something dreadful
had happened, till, finally, completely
exhausted with their own noise, the din
ceased, and peace reigned once more
Sleep laid his leaden mace upon the
eyelids of weary thousands, and for two
or three hours there was comparative
calm. With the first streaks of the COM
ing day, however, was heard the low roar
of great city waking into active, busy
life.
The street Arabs, whose liberty is re,
stricted through all the rest of the year,
set off all sorts of pyrotechnic abomina-
tions, and discharged rusty old pistols,
regardless of the clubs of impotent po:
licemen or the badges of embryo detec'
tives. 1t was, indeed, a. day of glorious
liberty, to indulge in cheek and impu,
dence, without any of the consequences
that ordinarily overtake these infractions
of the code ciuile. The fourth was ush-
cred in with the usual national salute
and ringing of bells. The morning was
one of the loveliest of the year-the all
was balmy, cool and bracing-just such
day as every one wished to see. Al
nine o'clock there was not standing-room
on Chestnut stIeet-a dense mass OF peo-
nle filed every available space along the
entire route. Crack regiments from