The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1876-06-24
OTTAWA FREE TRADER: SATURDAY, JUNE a. 1876


| Shall We Burn Up?
! The natural tendency of the average AMIR
lean to blow himself up on the Fourth Of July
and the fact that ninty-nne glorious Fourth
cu.minate on the next, are setting men L
thinking. Young America gravi,ates naur
ally to gunpOwder, III greater or III NOR pack
ages. Nor is this through patriotism. |
comes from an insane desire TO see flash
hear anose, and smell the stencil of the vii
famous saliptter If no further harEI than
the mutiatiOn OF 1Ouag America resulted
from this insanity it might well be encOuI
aged but unfortunately whole communllie
are sufferers troi. the nuisance, and the sui
tering might be dispensed with By the exer
else ola little caution.
In this day and generation Of utIliarian
Ism the query "cui bono:' arises. What al
vantage Is derived or derlvablo from the in
fernal din and sulphurOus Vapors 10 whlCl
the modern demonstration Of patriotism
gives BIRTH 1t cost Portland, Me, ten mil
lions of dollars to restore the city, LAID vast,
by cohhagratlon of which u lew grains o
gunpOwder were the fountain. New York
looked asKance at the flames that wrapped
up her City Hall, the result OF few fire
works, very thin and very dangerous at thu
best. There is not Il city ia the Union tina
the senseless habit of this kind of celebration
And this Centennial bids fair to extend tn,
nuisance. With the quckened respect for tht
deeds of the by gone rs, the youth Of the ano
will turn to the gentle tire-cracker, the innoc
uous pin wheel, or the festive sky.rocket
The air will be lambert with the flames a
red, white, AMI blue, hIghjinks great North
Americas aurora borealis Will shower lis
sparks and dash its fires upon crowded cities
and q sulphur impregnated atmosphere will
scatter the danger broad and wide. Now, In
mildly deprecating such catastrophe, the
Times objects 10 being stigmatized as unpa
riotic. 1t is crime 10 submit life, and prop
erty TO the dangers that attend the Fourth
If the heart strings of those who have bene-
flied By the deeds of the men who died in the
Revolution throb and vibrate patriotic emo.
ton once year they could be soothed by
sweeter music than the exploding OF gun.
powder can possibly bring. Common sense
suggests many way OF maniiestihg our
gratitude to the soldier who burnt powder
only when it was necessary, and always to a
good purpose. 1t would be just as wise toI
a man TO fire off fire crackers and sky rock.
cts and roman candles over his fathers grave,
as over the tomb Of his great. great grandpar.
ent.
The terrible CONGREGATIONS that have de.
vastated great cities and smaller municipal.
ties are attracting more than ordinary alien
ton to the possibilities of the coming Fourth.
Insurance companies are demanding prem
ium OF one-half of one per cent. month
above regular rates, on all risks that include
the sale OF fire works, and some are refusing
to take such risks at any rate, in which we
fully concur. Fire underwriters are in the
habit of studying these questions and their
action shows the blowing of the wind.
And il would be well if this abuse OF gun
powder could be entirely stopped or trans
ported beyond all chance OF harm-dolhg'
Some OF the smaller towns are hesitatng
about appropriating money for the lookedlor
display this year 1t would be well If they
would refuse point blank to appropriate money
for such incendiary purposes, and then pass
ordinances that will insure quiet day ana
safety TO innocent people and their property.
Where II cannot be entirely suppressed IT.
can be removed beyond the possibility OF do
ing damage, and there left to kill off It's de
voices at It's leisure.
The authorities OF all towns should discour.
age the habit of their fire department visit.
ing plcDics, etc. with their engine, but in
any case the engineer and foreman should
be left at home with their engine.
This business of celebration" is beng
well looked into, and it is not impossible
that some decided action will be taken
The following named reliable insurance com.
panies have interested themselves in the mat |
er, and we may look for good results from
heir labors: Royal, of Liverpool; North
America, of Philadelphia; Liverpool and
London and Globe, Hartford, London Assur.
lnce Corporation, Home of New York; Pie
Xix, Of Brooklyn; Continental, of New York
Royal Canadian, of Montreal; Western As.
urance, of Toronto; Girard of Philadelphia
American, Philadelphia; Commercial, of
H. LOUIS; British America Assurance Com
amy; Bangor Of Bangor, Me-; German
American, of New York; Firemans Fund,
f California; Springfield f. and NJ, of Mas
achusetts; Atlas, of Hartford; Shawmut, of
'oston Standard, Of Trenton, n, j., Farm
rs and Drovers', of Louisville, Ky; Pater.
On, of Paterson, n. j.; Westchester, OF New
'ork Traders, of Chicago; Rhode Island
insurance Association Glen's Falls, of Glen's
alls n. Y; Alliance, OF Boston; Fairfield,
South Norwalk, Conn; Lynchburg, of
ynchburg, Va; Hudson, of Jersey City, N.
); Germanla, of Elizabeth, Nj; New York
entral, of Union Springs, N. Y; Germania,
New Orlcans.-ChIcdg0 Times.