Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-07-11
From the Daily Of April 9th.
THE CELEBRATION
Proves to be q Perfect Success.

THE CElAEBKAIIUN
Proves to be a Perfect Success.
rhe Procession the Finest We
Ever Had.
And Everybody as Happy a. they ,
Gould Possibly Be.
The Fourth Of July, to grown peo-
pie, is the same as Christmas to
child and the result of yesterdays
proves that all love for
the STARRY banner" and American
eagle has not died out of the hearts
of either the young or old folks, and
the former would no sooner throw
our national holiday aside, than the
latter would their Christmas.
For some three or four weeks few
men have been spending occasionally |
an evening, with the object in view
of arranging for proper observance
of the fourth, but the continued wet
weather or perhaps the stringency
of money matters, operated against
the project to very great extent and
it was with difficulty that the affair
was consumated. The committee of
arrangements acted very wisely, how
ever, and it may truthfully be writ
| ten that the celebration was the most
successful ever known in central
Iowa.
For a wonder, since Friday, we
have had no rain and the sun on the
evening of the Sd went down behind
a clear sky giving people reason to
hope that the predictions of Prof.
Tice were likely to prove untrue and
preparations went on with redoubled
yigor. The cannon was taken to one
of the commanding hills, in the up
per part of the city, and under the
mana cement of Major Mahon, j. e.
Slaughter and T. J. Hall, its echoes
aroused our sleeping population from
their dreams, and to the fact that the
Anniversary of another National
birth day was dawning.
The morning was clear and beauti-
full, and at an early hour the streets
, began to fill up and although the at.
5 fair had not been advertised except
| through the newspapers and few
handbills in the city, long before the
: hour for forming the procession Q
r very large crowd was scattered
e through the city waiting to fall in.
TWAS almost 10 o'clock before thu
K military companies left their armo
: ries for the City Hall, on the balloon.
y of which an excellent brass band from
e Russell, were playing national airs
r At this hour Market street from tn
= City Hall to Main, and Second stree
v from Market to Court, was dens
mass of sweltering humanity, eacl
one ready to show their patriotism b.
falling into line.
At 10 o'clock Gen. Hcdrick, Gram
, Marshal, assisted by Capt. G. I
u Rounds, Col. Ballingall, r. A. Wilson
A. &. Harrow and Chas. Ladd, Al
lie sistant Marshals, commenced tn
'S formation of the longest process
sions ever seen in Ottumwa on tn
m fourth Of July.
t. Owing to the crowd and incomplet
d condition of one or two wagons
E. was no easy matter, but order wa
n, soon brought out Of chaos and tn
Is procession started, headed by th
sr Russell band.
The military companies marche
N in column, Ottumwa Guards, Cap
Is Jacques in command, in advance
70 Sheridan Guards, Capt. Flemminl
!. following and the Bloomfield Gnard
# Capt. Reagan in the rear. 1t ma
: very properly be said that the militi
- presented an eminently creditabl
d appearance.
n The Sons OF st. Patrick, with thel
handsome banner and fine regalia &C
ded materially to the display. The
!" were followed by the Russell has
: ball club, and they in turn by tn
= = Harvards, of this city, all in brigh
s new uniforms. These boys are
fine athletic lot of fellows and thei
game in the afternoon was very cred
liable to their training.
" One of the features Of the proccssio
that deserves particular mention, wa
Capt. Wittsman's Juvenile compan
a numbering 80 or GO, uniformed in goo
u style and headed by their own drum
e corps. The miscellaneous characte
l. of the people of the United State
a was well represented in this company
: almost every nation having a repre-
sentative.
s A wagon gaily decorated, contain
: ing - handsomely dressed and beau
n tiful young ladies representing tn
original thirteen states of the Union
y and the "Goddess of Liberty" follow
ed next, and in the rear of this wag
on followed a representation of tn
! "Young Republic" fine buggy tn
G only occupant of which was fai
+ representative of "Young America.
i Deputy Sheriff Slaughter's son
dressed in the prevailing style of tn
J age. The little rooster seemed
to appreciate the situation
and pleasantly smiled as h
y recognized remarks OF approval from
admiring friends on the sidewalk.
:, The next wagon in the procession
was decorated with flags and ban
ners, festooned with the nationa
colors and flowers, and a banner
bearing the motto: "Our Country
PRIDE" and contained thirty-eigh
handsome young ladies, dressed il
: uniform white with blue sashes
each wearing a crown with the name
of the state they represented printed
thereon. This was, perhaps, the mos
complete representation that has eve1
;, been seen in this city.
A wagon containing the choir, un
), der the direction Of Prof. Rheem
selected from the best singers in thu
city, was next in the procession.
The fire engine, decorated with req
white and blue ribbons, and unde
the supervision of J. NJ. VIM, at
> tracted considerable attention amonl
. people from the country.
\ > M