The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-07-05
LOCAL MATTERS.
The Glorious FotIR.fh, ].

GENERAL SUSPENSE OF. BUsIE ELS AND PATHI
OTTO DEVOTION TO THE EXCURSION POLICY
/ SERIOUS ACCIDENT TO 4 UNITED STATES
/ PL4G-rHE coLoRED TROOPS. ~ !.
"'The day we eelebrale" was ushered In
yesterday at an early hour, and was wei
coined by several thousand excursionists,
all the, dealers in ice-eream, and the sreat
body OF the eolored community. .su.
There was no cannon.fring no reading
OF the declaration; no orationS; but Hon.
Lewis Lindsay, Or bis assistant, unfurIed
10 the breeze from the custom.house flag.
staff the national ensign-with the stripes
nearest the heavens and the field OF azure
down towards the earth. In this way was
the idea delleately--we may say poeticalIy-
conveyed to the public that the bottom rail
was on top for the time being, and simuta-
neously a heavy blow was given States
rights. {g; D l..g.4s,sI.. : -. 80
About O'Clock the. United States and
Virginia fngs were raised on the Capitol
building. Better success attended the ef-
forts Of the officials there than had reward.
ed Hon. Lewis Lindsay's patriotic ven.
ture. .....
According to a long-established usage,
the day was hot. II it had been cool it
would have beena failure, and the colored
troops, who made such creditab!e display,
would have been deprived OF half their
pleasure. The hotter the day the better for
colored troops. Whether it was the inspi-
ration or the perspration OF so glorious an
occasion, they looked just splendid.
Multitudes rushed to the departing trains
and steamers TO escape to the country for
few hours, willing to fret and scuffie in the
crowd, content to work themselves into
10 <r
cool-when they got back.
1t Is probable that five thousand people
thus left their homes in quest Of rural shades
and temporary happiness. II they did not
get the latter most of them thought they
did, and that was nearly rs good as the gem
uine article.
The streets here were nearly deserted.
Business was suspended. The public offices,
banks, and dep0ts, and great centres OF city
life, were closed. Ice-cream was in i'm
mepse demand. One dealer said that he
could not ill his orders by several hundred
gallons. In like manner beer-shops and
soda-Water fountains were literally patron
lied.
In brief, it may be truly said that no
Fourth since the war has been so generally
observed ut Richmond. Patriotism even
found vent in fire-crarkers, which are rarely
heard on our streets except at Christmas.
That there was no public demonstration
in honor OF the day is due chiefly to the fact
that all those who did not join the eXcur-
sionists or make jaunts in small parties to
the country were engaged at home-keep-
ing cool, or trying to.
The day was remarkably free from acci-
dents and disorders. There were very few
arrests.
The picnic given by Christ church came
off at Craney Island. The main features
were the glasS-ball shooting and tbe pre-
sentation OF 4 silver cup to the prettiest
child under six years; for which latter there
were about thirty or forty children entered.
The judges were Colonel II. G. Wingheld
and Captain E. Meredith, Of Hanover. They
awarded the cup 10 Miss Lille White
Brauer, daughter Of B. A. Brsuer.
The first prize for the shooting IA gold
medaD, was awarded to Mr.. Charles E.
Brauer, after warm contest, he breaking
twenty balls in twenty shots. The second
prize "a silver cup), was awarded to Mr.
- Johnson, be breaking fifteen balls in
fifteen shots.