National Republican., 1880-08-06
AHANoooK POLE RAISING.
Bonflres, Fireworks and Spseeh-inaltinR
Last Night,

largo crowd of people, men, women and
children, assembled last night ut the dedica-
tion of tho Hancock pole corner Maryland
avenue and Thirteon.and.a.balf street south
west. Prominent in the crowd were the vari-
ous democratic clubs Of tho District, headed by
the jackson Democratic association. There
was much firing Of cannon, Kissing OF rockets,
glare of Roman candles and blare of drums, all
of which, oujoined with tho hallooing of the
crowds, made NJ very respectable irst-clnss
noise. The shrek Of the occasional engine
diaggiug a passing train was novel addition
to pole raisinGs and as the creator of a diabol.
ical din was very welcome addeudum. The
pole is 1O3 feet high, Of the traditional hick-
Dry, and its surroundings viyidly reminded
the aged democrats of The palmy days Of tho
party in Washington when powder was cheap
aud temperance societies generally confined to
New England The staging around the pole
was covered with trausparencies, Chinese Ian
terms, flags and strcamers, aud the pole itself
decorated with an immense streamer
and gigantic Chinese lantern. An
immense bonf,e on the bank of the river
put up Il tongue OF fame that Illuminated the
water for miles, and was the one object that
would have attracted more than second
glance from any but partisan. The meeting
opened by the election of Benjamin +. Lloyd
AS president, aud ns yico-prcsidonts, W. r..
Walker, II. GIL, jackson Yates, W. ii. Wright,
T. b. kalbfus and II. G. McCawley. Mr.. Lloyd
briefly acknowledged the honor and intro.
duCod John T. Norris, esq Mr.. Norris is q
| foicble though bitter partisan speaker but
his speech on this occasion while unusually
| forcible was singularly lucid, dispassionaie
| aud able, a very credtablo speech even to q
man who has made 500 political speeches in
the past twenty-five years. lie oulogized
Hancock, dwelt upon the ststesmanlike abii-
tics Of the first candidate on his ticket,
claimed devotion to the union us the cardinal
principle OF tho democratic party, and then
having perpelrtted 20 excellent joke, wound
| up with several of those anecdotes of which ho
is 90 capital teller.
| A. y. LipscOmb, esq. was then introduced,
aud elected the enthusiasm Of the crowd in
vocicrOus cheers. lie maintained that the
contest was not one for the offices, but a strug-
gle Tor the maintenance OF American liberty.
| with the usual reference to Jefferson and the
traditional "tai,y" to jackson, he paid his com.
piiments to Grant and pitched into Secretary
SchuH. After critcsing Mr. Schura hO gave
| way to Mai General Darlington, who spoke
long and earnestly. His Grafton was rather
| discursvo and somewhat philosophical. lie
went back as far rs the discovery OF America
aud gave brief but unusually interesting his
| tory of Christopher Columbus Crossing the
| Atlantic with old Chris. in The lattcI's little
Old boat, which, he said, his hearers would be
| afraid to go down the river in - he brought him
to the West Indies, and thence by easy stage:
got down to George Washington, and fiually
to General Hancock a good dcal of this mat
ter was dscursive, and to the proianc mind
irrelevant, but it served to convince tn,
speaker aud his audience that Hancock woull
be elected.
A similar view of the subject was taken b.
Mr.. Byrd, DIR. Rogers, Mr.. John n. Oliver aut
others, after which the bonfire burned down
the fireworks gave out and the crowds slowl.
dispersed homcward. Thus ended the boss
Hancock pole. raising OF the season.