Litchfield enquirer., 1881-10-27
YoRKfowN's CENTENNIAL.
THE GREAT pAY.

!
 lr7ol .sdl .sss THE GREAT pAY., .,sg44 ss,,.
 The pyrotechnic display if the liarbors on I "Wednesday eveniug, exceliedi anything of the | kind eyer made in the,i United States. .eThe ] sky was as black as Erebus, and tue glare of the rockets, the flame of bombs. and the glow f'0f c0l6red lights, were staftihgIy distinct. iFhsbes of lightning aared along theltior2oh. ! At eight o'clock the heavens fairly rained I fire. There was prisinatic glow on the wa i ter Private achts joineds il, the display
 The river reflected utile fiery shower like a
 5nirror.- Alta agiyen signal. blne,. white and red lights, were burned Un the crosstrees of the rnen4of war, and the hafbof was as bright as Etiay.l The throngqon thenbluffs broke into a 1 cheers which was lre.eehoed by the sailors in
 the harbor. The ball last night was a com l plete failure. There was, in fact, no ball.
 The civilians are here at last. 15, 900 strong, fcrowtiing through the dust like swarm of \ ants! The NTginian predominates,N but the ! nasal 4twang of. the Verinonter is heard in every street. Pennsylvania is we'll represent
 ed, but as New York civilian is d rarity A cold north. wind arose earlysthis forenoon, l and every secODd man appeared imam, peer,
 coat The dust was stiaipg. The narrow l streets were choked with conveyances Hun I dreds Of peddlers and montebanks lined the
 road to the encampment. ,7 The colored citizen l was among them in all his glory, clad in tin
 sel and red caps, in gold lace and blue trim
 things. He excelIed his white brethersin ex.
 tracing coin from the visitors. sHls quaint description of hls wares and medicines attract- | ed queer knots of visitors He sold .ininnehts
 bezet stones, snake lskins, and other voudoo icharns. Saratoga poured out stand of Ih- lldian beads Country beaux bought len cent rings for their sweethearts and threw neck
 faces of white beads around their necks The ] merits of the fverleggedy COW and the six ] legged calf were loudly proclaimed, and Punch
 and Judy keot up their interInniable squeak ling. Everything, including he black looking
 meat which hung in the e'butcher's stables, was
 covered with dust. The procession of vehi cles would have drawn larger crowd to ! Madison Square Garden than an international 1 pedestrian match. Steers not larger than
 calves pulled loose-tired wheeled carts stopping over with negroes Loads of, rosy
 checked Virginia maidens were drawn to the encatnpment by teams of yawping mules, Militia officers, richly plunled,q were bounced
 along on the backs of horses, ,dumfounded at
 the equine skill Of their riders. Army wag ons, with six teams On the lead, were dragged
 over the sandy streets IRckety coaches,
 filled witt. drunken soldiers in blue overcoats,
 singing army songs. were ,ierked over the yellow plain: A Pennsylvania Regiment, |
 the dusty bluffs. They marched to camp.
 headed by Gov. Hoyt and Gen. Hartranft,
 raising g cloud of dust that equ alled a fog in ! London. Gov. Colquitt, of Georgia, and the Chatham Artillery Ofa Savanhah.q 22 men
 strong, swept through the dust with two can mons captured from CorpwaIis in 17S1,, and l presented to the Savannah boys by Geo. l Washington. The encahIpnent was alive l Allthe regiments were out for morning lin. spection, and the efforts of country lawyers, doctors, and merchants to play soldier were
 regarded with adnirng awe by the Virginia rnaidens and their escorts. IA horde of bare fo0ted, negroes spread itself, over the ground and watched the military maneuyers with .,pen mouths. The stands of the lemonade 1 brewers were thr6nged with rural patrons. The militia, however, patronized e0lIe lager lcer and whiskey sellers. ,sur,l4a.9 fc and l Early ID the morning. the batteries afioa, ! and ashore shook the earth with salutes bu, no one could find out what it was all about At intervals these salutes were repeated al
 day. The roaring drove the buzzards over to
 the swamps of the Ch1ckahominy,. and sen, squads of gulls screaming through the rigging
 If the men of-war.s The; air for miles was dlleA with the music of military bands. The '.Marseilaise" and "Star Spangled Banner
 were played in ail the octaves, and the strains I pf thessFall Moons'' and snatches hfrdm aBoc. lcaceio'sswere. ,retailed to the delighted sne-
 groes, s,lt sy,.,s.,ve., sf,s,,.,,s.,,r ,a,.isl f formal reception of the French aud German l guests. They were brought ashore, were
 packed in a long country stage, and driven ,ip l .he bluff to Lafayette Hall Secretary Blaine. | white faced. whte-haired, and bland, accom- l panied them. As they ialighted from the
 stage, Senator Bayard, tue sponderous David nd kh<, -L l headed by Senator Johnston of VirginiS, re. l 'cgived them. The French,Ben wore retitrous
 CTS and cDcked hats, and, with the exception
 Jf Count sRechambeau, were resplendent in 1 gold lace and Insignia of honor. The Ger mans wore Prussian helmets, ganntets, and t facii,gs of red. stThe French Minister Max Outrey, eKcelled all others in the quantity of l his decorations. He looked like a nobleman I f'tbe time of Louis Quatorze. The brilliant l squad was grouped in the sun for atiDinute or
 more. and was then marched into ahea @cep.
 tionchamber through long flesqfarmy. and na 1 " officers. Ladies and invited guests pressed dpon the lines of briiiiant uniforms aud filled the spaces between tfieiii.a Secretary Blaine,
 Minister Oatrey, the Count andt Coiutess de
 soclambean, Gems Boulanger. Steuben, and
 other invited guests, were ranged at the lower I end of the hall. David Davis, ex Senator Jo- | sepli1P. Mcdonald and wife, the Rev. Dr. l Newman. Gen. joe Hawley, Senator Bayard, ex Gov, Perry of South Carolina, and others I were govped around them. Affer standing I and looking at each other several minutes the ldlstinguished party were marched backto the other end of the ball. ,l Min1ster Outrey broke
 away from the, group and did the agreeable to < chsrming lady who stood near him! His
 example was followed by RlchambeaI, Bou
 Hanger. and Steuben, and, there was grand ! exchange of social civilnies.- Meantime Pres l ident Arthur and Secretaries James, Hunt. and | Lincoln had been driven to the back door ,,f
 the hall and dgsafely housed in the committee l room. At a given signal the band struck up Hail to the Chief" The President and Cab Sinet Ministers entered through private door lmarcAed thretgh'the lines of glittering uni forms, and mingled with the social, groups, of digni,aries The ladies cast sweet smiles, up 1 ,n tie. President, aspirants for office honey tfugled him. Gen. Hancock joined tie group,
 an nnimpersonatio of manliness. sf The band poured, out the ''Marseillaise.",,,. President Arthur and the French Minister locked arms, and a procession N as fnrmeds Secretaries Blaine, David Davis Senator Bayars. SecFe
 taries, Hunt, James, and [, Lincoln, and other dignitarles followed with the guests, ,.,...
 The column wound round the corner. stone If the monument. and f6unu seats under the
 canopy occupied by the Grand Master of Vir gina on Tuesday. The reserved seats were occupied, by, ladies and Invited guests. Everybody cheered. as 1s.{l t'sSi91k 7ssA
 I97 President Arthur moved over the platform hat the head of the procession. He sat down Secretary Blaine, :he French. Minister, the Countess Rochambeau, Gen, Boulanger, Gen Stenben, aud the Count Roc ambeau were l ranged on the left of the President, and Secre taries Lincoln, Hnnt, and James on the, right. They were hardly seated before 2 column of ndfcers of the navy. In cooked hats and gold | Iiace, marched across the platform and sought seats behind them.d The column was headed by Admiral Porter. Next came column of army officers led by Gen. Hancock in gorgeous uniform. He led his little grandson by the
 haDds Hs'wasIfeceived by repeated rounds of cheers. He acknowledged the compliment
 by removing his hat, and lowing, Congress men. Judges, Governnfs of States. and others