The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1881-07-09
THE FOURTi; IN ELKTO%.
a Gloomy Day-The Boys do all the Gel
et,r4rng.

a Gloomy Day-The Boys do all the Gel
ei,r41,ng.
The Fourth of July opened here as riSr-
where upon an anxious and excited c"mnr-
nifty, eager only for news from The bedside
OF the nations chict who then lay, rs all
supposed, dying, in the White House, AT
/ Washington. the victim Of an assassin :
bullet.
The older members of our community ap-
prared 10 entirely lose sight ui The character
Of the day and gave evidence Of bur one de
sire-to hear from The wounded President
Numerous bulletins We're received during
the day and the spirits OF the people were
alternately raised and depressed by conflict
ing or varying dispatches regarding the con-
dition of the wounded man, and the day
closed gloomily, rs the latest despatch in
the evening announced that the symptoms
We're less favorable.
The boys. too, We're com iaratlNeiE quiet
, during the day, only the occasional firing of
Il cracker being indulgeds i'll: but when
evening came their young spirits could
brook restraint ne longer, and they gave
full sway To their fluctuations and made
Main street from the Court House 10 the
Hollow Il perfect pandemonium Of burning
! powder. The street was entirely surrender
/ ed to them, all vehicles being forced to lake
Il back route. Fireworks Of every d"Scrip-
T ton, from the chinese cracker to the big
rocket, We're let off and the din caused by
the constant crack-iiz- bang of these fiery.
sputtering instruments was deatening to
! the ear, rs the pungent smoke was binding
, to the eyes. How each individual member
of this dense mass OF Youngsters with fire
works exploding over, among and beneath
them for two hours, escaped injury is a
marvel: but such is the fact We did not
hear of 50 much as 4 finger being burned.
This racket WAS kept up until about ten
. o'clock, when the stock of fireworks Of the
shops being exhausted and Young America
concluding they had done all for he Fourth
they could, the crowd quietly dispersed.
THE BALLOON.
About halt-past seven o'clock, Il balloon
was sent up TO visit the comet. II was
started from the roof of the store house of
Thos Drennen, Esq, by Mr. j. L. Barroll,
and Immediately shot ieavenward until it
had reached a height of about five hundred
yards, when instead of moving towards the
comet it sailed off SoHthward. \ large
crowd, i'll fact everybody in town, was Gag
erly watching it, and Il large crowd of men
| and boys followed it, for it carried with it Il
prize coveted by all. Mr.. Booth, to whom
the public is indebted for this display, al
tachcd 10 the air ear, before il sailed. an
order for rs much ice cream as the party
finding it could eat. So the finding Of the
balloon meant ice cream to the finder. When
it reached a point over the farm of Dr.
Mitchell, south uf town the balloon was
noticed to suddenly fall upon its side and
I then to turn completely over and presently
to begin to descend rapidly. Now came i
race 10? the prize. the crowd, with a whoop,
pressed forward At full speed as he ballOn
rapidly descended and when it struck the
earth in DR.. Mitc!ielis corn field Il two-iorty
race took place, in which about fifty men
and boys, white and black, took part. They
{
ment for when the leader OF the crowd was
within about a hundred yards of the prize
Mr. W. Arthur Mitchell, who was on his
way to town jumped from his carriage and
coolly carried off the founderin@ air-Ship
and brought it to town with him 1t WAS
but little injured and with slight repairs
will be ready for another flight.
ed to be Il fair amount of conviviality during
the day, and n number were overcome by
TOO much of the ardent. Several eases of
dead drunk were reported.
The members of the vSitiL. Social club
noticed in another column spent the day
with the members of the Social club of this
town. They took tea at the Howard House
Nv the invitation Of their entertainers, and
We're escorted from their Yacht TO the hotel
by Il committee of the Elkton club headed
by the Elllton Correct Band After tea the
visitors, with number of the members uf
the Social club OF this place, took carriages
for a drive to Newark. six miles distant.
where they We're handsomely entertained at
the Deer Park Hotel returning at . late
hour.
During the evening. our town was greatly
enlivened by the fine music ,iiScoursed by
the Elkton Band as it passed through the
streets. and afterwards while they played
upon the balcony Of Iieberman'S building
in the Hollow. The Newark Band, col0red
also aided in enlivening matters, it being an
. unusually good band of its kind. Its visit
here WAS in connection with the entertain-
ment given by the members ol the \. VI.
L. church, of this place upon that evening
nj the Hall.
The day passed without disorder, aud but
one arrest was made Those thar We're over
come by The ardent went quietly 10 sleep.
and in consequence there were no drunk
and disorderlies before the Justice next
morning. II is said that an unusual
amount OF ice cream was disposed OF during
the day. This was used in trying To keep
cool, as it was an exceedingly warm day.