Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1881-09-08

proper observance Of the one hundredth
anniversary of its erection into a county.
The festivities began yesterday n We
give the following from our two cores
pondents:
WASHINGTON, Pa Sept. Nh.
Little Washington has been all sgog
10 day over the &c ,ebration OF the cen
tennial of it's founding. All last night
and mn TO the "wee sma' hours this
morning the sound of hammer and sa"
echoed through its usually quiet streets.
WoIkmen ran hither and thither with
boards. punches OF evergreens, futter-
ipp~y ari-colored papers and the many
other accessories to decorations busiiy
engaged erecting arches aud platforms,
hanging bunting, flags, etc.
Today the streets have been filled
with people, but the visitors were
chiefly countrymen and Their families.
Everyone seems to enter heartily into
the spirit Of the occasion. Groups oil
rosy checked country girls promenade
the streets, and chatter viyaciousiy OF
the sights, while the sturdy farmers, 10
the conventional drab clothes and shade
hats, gaze around in serene wonder at
the waking up Of the little town. The
decorations are very hne,. ano
deserve a more extended descrlp-
ton than my space permits. The
private residences throughout the
town are very generally decorated,
many OF them in excellent taste. Main
street is a miniature of Chestnut street,
Philadelphia, during the big Centennial
of 1875. Festoons of evergreens, drap-
ings Of bunting, flags, symbolic stars,
anchors and crosses, and vari' colnred
lanterns are hung upon the fronts OF all
the stores. The Court House has beer
very profusely decorated. Along the
architrave OF the portico is b name
Washington County in large letters,
and to either side suspended banners
with inscriptions reading: "Formed
from Westmoreland 1881, Coded Green
1876, Contributed to Allegheny l7SS,
and to Beaver 1900" Upon the
pillars are the names OF Washing
tonians who have become famous in
State and National history, such as Hon.
T. NJ. 7. McKennan, Hon Isaac Leet,
GEN. Geo. Morgan, Rev. Obediah Jen.
nings, Rev. David Hervey, Rev. John
McCluskey, Dr.. Absalom Baird and
Others The columns around the cupoIa
are wreathed with the National colors,
and numerous flags are suspended from
the building.
Three arches have been thrown across
Main street. The one at Maiden street,
opposite the Aud House, is particularly
handsome. 1t is decorated with bunt-
ings, lanterns, flags and colored sym.
bois, and in the centre hangs a
white Bell OF Liberty, with a golden
hammer. Ga this are tue dates 1881
1881, in green letters. The arch opposite
the court house has over it in gas jets
the word Centennial" surmounted by
a large star and on either sides the dates
1871, 1881, the whole making a brilliant
appearance when lighted up at night.
The arch At Chestnut street has over It
a canvass with the inscription, In
Memory OF the Hoge Brothers, Found
ers OF Our Town" There is also a hand
some arch over Chestnut street, at Jeffer-
son street.
The Centennial was announced form
ally to-day at u NJ, by ringing OF all the
church bells and blowing OF steam
whistles in town. At2 p. VI. a large audi
ence assembled in the town hall TO par
ticipate in the opening exescires. The
Washington Choral Society. comprising
forty voices, Prof. w. X. Stitfy, Director,
a an opening chorus, Angel OF
Peace" after which thern was reading
of the Scriptures by Rev. l. G. futile
and prayer by Rev. c. A. Holmes. Hon.
Geo. S. Hart made an appropriate al
dress of welcome in which he compli-
mented the citizens upon the suspicious
opening OF the celebration. In the in.
t~eryals the Choral Society sang several
selections in excellent style, especially
worthy of notice being a quartette
by Mr.. VIM. Sharr tenor, MIR. ID. +.
McGill basso, Miss Mary Brownson,
soprano and Miss Minnie Cow, alto.
In the evening the streets were brilliant
ly illuminated with gas and vsri.colored
lanterns. The WASHINGTON Cornet
Band, of twenty pieces, Alex. Rankin,
leader, and the st. Cecilia Band, OF Pitts
burgh, of twenty-five pieces, Prof.. Wise,
leader, gave concerts on the street.
Tomorrow a number OF excursionlsts
are expected and a military company
hom Monongahela. During the day
exercises will be held in Shirts Grove,
and in the evening there will be a gen
eral illumination and a p~yrotechnical
display on Gallows' Hill overlooking
the town. u. ).
ANOTHER ACCOUST
WASHINGTON, Pa, September Z.
The city is beautifully decorated.
Flags, banners, evergreens and flowers
cover every exposed spot. Crowds OF
strangers are constantly arriving, and
Tomorrow will see moi less than ten
thousand residents and ex.residents
meet at the county seat to congratulate
one another that it is his happy lot 10
be a native OF Washington county. The
order of exercises to-day was carried ont
according to programme. At u all
the steam whistles and bells in the town
were heard together for about thirty
minutes. At 2 o'clock the citi.
zens and strangers repaired to
the Town Hall, where, alter the
reading of the scriptures by Rev. l
C.. futile, and prayer by Rev. Avery
Holmes, of Pittsburgh, Hon. George s.
Hart, Judge of the County Court, deliv-
ed the address of welcome. Letters
were read from Judge Jeremiah 5.
~