River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1884-11-20
CLEVELAND ELECTED.
He has Two Hundred and Nineteen
Electoral Votes.
Grand Ratification by Our Demo
cratic Friends.
Bonfires, Nominations & Speeches.
The Grand Feature of the Occa-
sion an Unicycle Ride by
Richard Bevans, Esq.
A Sick Rooster BY Mustard, ]
Am Ready to Die"

Am Ready TO DE-.
The news that Cleveland had car
ried New York aroused our Demo.
cratic friends to the widest enthusi-
asm. Notwithstanding the fact that
the plurality WAS exceedingly light I
and that it was the vote of New York
City and not of the country at large,
the fact remained that New York was
carried, and they felt like enjoying a
victory SO long waited for. Hence at |
an early hour in the evening of Satur-
day last shrill whistle from Theland-
er's engine announced that the fete |
had commenced. simultaneously |
with the blowing of the whistle, |
large bonlires were lighted at either
end of Main street and the
RIVER FALLS CoRNET BAND
in full uniform sounded a call at the
corner of Main and Elm streets. The
fun now commenced in earnest. In
front of every Democratic saloon and
before several of the stores men and
boys were letting off rockets and
roman candles or lighting up chinese
lanterns until the whole street was a
blaze of light. Every Democratic
house of business on the street was
illuminated without regard to ex-
pense. 1t had been announced early
in the day that the famous bet be-
tween Dick Bevans and Mr.. Weeks
would be paid on this occasion. The
conditions of the bet were that who
ever should lose should wheel the
victor in wheelbarrow from Maple
to Elm streets and return. At eight
o'clock the contestants were ready for
their march. Dick with becoming
dignity took his seat in the unicycle
and Weeks buckled to the task, made
heavier by the fact that Dick insisted
in carrying onsa long pole
DEMOCRATIC ROOSTER
with outspread wings fianked with two
flags. Hence he courteously granted
to Mr.. Weeks the privilege of two
boys with ropes to aid in the triumph
al march. And now the band began
to play and the procession started in
the following order: Grand Marshal,
Tobias Lord, on horseback,
RIVER FALLS CoRNET BAND
flanked by small boys with campaign
torches,
BEYANS AND DEMOCRATIC ROOSTER
in unicycle propelled by MIR. Weeks
and two boys, small boys in open or
der, escort on. sidewalks. All along
the line of march enthusiastic admir-
ers were cheering for Bevans and let |
ting off fireworks innumerable. Dick
carried the rooster with becoming
dignity, but alas for human hopes
and expectations, long before the end
of the march for SOME reason I'M
known, possibly the uneasy motion,
that rooster became as sick as the
Republican bird was when the news |
came. All efforts on the part of Mr..
Bevans failed to rouse his drooLing
spirits. His head, at first carried in
defiance, dropped more and more until |
it was lower than his feet, and if not
securely fastened to his perch he
would have fallen to the street. Not |
withstanding however this slight mis-
fortune the march continued to its
destination with but few hindranceS.
Opposite the fremont House on the
return the procession halted and MIR.
Bevans addressed the crowd in his
usual happy and eloquent manner, but
owing to the noise our reporter can
not give an epitome of the speech.
One littleincident occurred showing
the natural depravity of the small boy
which should be mentioned. Mr..
Bevans had with great care erected a
large pile of wood at the north end of
the street for bonfire, intending to
illuminate his pathway during the
ride, but some young lad with malice
aforethought set it on fire while |
Dick was absent at supper. Such
conduct deserves the SevereSt repre-
hension and we hope the miscreant |
may be found and visited with the |
punishment his evil deeds deserve.
After the wheelbarrow reached its |
destination Mr.. BevanS descended !
from his seat of honor and the process !
sion under the direction of the grand |
marshal marched to the fine block |
occupied by Lord & Son, where Mr.. |
Lusk addressed the concourse in an |
eloquent speech, with whose senti |
ments, although rather at variance |
with the practice of the solid south |
no one could find fault, the leading |
thought being an
HONEST COUNT AND A FREE BALLOT |
In view of the fact that no one for |
a moment believes that such a thing |
occurs in any southern state, it was |
certainly bold thing for him to say |
at this time. By this time the fire. |
works were exhausted and the crowd, |
such of it remained upon the street |
rather thirsty. Mr.. Beyans now took |
the lead and conducted the bnd to
the places of business of the Demo- |
Gratis and afterwards to the private |
houses for serenades, the exercises |
of this character not being completed |
until the approach of Sunday warned
the jewellers of their religious duties
and they dispersed.
Our Democratic friends deserve
credit for the completeness of their
arrangements on so short a notice. |
The places of business of Messrs. |
Cook and Bates, st. Pierre Bros, +. |
A. Bracket, f. Muckenhausen and |
the principal saloons were all beauti- |
fully Illuminated. Nearly all the pri |
yate residences belonging to the DEM |
ocrats were also lighted up in fine |
style, the most noteworthy being that |
of Mr.. K S. Burhyte which had lights |
in every window from cellar to lofty |
cupola and made fine spectacle. |
Everything passed off in excellent |
shape and without disturbance. True |
the small boy could not be depressed
and the cheers for Blaine and Logan |
were louder and more frequent than |
those for Cleveland and Hendricks, |
but no notice was taken OF this and |
no harm except such as may arise |
from fun intended. No disorder mar
red the proceedings and all passed off |
pleasantly.
Fpr cans at 4 hrahau;s