The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1884-07-10

With people TO listen to the exercises there,
but the crowd in the streets did not seem to
be perceptibly lessened thereby. Rev. HI. w.
Harvey opened the meeting by prayer which
was followed by music by the Elkhart band,
after which Master Lynn Free read, or
rather spoke, the declaration of independ-
ence. This he did in a style that was ex-
tremely creditab.e, having committed it to
memory so that he was able to dispense
with book entirely. We have attended
many celebrations but never before, on such
an occasion, listened to recital of the dec
laration otherwise than by reading.
After another piece of music by the band,
Hon. Charles s. May of kalamazoo, the ora
tor of the day, was introduced, and for an
hour he entertained his vast audience with
an eloquent, scholarly and appropriate ad-
dress. peculiarly adapted to the occasion.
Another piece Of music concluded this
branch of the programme and the remainder
of the afternoon was devoted to games of
various kinds.
In the horse race, best two in three,
change of riders each heat, the prize for the
first horse under the wire, $500, was taken
by Mat Longwells horse, second horse under
the wire, 800, by G. Congdon's, and the
$500 for last horse in, by Bill Phillips pony.
The prizes in the sack race were awarded
as follows LIST prize S3. to D. s. Merrifeld
2nd prize 50, to j. +. Harvey; Sd prize 81,
to Fred Manning.
Joe CAROLS special prize for the egg
race a 50 pair of shoes, was taken by the
long hairel, curly-he lded Snowman.
Kirke Noyes' special prize, SO worth of
glassware, in the hopping race, was won
easily by George Flanders.
Tn the foot tina fret "a
won 10y Flip Lee: second, S3, by Mr..
Roberts, and the third, 81. by Mr. Heron.
Ben Rainey was awarded the first prize.
So. for having the most ridiculous and
homely costume among the Antiques and
Horribles, second prize, SO. to Eli Cotton
and third, 81, to the curly headed show
man.
The bicycle race had TO be declared ''off'
for want of the requisite number OF entries.
This concluded the public afternoon ex-
ercises.
The first thing on the evening programme
was an exhibition by the Paw Paw Fire De
partment at o'clock. This, like everything
else connected with the day. was eminently
successful. Within less than three min
utes from the time the fire alarm was struck,
the engine was brought from the town hall
to the reservoir on the corner of Main and
Kalamazoo streets, the hose-boys had their
hose ~ position and four streams of water
were being thrown. This was one of the
most interesting features of the day, and was
a great novelty to large number of the
spectators.
Immediately after this began the evening
display of fireworks. Main street was beau
tifully and tastefully decorated with large
number of colored lanterns, a number of
elegant balloons were sent aioft, some of
which in their aerial flight, let fall showers
of colored stars. There was scarcely trace
OF wind, and this part of the display was
more than ordinarily successful. The show
of fireworks that followed was brilliant and
varied, and, without doubt. the finest ever
shown in the county, and the streets were
filed with thousands of interested spectators,
who watched the display until its termina-
ton at $3.50 in the evening.
The entire exercises of the day were a
complete success. No serious accident oc-
Cured to mar the festivities, and, though
the throng was immense, it was pre-emi-
nently good-n crowd, and there were
none of the unpleasant occurrences that too
often transpire on such occasions, no fight
ing, no quarreling, no drunkenness, nor
rowdyism, everybody seemed happy and the
universal verdict was "a grand success"
The people of Paw Paw will be glad on
some future similar occasion, to welcome
their fellow-citizens again, and to extend to
them like fraternal courtesy and greeting.