The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-11-22
And THEY PAINTED The Town RED.
That Big Parade, and Those Little
Speeches.

How They Did 1t.
, The grand Qualification, illumination
, and torchlight procession. advertised by
, the local Democracy with such flourish
of trumpets. and big bells, is over. ant
, Elkton is again itself. Expectation was
, raised to the highest pitch, by the as
founding stories of the, to be, immensely
, of the thing, told by the boys, so that
the grandest exhibition of this or any
other age was looked for and as natura
result, when the mountain broughS forth
a mouse, sad was the disappointment
Thursday night, was of all nights gem
for an illumination and torch light para
de. 1t was as dark as a dungeon, SC
dark that it could almost be cut out in
blocks, so darl, indeed that the gov
from a lighted cigar, assumed almost the
proportions of the head light of a small
locomotive, small locomotive we say, and
a dozen boys carrying penny dips, loom
ed up like Ii blocks length of the Philadel-
phia invincibles on parade, so that every
|
with all the favorable surroundings the
parade and illumination fell far behind
many which have taken place here dur
ing the past twonty-fou years.
THE ILLUMINATION.
To begin with, the illumination was a
very tam, aif.ir, with the exception
of about dozen houses, indeed, it am
ounted to nothing, and would hardly
have been noticed on moonlight night.
The Howard House we believe made the
best show, by actual count, on the front
of the building there were eighty-one
candlea, four in each window, and thirty
four chinese lanterns, strung along the
balcony The effect was pretty, looking
through the intense darkness, but to call
it an illumination is stretching things,
it might properly be called a decoration.
| One good Edison Electric light, would
havedone more towards illumination than
all the lights in town. In other windows
from two to dozen candles were burning
while many of the largest dwellings of
! pro mineDt Democrats simply had the
gas burning and the window curtains up.
Next to the Howard House the FELTON,
House was the most extensively decorat-
ed with candles and lanterns. OF the
private houses, those of the Misses Hogg,
on Bow street and :. J. Keys, on East
GIain street, We're the most tastefully
illuminat ed 4 prominent St. Johns
man on Main street also showed more or
less candles in each window of his dwell
| ing. \ number Of the dwellings Of
Democrats who figure more or less con-
spicnously in politics, simply had piece
of lath or board extending from one post
of their polches to the other and upon
these half dozen or so Of candles fixed.
AS we said before it all looked right
pretty in the darkness, but an illumina-
ton it was not, for on the street one stood
in black darkness, and gazed upon the
twinklng candle lights, which appeared
| like little stars in far off space When
THE PARADE
| Came along of course things were lit up
| by the flaming torches but this and the
illumination wee two different things,
very. The latter was quiet and calm,
the former boisterous and excited. The
line of parade under Marshall PurneH,
formed at the corLer of High and North
streets. the head of the line being at Bow
street. The Chesapeake City delegation
formed on Bow street. The Fourth dis
trict and Newark delegation being on
North street above High. All the rest
were on High street except the Boat
containing a number of children which
stood upon North street below High.
The line of march was out High street to
Bridge, down Bridge to Main, out Main
to Little Elk, where they countermarch-
ed and came up Main to Delaware aven-
ne, thence to Howard street, Howard to
John street, then to Main street again,
out Main to Delaware avenue turning to
the north to High street, out High to
North down North to Main, to Bow and
there were perhaps two hundred and
fifty men and half as many boys on foot,
and probably one hundred and fifty
mounted and in wagons. The line was
but eleven minutes in passing given
point, timed at three different points, and
it moved veryly slow through the muddy
streets. No sort of order was maintained
on the march, but they went struggling
along strung out in two's and three's
swinging their lanterns in all possible
directions, meanwhile almost all shout
ing at the top of their voices. From the
head of the line, an occasional rocket
was sent up, looking very pretty sailing
through the darkness, ard roman candles
were popping and ffzzing all the time.
There were four bands We think, Elkton,
North East, Rising Sun and Newark, of
them the North Casters, were by long
odds the best music makers, it is a most
excellent band. After the parade was
over which was we'll on to ten o'clock,
hundred or two persons gathered about
the steps of the Howard House, which
had been draped with flags, as a speaking
stand, to hear the speaking. Doctor
John II. lamar called the meeting to Or
der and proposed John S. Writ, Esq, as
President, and read off list of Vice.
Presidents, one from each district only
portion of whom were present. The
,,l,r tInn i,.t,a G.
apologizing for the absence of the emf
nent speakers expected to be present he
said:
| have marched in the ranks tonight and
contributed my humble part to the success
OF the demonstration. He complimented
the men in line and concluded by relating
his standing anecdote. about an Irishman
who dreamed he was dead and at the gate
of Heaven st. Peter (not st. John) was
their keeping door, ami while Pat stood there
a man came along and knocked. Peter
opened the door and addressing him asked
what are you, he replied 81 am a Metho-
dist" all right said Peter walk in and take
a seat with the Methodists. Then came a
Presbyterian and Catholic and Baptist
and each in his turn met the same treat
ment, as the door was opening to let each
one i'll Pat had gotten a glance at the in
terror and noticed that away above all,
long line of ladies' while wondering at all
he saw Peter turned to him and asked ;,
'WlO are yOun'' PAT repIipd .'your Riy-