Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1884-11-21

f->~S
the guns on a hill overlooking the town
leaped to their posts and commenced fir
ing salute, This nearly Jared the CORK
out, but the people managed, except
the very little ones, to stay in bed until
breakfast time AS the invisible sun
climbed up, the rain set in and soon
came On heavily. 1t made no difference;
the people along the route of the
intended procession went on hanging
flags and laying in colored lanterns
for the night. About dinner time
the artillery commenced another salute;
this time gun for every State in
the Union. The rain was still falling, but
after this salute there was no real peace.
The cork had been loosened and the en-
thusiasm began to 6Zzle up through the
cracks The first sy mptom that peace had
ended was the appearance here aud there
of the Small Boy with a horn OR some other
diaboIical noise maker, hidden under his
coat, upon which he performed furtive
and unexpected aria5. The number of
This Boy greatly increased before dark
1t looked ike the harder it rained the
more Of This Boy poured into the streets.
The gas was lighted early. the hour for quit
ting work had come. the cork came clean
out and tbs male population Of Stanton
made for the streets. Red and blue fires
blazad atvarious points along the streets,
and the crowd swayed to and from the
points where each light would appear
The rain had changed into a mist, but
the streets were slippery with mud. The
sidewalks were densely packed and ladies
and their escorts were struggling for dear
life to get out of the jam. The DARK
Court House block, bounded by four
streets where the different organizations
were to rendezvous, was fringed with
fame from the brilliantly Illuminated
stores and the masses of torch bearers
who were struggling to get into their
places in line. Down the principal streets
leading in from the county were continu-
ally approaching bodies of horsemen, the
county clubs, looming up through the mist.
Horsemen were dashing about In the
crowd with orders for formation, men
were hunting about in the wrong places
for their clubs, and 1t will always be a
wonder how Marshal McQuaide got the
mass into any sort of order. Since dark
nothing but huzzaing had been going On.
Ask man where the right Of his club rest
ed, and he replied, "'rah for Cleveland"
Direct him to try aud get his end OF the
line straight, and lie screamed "'rah for
Cleveland" There was one answer to all
commands or entreaties, Il ran for Cleve-
land" About O'Clock the gun fred for
the procession to start, and the field Of
light into which it marched was beautiful.
THE ILLUMINATION.
The centre of decoration and light was
what is known as the Virginia Hotel cor
ner. That large building itself presented
broad sheet of light, with every pane on
the New street front Illuminated. The
light fell on broad banner, crossing the
street, which bore the inscription
"Othello's occupations gone,
Good bye G. o. Pr
Turning the corner, the head of the
procession was lost to view in forest Of
evergreen festoons,i banners, hags, and
trees planted along the pavement for the
occasion. The large building of Crowder
& Scheffer was blaze OF light, so were
Kivlighan' two houses, and Hounihan,
lin the old Vindicator buildingl, Croghan
and Hayden had their houses splendldly
decorated. Across the street hung ban
ner with "219," the end of the banner
fastened to the residence of that veteran
Democrat Of fifty years standing, Mrs.
Brandeburg, which was illuminated for
the occasion. AS the long clusters Of
torches and transparencies passed under
the foliage, around this corner, the effect
was very pretty. The procession took the
route already marked out in this paper.
Nearly all the buildings along the route,
and many off of it, were decorated and
lighted to greater or less extent. We
note some which attracted most attention :
The windows of Maj. Newtons store
were illuminated. and had a large picture
of st. John, with the inscription, that this
was the man that defeated Blaine. Also
sone very good poetry On the unhappy
DR.. Burchard.
The residence Of Mrs. Tams was beau
the crowd.
One of the most novel ideas of the
night was that of A. NJ Valz, the contrac-
tor, who Illuminated tire great derrick and
the arch that he is building On Main
street. It was beautiful sight.
AtGeo. W. Hewitt's vas boat, five feet
long, containing good figure aud likeness
of Blaine. hfe-sizs, Bound for Salt
River Across from it, was the Rising
Sun of Democracy, with gilded rays, six
or eight feet long. The devices were
loudly cheered.
The Wesleyan Female Institute was
brilliantly illuminated and decorated. and
the young lady pupils reviewed the pro-
cession as it passed amid blaze of red
lights. The Belva Lockwood Brigade
cheered the young ladies with especial
fervor, seeing that it was to them that the
young men were Indebted for the loan OF
the ''M other Hubbards" they were.
The residence Of Prof. a. j. Turner, the
old veteran of the Stonewall Brigade
Band, was thoroughly lighted. The
procession burnt red lights there. that
being the salute paid for special coca
sions.
At the residence of Ernest Nothnagel,
a German Democrat, the national German
colors were hung out and the building
Illuminated.
AT the home Of FL. st. Geo. Tucker,
which was brightly lighted his family and
Hon. John Randolph Tucker, were on the
porch. There was great cheering for