Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-07-07
FOURTHIN WICHITA
A Day of General Rejoicing
The City Full Of People.
Doings at the Parks-General Summary
of the Days Doings in
this City.

The morning of the one hundred and
ninth anniversary Of the independence of
this glorious republic, dawned bright and
clear over the valley, the orb of day arose
resplendant in all the fullness of its glory
and the day continued bright and clear nm
til in the evening, when the sky was over
cast, the wind blew a strong gale from the
north threatening rain storm, which did
not come however and the breeze only
served to cool the heated atmosphere and
render the evening pleasant.
At early dawn the Numbering city was
aroused by volleys of frecrackers, dis
charges Of firearms and the usual revelry of
youth that have for hundred years and
over ushered in the dawn of the day of lib
erty. As the day grew on thousands of
young and old came in from the rural dis
tricts and the trains brought goodly number
from neighboring towns. The city was full
Of people. The sidewalks were crowded and
the lemonade and fruit stands did rushing
business. There were amusements in all the
parks but Bayley's Park was the center Of
attraction and during the afternoon and
evening everybody went there.
The street car lines probably did more
business than ther will in the next month.
Six cars were continually going between
Douglas avenne and Bayley's Park, and they
were crowded to suffocation every trip each
way, in some instances the drivers were
crowded off the cars and endeavored to ride
the mules, but the mules kicked and the
driver had TO run alongside the car. The
park is very pleasant place,
beng tastefully fitted up, and being we'll
shaded with trees, what there is of it. 1t
was altogether too limited, however, and as
consequence people did not remain long.
Simon's band was there, and there was a
platform where all who felt inclined had an
opportunity to circle in the may dance,
audit is needless to say that that part of the
programme was fully carried out. There
was an abundance of lattice-work refresh
ment booths, all of which were well-patron-
lied. All ages and conditions of life were
represented. There were the grandfather,
the grandmother, the husband, the wife, the
beau and the belle. and the children down
to the babe. There were city dudes and
dudesses. rural kids and kiddesses circlng
among the crowd with fingers twined. There
were ice cream and fruit and candy stands,
with taffy at nickle stick, while ever and
anon came the laundering roll of the fire.
cracker. The colore d baseball club played
game near the park in the afternoon, but
it didn't amount to much. The festivities
continued in the park until lated at night
At Carey's park there were races, but
were poorly attended and little interest was
taken in them except by horsemen. The
baseball there too attracted very little at
tention, and on the whole the programme at
that park was failure.
There were few boating and otherwise
amusing themselves at the Riverside park,
but the entertainment did not amount to
much.
The Catholic picnic in Gritfinstien's
grove was, perhaps, tho best conducted and
the most enjoyable of all the days doings.
1t was well attended, especially by the coun-
try people, and the accommodations for re-
treatments and amusements were really su-
perb. 1t was a most decided success, and
while not SO generally patronized as was
Bayley's park. was the scene of more enjoy
ment.
On the whole, it was day of general en-
joyment, but the browning event was the bril-
liant society gathering, at the lawn party
held in the evening at the residence of DR..
Fabrique. Space will not admit of all the
names. Suffice therefore to say that the
gathering was most brilliant one, the mu-
sic was first-class and the supper was superb.
Altogether, it was one of the most splendid
society events that have taken place this
year.