The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1886-07-04
TALE OF THE FOURTH.

QUAKER FOWL put must admit that Phil
adelphia in July is 4 hot place.
Warm and SUNSHINE" were the
cords that Mr.. John Nixon. in his daily
Journal Tor Tie ear I776, placed agains;
The early days of July. but am in
ci4nsd to tisLk hat young Joe Nixon
Was nearer .he fact when he called II
Uroilibg hot"
Very possibly. however. this slight
exaggeIau On the p~Tt Of young Joe
Was Que 10 the fact mat be was very
Ousy and therefore very warm. Not
'hst he had anything Of especial i'm
poTtaRce 10 do. Not always those who
are busiest have the most to do; but
you see there was great deal to hear
and see IN Phlladelphia-town in the
early days Of July in the year 1776. and
young Joe Nixon. Ike a true American
BOY. felt i his duty to be on band when
anything OF importance was en- foot.
And so be was continually on the go
betVeen bls uncle's big house on the
Wafer Street. the loom OF the Com
mice OF Inspection on Second Street
the parade ground of the "Quaker
Blues" on the city common, and the
big brick State House on Chestnut
street.
For young Joe Nixon was a privileged
character ana duly felt his importance.
His u Gle. Mr. John Nixon, was a
member OF the committee of safety.
and better still, young Joe was q paruc-
iiar .aNOfftr VI AZ. tsasIu kItUennOuse
Tho had charge 'f the p;Iblic clock 10
the State House Square" This put
HIM on good terms with a still more
influential scquainiaDce-the doc keep
er OF the Continental Congress then in
daily session in the assembly chamber
of the State House.
Young Joe was a ouick-witted lad
and like ell The rest OF the race of bows
dearly loved TO watch and listen even
though he could not always understand.
o-a.eu ~ the cue y. ais friend. the
do Jrkreper, he found il very interest
ug and sometimes tighly exciting to
GLOW the proceedings of the hewigged
nd earnest gentlemen who were talk
ing, discussing, and sometimes getting
i-.itv anSIH nan Onv another on the
inor of the Congress. Joe only knew
IA general ~ of way what all this
rHlk and discussion meant. But one
hing he was certain of. as were all the
boys 2Dd girls in the Colonies-and that
vas that there MAS a Jolly row. on
Uand between the colonies and the king.
de knew, too. that away of toward
boston-town there had been two or
three lights with the kings soldiers, 80
1rh he rrN rxF ~ -, l.
means had the worst OF it. And he
knew, most OF all, that il was nightly
hard lust nov Ter a boy to get hold Of
any thing new or nice to eat or to wear
OF to play with. and that, somehow,
this was all the fault of King George
the third, and that the Colonies did
not propose TO and this sort of thing
any longer.
So he had made the most of his ac-1
quaint nee with thc dOorkeeper of the
Congress. and had witnessed most OF
the important events that had taken
place during that lovely Philad -lphis
June
lie had looked with all the awe of 4
smsA boy of twelve upon the fifty or
more tentlemen-tbe delegates TO the
CongreSs-wh representing the thir-
teen colonies, were ranged in a half,
circle on either side of Mr.. Hancock,
the President. But think be admired
even more, the elegant standard, s0s-
pended in the Congress room" over
the door of entrance at which he
sat wSth his friend. the doorkeeper. and
which was "a yellow flag with a lively
representation of a rattlesnake n the
niddle, In the atG ude of going to
suike, and these words underneath:
Don't tread on mefH
He had been in the Congress rOo-n so
often that he knew most OF the dele
gates bylSsght and na5e:that gentleman
IN the Big chair behind the heavy nlR.
hogany table and the great silver ink
stsBd-the gentleman with the scarlet
coat and the black velvet bEseehes-wss
Mr. John Hancock, the President Of
Inc COngress-"Rosy Jehn." the tory
boys called him, much TO young Joe's
lreful indignation; that gentleman in
the long WASTED white cloth coat. scar
let vest and .breeches. and white silK
hose was Mr.. Jefferson, o Virginia |
that gentleman In a long buff coat, and |
mbroideFed silk vest was, as of course
every Philadelphia boy knew, the great !
DR.. Franklin; and there, too. we're Mr..
and Nj. Gerry. Of Messachu-
sets; Mr.. Sherman, of Connecticut:
Mr.. Clinton, of New York; Mr.. Stock |
ton, OF New Jersey; Mr.. Carroll OF |
Mr.. Lee. of Virginia: Mr..
Of South Carolina, and many
OtbeTs whose faces and whose voices had |
now grown familiar. Even his toy sh |
mind, thougDtless of the present and
careless OF the fntHre though il was.
had felt the excitement of the moment |
Ehen on Frldsy. June Z. Mr.. Risha-5 |
Henry lee, OF the Virginia colony. had |
-issn in his place. and, amidst breath
ess silence" had read to the Congress
his notable resolution:
"Rcsolred, that these United ColOoies
ire, and Of right ought TO be, free and
States, that they are ab-
olyed from all allegiance to the British
,rowa. and that all political connee-
ion between them and the State of
treat Britain is. and ought 20 be, total
y dissolveo."
Then Mr.. John Adams. az Massachu-i
cts. seconded tie resolution. Mr..
thompson, the secretary. made the
flieisi entry sn the journal, the Congress
nth but few words, postponed its con-
ideraro until the NEXT day, and young
oe Nixon adjourned with The de.egates.
Ike them. hali-6s. ed and haH-jnbllant.
So. through TIE long June days, the
congress argued and debated and hesi-
I I