The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1886-07-08
The CELEBRATION.
A GREAT CROWD AND EV-
ERYBODY DELIGHTED.
The FUNNIEST MARDI GRAS
PARADE OF ALL.
Magnificent Storming Of Fort
Chickamauqa.

cess is written on every house in town,
on every citizens face. and all over the
front, rear and sides of every man, wo-
man and child who took part il, work.
ing it up and carrying it to such tip
top conclusion.
There is but one vote on the subject
and that is unanimous yea" and a
tiger that this year Of grace and
drouth, 1886, brought US our biggest.
best and brightest celebration.
It was evident on Friday night that
Old Fourth of July himself had come
to town and was inspiring everybody
by his presence. The officers had hard
work to keep the fire crackers from
swapping and bursting everywhere and
in all kinds Of places where they had
no business to snap and burst. Some
Of the boys arranged surprise by
manufacturing some bombs which
were brought into central park about
midnight and set off with report that
shook every house in town and left the
park looking as though brown paper
mill had blown up. Early in the
morning the bells were ruug and the
customary salute was fired, and from
that time on people we've astir. The
flags were ''let loose from window and
wall" and WOrthingtun WAS turned in.
to an exaggerated flagstaff. alive with
star siangled banners OF all sizes and
ages, old flags and young flags, big
flags and little flags, baby flags and
doll flags.
AT Ill early hour, too, the teams be-
gan to pour in from the country and
up to ten O'Clock one could look out in
any direction and see Il procession on
the road and Il line of dust along the
sky.
About II o'clock the general parade
WAS formed in the following order:
Wovthington Brass Band.
StoddAru Post Drum Corps.
Stoddard Post e.. u. Il. and eX-SOl.
diers and Sailors.
Worthingt0n Juvenile Guards.
Goddess Of Liberty and Representa-
tion Of States,
BY thirteen young ladies, in a patri-
otto American chariot drawn by four
liberty loving and gallant war horses.
Orator Of the Day.
City Fathers and County Officials.
Citizens in carriages, wagons. ETC., ex.
officials, and ought.to be officials,
and all other distinguished and
deserving voters and
non-voters.
The grand parade over, the multi
tude assembled in central park or
court house park, under the stately
oottonwoods and naples, (from 10 to
60 feet high and from three to twenty
four inches through at the base,) and
In front OF the grand stand (now a
permanent structure beautifully paint
ed, and on this occasion decorated
with flags and patriotic regalia.)
Here the exercises opened with mu.
sic by the band and a song by the
Worthington Philharmonic Society.
Prayer was offered by Rev. D. Hender-
son. The Declaration of Independ.
ence "a document said to have been
written by Thos. Jefferson, Thos.
Paine, Benjamin Franklin and others
in the early days of our history and
containing the gist and kernel of our
political system and of human rights, }
was then read by Rev. E. r. Lathrop,
one of the G.. A. r. boys. The Star
Spangled Banner was then sung with
ane effect by the Philharmonic Society.
Next Mayor Shell introduced the Hon.
Freeman Talbot, of Cleveland, Minn.,
the orator of the day.
MR.. TALBoT's ADDRESS.
The speaker said that his address
was principally for the younger por-
tion Of the assemblage. The early his.
tory OF the republic was read in every
laud. but the true history of our own
times was not so we'll known. The
speaker then traced the history of Sla-
very from the early efforts of Jefferson
toward emancipation down to the time
of the breaking out of the rebellion.
He then touched upon the salient
facts and events of the great four
years. war which abolished slavery.
2,6SS,523 were enlisted and this i'm.
mense army contained more absolute
intelligence, broader education, more
mechanical skill, and broader knowl-
edge Of what it was fighting for than
any army ever mustered before. Sc,
600 OF this army died on the field of
battle, $4,000 died of wounds, 1S4, 600
died of disease. nearly O,OOO in all.
The speaker then paid a glowing trib.
ute to the women of the land who cul.
tlVaCed farms, attended to business,
organized sanitary commissions, etc.,
while their husbands, brothers and
sons Fought battles. 1t was. estimated
that the free will offerings of the peo-
pie to sustain the government and war
amounted to $500. .OOO, 900. Commodore
Vanderbilt contributed 81, ,OOO, 900.
The speaker said that in order that
the young might judge properly be.
tween slavery as it was and freedom rs
it is today, he would quote briefly from
both political parties existing at that
time and from Others. He then read a
letter from John Wesley to Wilber-
force allnding to slavery as that "exe.
crable villainy," and from among the
abolition leaders, the war democrats
etc. Also from some of the more VIC
lent pro slavery leaders. He quoted
Daniel O'Conne]l's remark to q Boston