The evening world., 1888-07-03
OUR BOYS AND CRACKERS.
NEW YoRKs YOUNGSTERS CAN'T BE KEPT
FROM CELEBRATING THE FOURTH.

FROM CELEBRATING THE FOURTH.
Lots Of Fun to he Had Te-nferrew-The
"Cepso NAV Lie IN wait, but Young
America VIII Let on Crsckers-Pelics
Captain. Say the Case 10 Hopeless and
the Mayer 10 Glad He Cau,t Interfere.
The ever-glorious Fourth draws near and
the spirit Of young Ameriea is manifest and
| will not down. Nf
In New York City the laws relating TO the
use of explosives in the streets are particu-
larly stringent, more so perhaps than in any
other city in the country.
An ordinance prohibits the use Of the old
fashioned 6recracker in the streets, not ex-
cepting Independence Day.
But how is this ordinance observed
There In no element in the city's popula.
ton 80 difficult to control at about this sea-
son Of the year as the average urchiu. He is
actually irrepressible and he is inclined to
pistols, frecrackers, torpedoes N porous
sion in its various forms. 49,.
An EVENING WORLD reporter walking on
Barclay street noticed q lad OF about ten
years, who said his name was Henry Sniden;
stand ng on the outer edge of the walk. H
had mischief in his eye and something IN his
hands, which were placed behind him.,
Hello. my boy, said the reporter in salu'
"Oh, nothin'," said he, with q broad
What have you got behind You P" que
Only . arecracker: I'm going to have
some fun with It as soon az that cop gets
further away. I'm going to light 1t and put
il under Tint Italian woma' g chair at the
fruit stand on the corner, and when It goes
off you'll see O circus that will beat any In
| khn x.v1rII Gha,ll r..rna raar rpoattinn that
stand, and the air will be full Of cuss'
words in the Italian language"
The lad succeeded in plAclng the cracker
under the woman's chair unobserved. 1t was
woman jumped from the chair in terror. The
boy and one or two co-conspirators were not
in sight, but the fruit-seller could not re-
frain from making use OF some OF the strong
est expressions in her native tongue.
The law known as the Consolidated act, re-
lating to the sale and use of ireworks in New
York City, clothes the Fire Commissioner
with authority to make proper regulations
therefor, and every dealer is obliged to So
cure from them o permit to sell fireworks.
Inspector Jassen. at Fire Headquarters in
Sixty-seventh street. said to q reporter that
copies of all permits granted were furnished
SO ling fireworks without q permit is liable to
arrest and punishment. The percentage of
fires caused by fireworks is not surp risingly
Capt. Brooks, of the Thirty-third Precinct,
said that it is impossible to, enforce the law
strictly. The police do all in their power.
but it would take five or six policemen on
each block to prevent the explosion Of fire.
at is true" said the Captain. THAT there
is danger to property, but we were all boys
once and we all had frecrackers. and II I re-
member right all the good ones were fred of,
But still, all reasonable means should be
used to keep the boys from burning up the
city, and we have to enforce the law as strictly
as possible"
Willie Doyle, q rough.and-ready red haired
mi dirty boy, was on East Houston street,
near the Bowery, this forenoon, and only q
short distance. from Police Headquarters.
He had been lighting frecrackers and en-
they made and the, fact that he was "fooling
, the cops,'" as he expressed 1t.
Yes. sir. I've got whole lots Of FIRE.
/ crackers at home. | made 80 cents shining
, downtown yesterday, and I invested II in
!. irecrackers and big torpedoes. Betcherlife
I'll have a good time to-morrow;"
But you'll get pulled in; It's against the
, oh, never mind that. When those fol.
: lers get Their hooks on me 1t will be after the
3 Fourth of July" and to show his bravado he
l threw o lighted cracker at a truck team and
) In Chatham Square this morning o youth,
z full patriot had arranged to have lots of fur
with irecrackers aud torpedoes. which ht
had in q box on the sidewalk. A policemaI
y had passed, and. surprising that the depart
5 ing blue coat was the only one near, the lac
? - let go" two or three mammoth torpedoel
! at the car horses, and was Just lighting tn,
stem of q good sized firecracker when he fell
! a sudden pinching of one Of his ears.
! The expression of that boys face wher
y he was turned in front Of o burly man with
!; blue uniform and brass buttons was o sigh
Z to behold. He was frightened almost out o
J his wits. and it is doubtful IL he RECEIVERS il
o time to find his wonted enjoyment of tn,
i. great national holiday. The officer gave hin
an opportunity to get away with his ammuni
4 ton.
Z Mayor Hewitt's sedate countenance bright
ened with q smile as an EVENING WORLD re
u porter inquired II His Honor had obtaine,
his supply Of f~recrackers, torpedoes, pin
wheels and rockets for the celebration of In
dependence Day? .
Z " enjoyed such sport when I was O boy q
X well as any lad ever did," said the Mayor
"and I am glad that the authority. for SUI
Q pressing the use OF fireworks in the street
Q Mayor, because 1t would be q painful duty Il
h say to the little on that they must not d,
+ the very things which years ago afforded IN
y p easure. and which nothing short of actua
confinement could have prevented me in
dulging IN. No, the Mayor of New York ha
nothing to do with the suppression of the us
of fireworks or in regulating the storage an
sale of them. That is left with the chief OF
ticers of the Fire Department"
Bad Weather Caused Their Failure.
9 Isaac ). seligman. Charles N. May and Isaac n
Stern. compoain0 the firm of SelIRmaD. Nav A Co