The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-07-06
THE FOURTH
Grafton National Guard and Drum
Corps, in Full Uniform, q. A. r.
Post and 200 Citizens
Swell the Crowd.
About Every Locality of Pembina
County Represented and the
Celebration e Grand
Success.
The Crowd Estimated at Over Four
Thousand Peoplo-Very In
teresting Races.

Recent rains kept the country deluged
with water until Monday. Then it slow
ly cleared away, but in most dubious
and doubtful manner. For forty-eight
hours VIC watched and hoped and work.
ed and when the morning of tho 4th
dawncd clear and cool everybody
brcatl,cd q hearty 'tl,anks" to the clerk
Of the weather.
Tuesday attcroon the people began to
arrive and at night the hotels were so
full that it was difficult for the late COM
crs to get bed. Early next morning the
teams began to come in, plug hats and
poke bonnets. linen busters, lawn dress
cs and couples, triplets,, quartets, and
wagon loads, dudes and bellies, lads and
lassies, pa and ma with the usual large
and varied assortment of babies and kids
that belong to Dakota families; go.carts,
buggies, pi,aetons. spring wagons and
wagons without springs, except those
furnished by kind nature, with All occa-
sional sulky drawn by Il crysalis of gay
colorcd blankets with parti-colorcd head
dress, tight rolled bandagcs for legs, end
ing III leather ankles and horses hoofs,
which would by aud by dcvelopc into
al insect called Il "ilier."
During the night like magic, "tall pop
lar trees along the sidewalks grew" and
as morning sun arose, the leaves CULVER
ed to the echoes of the salute to our n:l-
TONS birthday; flags and strcamers Of
red white and blue, gay dresses and riG-
hons, bright faces and happy laughter
complatcd the picture of the auspi-
cious morning. During the early hours,
friends greeted friends. walks and drives
were taken about the beautiful streets
and groves and various booths where
fruits cstablcs and ,lrinkablcs were dis
bursed, were will patronizch.
About eleven o'clock Chief Marshal
Webster AM! his aids gathered the band
boys and the members Of the G.. \. Il.
and marched down TO the depot. A
large train crowded with cxculsionists
from all along the ID. Il NJ. road and in
particularly large numbers from Grafton
arrived. On board this train were the
Grafton guards, commanded by Capt.
Yorkcy, The Grafton post Il. y. H., and
IL drum corps OF uniformed boys. These
formed in procession headed by the
Pcmbina Cornct Band and escorted by
Worlcn Post Il. a. X. and long line
of citizens in carriages and on foot march
ed around the square in front uf the Win
chester hotel where they were dismiss
ell for dinner. The Grafton guards were
tlsc guests of the city and ,lincd ut the
Winchester. The drum corps and Graf
ton Post were guests of WorLen Post and
were either entertained by individual
comrades or took their meals at the
pemhina House.
As the orator Of the day Col. Plummcr,
did not arrive until the | 80 Manitoba
train got in, the first thing after dinner
WAS the race track; here soon the giand
s,and was filled with ladies and gentle.
men, while vehicles of all description
and crowds of people lined both sides o
the track for long way around. Ii wa:
IL jolly crowd and cool brcezcs, good tract
j, and fine horses kcpt them in goot
hulnor. The track, which foity-cish
liou,s before had been but u pool o
water, had been dried SO thoroughly
by the sun and wind and by the m:nul
labor put OH it, that though damp enough
to he slow was yet in good enough con
,lition to afford fine sport and good rae
ing. The race program was too long tc
be finished and only four OUT of the six
races scheduled were finished. The
score is given elsewhere. C.arlton's
moose acquitted himself nobly with the
assistance of three ilorscincn and if he
did occasionally have Il notion of his
own, rs to the best way TO SHOW his al,iii-
ty, it only made more lun for he crowd.
Racing continued all the afternoon until
Z p. H., when the crowd gathered in
froEt oftlc Winchester to listen to an adj
dress from the orator ofih day who was.
introduced by Ion. y. T.. Nelson us the
renowned and on!; orisina! Col. VI. G.
Hummer. Col. Plun:nrr; address WAS
IL loyal, earnest aud eloquent appeal for
statehood for the territory. As brief n
suninIHry as We would necessarily lave
to make at this time would du til" orator
an injustice, AMI VIC can only say that it
should have been heard to he properly
appreciated. After the Grafton came the
fireworks and for an hour or ulorc the SKY
w"s rcsplenlcnt with streams Of span k.
ling lights OF various colois. The fire AL
looms were cspecial features; the evening
being so calm and still HAT they filled
and iloatcd away slowly and gracefully
higher and yet higher, unit il il was lard
to distinguish, them fro III the Stars among
which they seemed to have arisen.
After the iircwork:; many walked
down Cavi!c"r street, where the fine
residence Of Col. j. G. Webb was illuni
nate! frun sill to tower, and the
beautiful grounds lighted by Il proluson
OF Chinese lanterns. Other neighbors
also l,a d their grounds lighted up in the
same manner and it made a magnificent
sight. Then il was time to 20 home
or lool: i,ra bed. Mos: Of the country
people who had teams went home and
those vino had come On t.c cXcurson
train gathered at the depot tired aud
sleepy but still good !i:,turr,i five coaches
did not boil them and I'm extra caloost
had to he l;c!Icd on 10 help out. They
got started about ~ O'Clock and by Til.
writing they are resting from the labor.
ious fun Of Fourth ofJuIy in Pcmbina.
The following is the result Of Tie races
$50 trot--G. NJ. Wcbb's Lulu s., LIST; a.
! +. johnson, Andrew Fay, md. VI. Phillip,
Mag, 3rd.
Pacing ace--A. Mcl'adlcn, Honest
John, LIST; W. Mcndcnila!l, Pilot, End; j..
II. Vamwhort, Young Syndicate, 3rd.
1 Pony ucc-W. IL. Worth, Pompey,
lst;J. Robinson, Billy Taylor, 2nd; II. S.
Norton, Carlton, 3rd; j w. Briggs, En-
press, 4tI.
Four-ycar-oll stake race. a. Arm
strong, Compwood, lst; W. J. Mcdonald,
Edna, 2nd; 3. b. johnson, Cute. 3rd.
4 Moose racc--lI. Charlton, Moose, lst.
Time, distanccl.