The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1889-07-05


war WIS big one. there are many more
rataaans 10 show; blt for genuine fun.
qyhallssoaaed good fellowship and up
right and Downright patriotism, they
cannot como up To the old timers III the
villages and county seats Of Ohio, indi-
ana and Illinois and other states which
then had few railroads or none. We
have in mind one such village In what
was then the comparatively new west
q county town Of perhaps 800 pe0pls-ao
let It's Fourth Of July represent all the
reEk
First thing on the programme was the
big aaviis. They served in place Of can
non. They had been well loaded the
night before, enc On the other, the upper
reversed, 40 as 10 bring the two square
Yecessas together and make a box, which
was filed with powder. When the ap-
pointed senGi0els saw the FIRST blush of
dawn they applied the ''match;" there
was an explosion that threw the upper
anvil in the air and g conclusion that
ratified every window. Then every
church bell and the court house bell
were turned loose and Fung j0yously and
long, while ut intervals, as fast as the
'sguuners' could load their anviis, came
the stunning boom, till the number Of
shots was that of the states then in the
Uniaa.
About half past 10 ths marshal of the
day" appeared, on the biggest and
aainiest horse be could borrow, and
three Or four aids around him-all wear
ing some patriotic Eegalia--and the pro-
eession was formed, generally starting
at the court house door or Whereabouts
First were the survivors" q any could
be got. They were veterans Of the war
Of 1895; but the people cat the title
down to one word The Mexican war
soldiers were not often called out az a
squad, but the survivors had the best
carriage and rode in front. Then the
t'oFator of the day" in an open buggy,
/ with the most distinguished citizen.
I Next a few vehicles full of old settlers,
! and after them all sorts Of companies
with any sort Of likeness to military OF
( der. IL was very common for q eight
4 horse company" TO organize early IN the
spring and drill two or three times per
week ill the Fourth, by which time
they could actually keep their horses in
line and go through some simple ma
neuVers. But as a rule, when the salute
was fired, every horse Jumped Oh bif
own hook" for q few minutes; and if, az
often happened, some bold cayalryman
took tumble. leaving his warlike steed
to gallop for home, the delight of the
4El
panies came the masses, fl ranks 81
four; and generally in this part Of tbs
procession Was the "long bedded wagon
with misses dressed in white, each wear.
ing broad blue ribbon, marked in red
or yellow with the name Of the state she
represented. The Jehu who could drive
three span Of horses to this wagon and
make all the turns right was the hero Oh
the hour.
This patriotic procession moved tc
General Or Colonel Somebody's grove
the survivors, marshals and commit
tee took the stand; the militia wert
ranked around it; the rest Of the multi
tude seated themselves, and the Ecker
cises Of the Day" began
First was a roaring blast from all tht
flies and drums that could be mustered
and the old fellow who had ''iifed in tht
war was always called on 10 show wha
he could do. AS he generally had NJ
teeth and barely wind enough to wall
slowly, his performance was a triat
weak; but it was uproariously applaudei
all the same. Then the selected young
ladies sang a patriotic song; and il, al
sometimes happened, there was ons
who really could sing the Star Span
gled Banner" the popular enthusiasm
reached its highest pitch. Then lou
4 young fellow citizen Mr.. - was In
tradueed toread the Declaration Of Indie
pendFnce; and the young lawyer, o.
school teacher, pF ambitious politician
who could dosthis effectively scored al
important point Then little NOR
music. and then the orator of the day
About O'Clock the trumpet blew AMI
stben the people fell on the barbecue
"5ix sheep and an OK had been roastet
the day before in vast log fre-some
times they were not taken from thl
v jacks till the meeting began--and a
for bread and butter, cheese and pickles
there was general contribution ant
mOrp than enough After dinner tn,
ambitious local speakers were success
sivelya called and made short speeches 4
the hmn9r seized them; but the people
wandered at will and the last speaker
often quit short for want of an audience
Sometimes there WAS dance in TIN
grew; oftener grand foot race, wrest