The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1889-09-28
Allegany's Centennial.

ing of an ancient piece of artIlIarv
from the heights of Camp Hill ON
the historic old Fort Cumberland On
the outskirts of the city. 1t was tho
signal for general uprising, and the
streets were soon thronged with
crowd that looked rather sleepy. but
which went to work with will IN
make the opening day splendid
success. The Queen City has on its
holiday dress. Almost every house
in the town is gayly decorated with
bright colored bunting. flags and
banners. The details of the celebra.
ton have been excellently arranged.
and everything moved of like clock.
work.
The place is crowded with strangers
who have been pouring into town in
a steady stream all day. They are
from all parts of the county, and a
great MANY came in their own
vehicles. Hay wagons. buggie, OK.
carts. fashionable drags. SURVEYS,
phaetons. and even the humblebrick
cart, are standing about the steets,
while their owners are going O. N
having good time. Nearly evjfjs
body in town is keeping open puse
and welcoming the visitors yth a
heartiness characteristic of mantain
hospitality. Farmers from Jack in
the country who have not been to
town for years are here in kumbers,
and mountaineers also cam in to see
what all the fuss was ab0t. They
gazed at what they saw With open.
mouthed establishment, and after
taking in the town.trampd back in.
to the mountain to thin it all over
! at their leisure.
The railroads did a TRYING busi-
ness and long trains from points
about the country camt into town at
short intervals. discharged their car
goes and started off at once for more.
The scenes about UnioI Station and
at the Queen City Hote were lively
in the extreme. These points SEEM
ed to be general meetirg places and
friends who had not sem each other
for years came together and talked
over family affairs and politics.
The exercises began promptly at 10
O'Clock by a street parade Of the
school children of the county. Fully
1000 of them were in line. of which
number $500 belonged In Cumber-
land. The remainder came from Mt.
Savage. Frostburg. Midland, Ocean,
Borden, Shafts, Homecoming, Mos.
cow, Barton, Westernport. Flint
stone, Oldtown, Orleans and every
other part of the county. The parade
was an exceedingly interesting one.
and showed in the best possible man,
ner the educational strength of Tie
county. The boys and girls enjoyed
the affair more. if possible, than any
one else. Their bright. pretty faces
under their gaudy caps made pretty
picture. The miners chlldred, from
points along Georges Creek. made
splendid showing. Much has been
said and written about the poverty
of the people in the coal regions. but
certainly the children did not show
it. They were all nicely dressed and
hearty looking, and not one had a
really unintelligent face.
The parade was divided into four
divisions. H. g. Weimer. secretary
of the school board was chief marshal.
The first division consisted of the in.
yited guests and orators in carriages
and color guard of thirty boys from
the various schools represented un-
der Color Sergeant A. B. Allen, of
the Second Battalion. Secretary
Weimer and a number of school
directors from the city and county
followed. The other divisions were
composed entirely of the school chill.
dren. The procession was marched
through the principal streets of the
town to the court house. where the
children were reviewed by the county
school commissioners. PROT. M. A.
Newell. of Baltimore. principal of
the State Normal School and Secre.
tary of the State board of edueation.
and number of prominent men of
the city and county.
Mr.. Shriver made a short address.
He described the early life In the
county before schools were established
and touched briefly upon their his.
tory.
Prof. Newell's address was brief
"Twenty-four years ago." he said
"there were $4,000 pupils in the pub.
lie schools of the State. The last re.
ports showed there were 173, 900, an
increase of 260 per cent. while the
population had increased only so per
cent" He told the boys this was the
best governed country In the world