The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1889-06-27
Let Us Celebrate.

| Let Us Celebrate.
| Breathes there man with soul dead.
| Who never to himself has said!
This is my own, my native land!
| The near approach of the one hundred
and thirteenth anniversary of the Declara-
ton of Independence. is being eagerly
looked forward to by the patriotic residents
of our community, with All earnestnesS that
can only be appreciated by those who have
been deprived of the boon which makes that
occasion commemorative There are but
three days in the year. on which it has
been customary to relax for few hours the
strict discipline that ordinarily prevails in
an establishment of this sort. and their i'll
frequent recurrence is hailed with as much
delight by the weary pilgrims here assem-
bled, as are the GASES in vast desert. by
the jaded wayfarer who is traversing its
barren waste.
More than six months have elapsed since
last we had the privilege and pleasure of
mingling together in a social way; during
the intervening time several holidays have
occurred, but our enjoyment of them was
considerably impaired, in consequence OF
the narrow limits to which we were re-
Stricted. Many of our number. owing to the
dearth OF employment. have had Surfeit
of holidays of this nature. and are longing
for the advent of the ''glOriOuS Fourth" with
the earnest hope that it may prove to be a,
holiday in all that the name implies.
In this eventful year. when centennial
celebrations are the order of the day. it is
| hlf fIofn Nrf,, u
fOrded all who are so inclined, to give vent
to their patriotic feeling, in BETTING man
rer. Incredible as it may seem to some
people. all the nOber impulses and emotions
| 40 not become extinct IN man once he
has dOnned the convict garb; on the con
! trary, whether it be as Il result of his mis-
fortune. or not. his SvmpathieS appear to be
more quickly aroused. and this could have
been amply demonstrated. had we been
called upon to respond to the appeals OF
those who have been SO recently Stricken
| with blood and fire. Among the many good
trait, inherent in man, patriotism is one of
| the most prominent; and as | have said, we
are patriotic. True. we nave no Revolt
| tiOnary heroes in our midst. neither is there
among our ''cOlOred contingent" any of
| that numerous ret hue of the bOdy-ServantS
OF the immortal q. w., who are slowly, but
surely passing away. But in our ranks
may be found some. who when our national
existence was Imperfect responded to the
call for three hundred thousand more"
and others who battIed bravely for the
Lost Cause believing themselves per.
| fectly justified in doing so. We have no
| room among us for sectional animOStieS
and are DESTROYS of meeting again in truly
| fraternal spirit. That we will be allowed
| to do so. we are encouraged very much to
believe by the tenor of the address lately
made to us by the Warden. in which he
took occasion to compliment us ON our
continued good behavior. or course. we
can't dictate the mode of celebration. but
could we do So we would call for similar
program to that of July 4. 1887. which
served to lnaugurate the present admins
tratiOn. The oldest inhabtant readily
conceded that II was the most festive event
i'm his experience here. amt his views were
sustained by the senior residents no one
dissenting. 1t is true We were not allowed
to picnic in the adjoining groves but their
outrageous branches We're levied upon and
| made to do service in the way of decOra-
tons. From a. H. until p. m. we held
undiSputed possession of the cell room: our
vOcalstS and devoteeS of Terpsicll0re were
given full swing; there were cigars ad lib-
tum. lemonade galore. gingerbread. and
apples in abundance and last but not least
square meal" The general opinion as
expressed by the bows was that 1t amt
such bad place after all. " until the gong
sounded death knell to the festivities thus
dlspelling the illusion. TAMMANY.