, 1889-07-11
FROM ROCKFORD.
The Sad Ending of the Fourth of
July Celebration Described
in Detail.
The Sailed Fire System---A Stolen
Horse Returned---A Surething
Game---Notes and Personals.

RocKroRp, July 8, Correspondence
Gold gold was the exclamation of
everybody last Thursday, When the
color was found In a fire Cistcrn now be-
ing excavated at the corner of Emma
and First streets the excitement was in
tense all day and late into the night,
when the truth began to dawn that
some of the boys had salted the cistern
with molten brass. L is all over now,
but the JOKE was well carried out, and
old experienced miners, those who
claim to be such, were the worse taken
In. About forty claims were taken in
less than one hour.
The Fourth dawned with bright sun
and spanking breeze. Early in the day
the farmers bagan to arrive on foot, on
horseback and in wagons. BY the way,
your correspondent noticed each wagon
closely and discovered great quantities
of roast chicken, turkey, pies and cakes
in fact, regular old-iashioned picnic
outlay. About II o'clock the procession
formed on First street, headed by drum
corps--our band having gone to Farm.
ington--and marched down First street
to Lee, then countermarched to Church
street, thence to the shady grove about
a quarter of mile from town. II was
estimated there were about 1000 in the
were short, especially the address by
Hon. VIM. NJ. Calkins of Spokane Falls
His address was indeed well received
The Judge is inclined 10 be humorous
and that Is what takes in this epoch. At
torney J. II. Mitchell, Jr., then favored
the audience with a neat address. He
caused the hearts of our fair ones to go
pit-a.pat by announcing the fact that
he was yet single, but susceptible
of bpinu lNnyinppH his error
On the whole both gentlemen
did well, and left favorable impression
with our people. After speech making
the large throng adjourned for a picnic
dinner, and such dinner. Had IL been
possible am sure the larger portion of
the Seattle sufferers could have been
fed and then there would have been
fishes left. The afternoon was spent in
hapd-shaking and swapping yarns, as
the committee on amusement failed to
connect with the programme. About 4
o'clock a rumpus was kicked up in the
only place in town that the people are
ashamed of. II was the effect of tsngle.
foot, and for few minutes it looked as
il our police force were too weak to
quell the row, But there is sand" in
the average Rockfordite's, cray, and
Cogswell and others gave a
than helping hand, and in less
ten minutes cur cooler had six inmates,
with them the rngleaders, The gang
were politely informed that such pro-
Ceedings would have to stop, and so it
did. About dark the fireworks were dis
played, and shortly after the commence.
ment, a large rocket was fired which
curved to tile earth, and, striking Day
ton Connell on the neck, nearly burned
his head from his shoulders. 1t was a
ghastly wound and carried CONSERVATION
to the heart ofevery one and cast o gloom
over the entire town. Poor Dayton
never knew what struck him. He lin.
gered until 2oclock p. NJ. and died.
This was the terrible ending Of a joyous
day. Dayton Connell was respected by
all. He was about - years old, of good
principles, and an industrious young
man. His brother Stanford was by his
side when he fell. His other brother
A. J. is now in Portland. The brothers
came here from Indiana, and are worthy
citizens and busiucss men. At this
writing no steps are taken for an in
vestigation and it Is universally conceded
to have been purely an accident. know
nothing about the arrangements made
for displaying the fire works but do
know they were conducted by sober
men. 1t Is terrible even now to contem-
plate.
In the fore part of the night the enter
tainment for the benefit of the G.. A. r.
at the opera house tooi place, where was
presented the moral drama, "The Last
Loaf" by home talent, tn a large and
appreciatiye audience. The play was
well performed and all who took part
was to have been dance, but
it had hardly begun until the
sad news was brought to the hall
of young Connells condition, when
the large crowd voted to cease the festiv.
tiles, and so they did. Thus ended our
Fourth in sorrow.
One OF the horses stolen from H. T.
Waltman d Co. last week came home.
The Others and special constable Ray
The chances are Ed Ray will catch the
thief before he returns to Rockford,
Hon. &. 2. Coey and Hon. w. w.
Waltman, members of the constitution.
al convention, left last Tuesday for
Olympia.
Work both on the streets and the rail.
road is progressing finely.
Rockford has sure thing game, the
wheel Of fortune, but before you get this
out our marshal will have jugged the
blond mustache, wheel and all. He
claims TO hail from Spokane Falls. Is il
SO?
The Palace hotel has changed hands
a Mr.. Green and wife of Pennington
assuming charge. They purpose to run
a first class house.
Lost, but no reward-.a golden oppor,
tunity to make money by plenty oi
people by not selecting Rockford as the
place, but now is the accepted time
We want bank, general merchandise
stores, furniture stores--in fact represen.
tation in any legitimate line of business
is wanted
ak the other day, quite badly.
Hotel and restaurants had big busi.
ness on the 4th.
The G. A. r. entertainment receipt.
amounted to 5000, and best of all every,
body was we'll pleased