The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-07-06
IIEELED IN,
And Out Too, Was tho Great Fourth.
The Wheels Capture the Town.

| Inc mayor ana City council, ngurAtivelJ
speaking, mounted their prancing palfreys
and opening wide the gates of the city
rendered its freedom TO the Illinois Div
League Of American Wheelmen on Wednes
day evening, and received it at their hand.
again on Friday night. During the two in
tervening days the home Cycling Club was
in fever of excitement consequent upon
attending to the comfort and convenience Of
the guests, and it is said that Mr.. Louie W
Hess became so frustrated that he was una
BILE to tell chocolate ice cream from rose
lemonade.
Wheelmen from Chicago, Joliet. Peoria
and Springfield began arriving on Wednes-
day evening and were entertained with
evening rides. On the morning Of the 4th q
fair representation from the Pastime, Illi'
nois, Aeolus, Lincoln, Douglas and Ken.
wood clubs Of Chicago, Springfield, Bloom
ington, Peoria, Streator, Joliet, Elgin, Kan
kakee, Aurora and Des Moines, Ia, clubs
were in the city, and their numbers had
taken formal possession of the streets and
bouleyards. A splendid set of men, these
wheelmen. Every man of them as brown
as berry, straight, 1.-THE and handsome no
small wonder is it that the city boys lost
their ladies glances for day or so?
At eleven o'clock Chief CONSUL Davis
called the Division to order in Armory Rink
where all the League men had registered
and received their badges. A new consti.
tuition, prepared by a special committee, ap-
pointed at the last meet, was taken up and
adopted, the old one being very unsatisfac-
tory. The new constitution provides, among
other things, for the election of Chief and
Vice Counsuls, Secretary and Treasurer,
and Board of Officers by sealed ballot, be.
tween the lst and 18th of August, State meet
to be held on the 4th of July, each year ;
annual meeting Of board of officers in Sep
TENDER; racing and nominating committee
to be elected, the latter to take charge of
nominations for officers, to be elected at the
State meet, and fifty dollar salary to the
Secretary and Treasurer, who is to file a
81 900 bond.
Messrs. II. G. Ross of Peoria, W. II. Osmsn
city, c. B. Gibson of Chicago, Edgar S.
Barnes Of Springfield, and Ed knight of
Kankakee, were elected the nominating com.
mittee, and Messrs. r. D. Garden and A. J..
Street of Chicago, and G. F. Vail of Peoria,
the racing committee. This latter committee
is to superintend the league races, keep
track of records, K prizes, etc.
ABOUT TOWN.
The country delegation was not so large as
it has been in ether days when the flaming
red poster announced balloon ascension and
an "out-an- OUTER parade, drew the doughty
farm hand from his peaceful pillow and trans
ferred his presence from the PASTORAL quiet
of his rural surroundings to the regions of
ice cream and lemonade, but the neat car.
riages of our country cousins were plentiful
nevertheless and standing room only"
need not have been tackled to the boxes to
indicate the absolute lack of vacancy in
seats. The stores were tastefully, though
not deliberately decorated, excepting in some
few instances, adorned with flags and bunt.
ing, while above the high school and court
house, flags waved in the breeze. Of the
business houses W. II. Hull & Co. paid most
to decoration. In the central
windows Mr.. Shuta, late of La Sale, intro.
duced new style Of drapery with red,
white and blue fannels, producing splen-
did effect. The cloth was draped in the
shape of horns, with the larger end covering
the face of the windows and the smaller end
attached to the gas fixtures some ten feet
back. The remaining two plate glass win
dows were also very fine. j. E. Scott & Co.,
A. Lynch and II. J. Gillen had elegant dis.
plays, showing rare taste on the part of their
decorators. The streets were lined with
and lemonade stands and the pea
nut stands came early and stayed all day.
At one o. clock the streets were crowded with
citizens and guests and at one thirty the
grand day parade began to move, ending at
the Driving Park.
THE RACES.
Mr.. Herbert Kilby never sold dry goods
IS fast in his life a. he disposed of tickets at
the gate. There were not less than twenty
FIVE hundred people on the grounds. Two
Of these deposited quarter at the
box office and Of this number about half left
ten cents with James Farrell at the grand
stand. Looking upward from the turf the
grand stand was q perfect jam. Bright
were the costumes and bright were the faces
Of the ladies, as the pure air of the eastern
prairies famed their cheeks. Gentlemen in
flannel shirts and blazers assisted the cool
breeze in lowering the bodily tempera.
lure, while the excitement of the coming
contests heightened the mental temperature
A pistol shot from the hand of F. G. Allen
the start of the first race. Sheer,
Kinseley, Boddinger and Jones of Chicago,
,ro in II Rodd;p1ar md Skaar oro m q kipo