Telegram-herald., 1890-07-06
AFTER THE FOURTH.
There Was No Celebration, But
Everybody Celebrated.
lEKE WELCH BLEW HIS THUMB OFF.
oaiet snd Orderly Grow H. Bat sesks
Fail ga fnn-Good N0rk aad Rapid
Handbag OF the huitltade bl
street Gar Coslpantes-

On bis head WAS a bump like "a apsise-doHn
cup.
And hls smile VAS dlsotrged. his nose a aw1y
froai tie joys OF the glorious Fourth of j0iy.
We we're g.ad nc had started abroad wfh.the
Ana ali day he had lived in the powder and
faa;
While the boom Of the cannon roared up to the
SHY.
70 salute Young Americas Fourth OF July.
] said We were glad all the pieces were there.
A We plssgercd and bound them with tender
fsl care.
Dus out , the wreck came the words. with
s.gh.
II tomorrow was only the Fourth Of Juiyl"
lie VIII grow an together agala. never fear.
Aud be ready 20 celebrate freedom next year.
Meanwhile All his friends are most thankful
there lies
A creckerless twelyemon,h 'twiKt Fourth Of
Julys.
We kissed him good night on his powder
specified face.
We laid MS bruised hands softly down in their
And he murmured as sleep closed his one open
eye:
Il wish every day was tie Fourth of Julylp
New York sun.
The dignity and circumspection with
! which the Fourth of July was observed
in thus city was almost rational, and IN
some parts of the city approached the
religious. There was no concerted pub
lie celebration of any sort, and each in
diyidual was left TO his own invention
for the best qualification of his taste.
The recognition of the fact of lnde-
pendence Day was universal, and ey-
erybody started out in the morning 10
do something out of the usual line, and
probably everybody felt at night as If
the duty of patriotism had been prop
erly fulfilled.
OF course the small boy and his noise
developing machines eff every descrip-
ton was everywhere present TO save
this years Fourth from dropping out of
the apostolic succession altogether. But
for this fact, the day might have been
mistaken for dav of n
grand union Sunday-school picnic.
Even the wide-open saloons did not
avail to disturb the virtuous decorum
OF the large crowds that moved every
where.
A more perfect day for n general pub
| lie stirring never dawned. 1t was
neither too hot TO stir about, nor too
cold TO sit still. Most of the city folk
went out of town, and most of the
country folk came into the city. At
night, everybody went home with
| bundle Of fireworks according To his
purse, AID for several hours the sky
| was kept ablaze with rockets, and the
earth sonorous with crackers and can
nQn.
Thcsuburban and Lake Michigan re-
sorts took most of the pleasure-seekers
| from the city. All day long, the street
cars moving toword the East-st. dummy
| line and the North Park railway were
| crowded, and the various resorts enter
tanned large numbers OF people.
At Reeds Lake, there was perfect
| jam. Everybody acted as if he had
gone out there to have fun, and he
evidently had it. All the attra ctons
We're well patronized. The fireworks in
the evening were let of from a raft
out in the lake, and the master
of ceremonies went of with them.
No precautions had been taken to keep
the fire away from the pile OF fireworks
in waiting for use, and the whole
shooting match took fire from the first
match that was lighted. The floor
manager was obliged to throw himself
into the lake Ia order TO avoid an un-
| comfortable identification with the sur
rounding ruin. The affair occasioned
about as much sport as If the program
had been better carried out.
The North Park was point of great
| interest, both on account of the gen
eral desire to 60 somewhere, and on ac-
count of the prevailing curiosity TO see
the North Park in particular. Conse-
quently the transportation facilities
| were taxed beyond their strength.
Many persons returned from the dunn
my station, unable To secure places on
the trains. They who succeeded IN
getting ont to the park felt happy
over their success. The fine pavIl-
ion at that resort was thronged
all day, and the surrounding groves
and river banks and Soldiers Home
grounds, and every conceivable nook
or crannie where lovers could 90 and
tell 1t over again, were occupied. Over
1000 people were handled bv the Gable
road and the North Park railway
Considering the newncss OF this whole
system. the success of the Cable and
North Park companies IN moving the
crowds was eminently satisfactory.
The number Of people handled by the
Street Railway Company was over
1900. The remarkable showing ls
made that not one tram during the
whole day was two minutes behind
time
Large numbers of Grand Rapids
people went 10 Ottawa Beach. and Few
went to Grand Haven The cool
weather dctrscted somewhat from the
! peculiar character Of the pleasure FOR
~rLrrh aN~ N-y.r-o~1F v~o-.-t- .srrr