Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1890-07-10
AN oLD-FASHIoNED FOURTH
IN BELMONT COUNTY.

Erasmus Wilson the Well-knoWn "(lul-
ct Observer" of the Pittsburgh CONNER
cial- Gazette, writes of an old-fashioned
Fourth of July celebration on ''Old Cap
teen" when he was boy, in this wise:
1t was in sc, or about that time,
notice went forth that there would be
Fourth of July celebration on Pleasant
Ridge. The invitation was general and
was cheerfully accepted by all the peo-
Pile, men, women and children for miles
around. Farmers commenced arrang-
ing for it weeks ahead. Their wives
and daughters put their Sunday clothes
in the best of trim, and the young men
began to polish.
Capt. Danford, then a young, but elo-
quent lawyer, and more recently men,
Der of Congress, was chosen orator, and
the present Mayor of the town of Barnes
vile, DR.. Kemp, then school boy, was
selected to read the Declaration of In
dependence. The Rev. VIM. Mechem
was to attend to the religious part of
the exercises, and a band of singers, in
Guiding the Gates family, were drilled
in few patriotic songs, and a drum
corps, consisting of one fife and a snare
drum, had been scared up for the occa-
sion. A small military company was
drilled by Capt. Glover, and sufficient
funds raised to buy powder enough for
twenty rounds of blank cartridges. The
fact that the guns were flint-locks made
no difference, except that they were re-
minders of the style of weapon used by
the heroes of rs.
Two DAYS before the affair was due
number of the farmers and their boys
collected on the ground with teams and
tools. The saw-mills of Squire Lucas
and Uncle Robert Lindsey furnished
the lumber for grand stand and seats.
When evening came the camp was in
readiness for the event of the season.
Kim Mahew was there and selected a
site for his cake wagon and mineral wa
ter stand
"Hail Columbia" by the band called
the crowd together ON the brow of the
hill where the military were in line ready
to fire salute. How sad the boy whose
lot it was to watch the team while the
shooting was going on. Country horses
were not used to such things, and were
just unpatriotic enough to break loose
and run away. Even if he was away
down in the woods standing guard over
sleepy team of plow horses the boy
could Join in the cheer that followed each
volley.
After the salute had been fired the
celebraters repaired to the stand and
made themselves as comfortable as pos
sible on the rough board seats, logs and
grassy spots. The parsen invoked the
divine blessings of heaven on the people
and the Government, and returned
hearty thanks for the privileges we en-
joyed, and for the glorious victories won
by our revolutionary sires. 1t was an
eloquent as well as earnest prayer, and
elected hearty and sonorous amens from
the elderly citizens, who had stood with
bowed heads uncovered.
Then followed, "My Country 'Tis of
Thee," by the choir. How they did sing!
The very hills reverberated with the
sounds, ,and each singer tried his very best
to be heard above all the rest. Everybody
sang or tried to, and those who didn't
know the tune waved their handker-
chiefs or hats. All became worked up
to the shouting point, and when the last
line was reached there was an outburst
of patriotic fervor that went ringing up
and down the Captina valley like the
battle cry OF victorious army.
The Chairman, Waterman Clark, made |
a few remarks concerning our Magma
Charta, and then introduced the reader, |
who gave us the whole of the Declara- |
ton of Independence. He read it well, |
for he was the best reader in the dis,
trict, and the prettiest girl in that sec
tion sat in the front row with the choir.
He gestured, and infected, and empha-
sized as he went along, and held the at
tention of all except the boys who were
more interested in the stacked mus
kets and the cake wagon.
Another volley by the soldiery, and |
the "Star Spangled Banner" by the
choir; then came the orator of the day. |
Those who wanted to feel the full force |
of his fiery eloquence. moved up to the |
front seats, and the timid girls who held |
their ears during the volleys composed |
themselves and looked as sweet as they |
could.
The grafton was no windy panegyric,
but carefully prepared address, full of
historic facts and patriotic suggestions,
enlivened here and there with a we'll
told anecdote. Being natural orator
he took flights that seemed dizzy to us
youngsters. He told US of Valley Forge,
of Lexington, and of the winter cam
paigns, in which the trails of the bare
foot patriots were marked with blood.
He told us of minute men who watched
from the hill-tops to give warning of any
danger that might threaten our institu
tions.
The patriotic manner in which he re-
counted the sufferings and heroisms Of
the women of the Revolution brought
forth the expansive bandana and the
more dainty linen handkerchief.
Every man and every boy went home
more patriot than when he came
Some of us almost regretted that we had
not lived in those glorious times that
we might have suffered, bled and died
for our country. While flushed with pa
triotic ferver some may have secretly
wished that a war would break out that
they might prove their valor on the
bloody field.
Little did we then dream that in less
than five years real tOcsin of war was
to sound from the heights of Pleasant
Ridge, and that Captain DanfOrd was to
stand on this same platform and make
an eloquent appeal to the young men to
go with him to the front in defense of
the old flag.
Every one of those who played soldier
on that day answered the roll-call to
arms, but all did not return to join in
the Fourth of July celebration, IS.
1t was the old fashioned Fourth, with
its spread-eagle speeches, its military
drills rao:tatioDs from Wachin UtOn'S