St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-05
A VERY QUIET FOURTH
Minneapolis Did Not Cele-
brate Independence Day
Very Uproariously.
Some Small Fires and a Few
Accidents Resulted as
1t Was.
Efforts to Induce A. G. Haugan
Not to Run for Treas
upeP.
The Scandinavian Saengep-
fest Committee Warmly
Welcomed.

This may seem startling statement to
make, but it is true, nevertheless. 1t
was, to be sure, quiet Fourth OF July
in Minneapolis; but that queitnesS was
due solely to the fact that Minneapolis
is quiet town. The people who dwell
in Minneapolis are not the ones to get
up and howl themselves hoarse over a
Fourth of July which is different from
every other Fourth of July for the past
la years only in that there was no rain.
There is some doubt, too, that the peo-
pie of Minneapolis appreciate fully the
reasons which they have for celebrat-
ing. If they only knew it. they are
much better off than were the habltatueS
of Minneapolis Ia years ago. Look at
what this city was then and at what 1t
is now. Then this was a wide-open
town. Even the costumes of the natives
were of the wide-open style, which
would not be tolerated now. The st.
Anthony falls were then nothing but
water, rocks, islands and foam. Saw
dust was then unknown. At that
time a lot of misguided individuals
were ''scrapping" with dear old Mother
England about special water assess
ments, high license, or something OF
that sort. There were but few laws.
and what were then in existence were ell
trusted for enforcement to G. Washing
ton, B. Franklin, Tom jefferson, John
Jay, and few other jays. Minnehaha
falls had no ice cream parlors, no steps,
no signs artiStically embroidered on the
rocks. A man couldn't even get his
picture taken there, and the pleasant
paStime of engraving ones name on the
soft sandstone was unknown. Fort Smell
ing had never been heard Of, and the
Northwestern bellies of 1776 had no SLIM
wasted officers upon whom to waste
their affections. The police commission
did not exist. Mayor Babb had not yet
been born. The board of trade was
still part of the original log. The Flam-
beau club had never been heard OF.
The base ball team of that day was not
and there was no such thing as census
trouble between Minneapolis and st.
Paul. All of those conditions have
been changed Instead of war with
England, young Mr.. Bailey now calls
Minneapolis his home. The city
has municipal judge who will look
after the enforcement of the laws. Min
nehaha falls have been painted by
every amateur artist in the city. The
Flambeau club went to Hastings yes
terday.and all the other blessings which
the Minneapolis man of ZIG did not
enjoy are now the property OF the Min
neapolis man of go. Despite these
manifold reasons for letting loose few
explosions of rejoicing, Minneapolis
didn't rejoice worth cent yesterday. A
little. however. just little, was done.
Last Thursday night it began. A few
frecrackerS were exploded on some OF
the side streets and at midnight jOvial
genius, possessed of desire for good
time, attached himself to the whistle in
a North Minneapolis saw mill and let
the whistle blow for about twenty min
utes. Numerous other firecrackerS were
exploded and then quietneSs Shrouded
the city, except in isolated quarters,
where a few all-night sports tarried to
do their best to prevent all others from
sleeping. The small boys were up early,
as usual, toying with the festive
cracker, torpedo and toy pistol,
occasionally blistering his fingers
his anatomy. In the forenoon a
goodly proportion of the male popula-
ton went to the ball game, others
gravitated toward the lakes, and still
more went to sleep. After the noon
More firecrackers were let off. Ven
cradle. reverend looking old gentlemen
were pounded on the back with tOrpe-
dos. Children were frightened with
Young bombs. Horses were scared. A
few fires we're started, but none re-
suited in serious damage. In the after
noon the ball park was still better
patronized. The races drew some spec
tators. Trains to the lakes, both
to Harriet and Minnetonka, were
well patronized. At the former
afternoon and evening, and there was
quite large crowd there during the
whole day. Contrary to the usual order
of things on the Fourth of July, there
were no serious accidents. Around the
city in the evening some attention was
given to the setting off of fireworks.
Firecrackers. both little and big, filled
the air with noise and frightened the
horses of returning picnickers. Pin
wheels whirred from convenient tele-
graph poles. Private families laid in
stocks of pyrotechnicS and invited the
neighbors in to see the fun.
Frequently there was much more
| fun than had been counted
upon, especially when the rockets and
| candles CHANGED to become tangled up
Will AAOlO Woo hOoHihs7
about the whole day to distinguish it
from other Fourths of July, except the
moderation of the celebration. The
| municipal treasury will suffer from the
prevailing qnietness. The usual crop
of Fourth of July DRINKS fell short by
several dozen.
A small firecracker shop at Sixth and
| Nicollet, adjoining Popp's cafe, was the
first to suffer from fire. A spark got
among the rockets, and the whole stock
| was ruined.
In the yards of the De Sofa mill
company in North Minneapolis, some
! sawdnst caught fire and burned slowly
| for nearly an hour. No loss was sus-
tanned.
A fire alarm was turned in from the
corner of Sixth and Hennipin at 4:55
and a couple of engines, chemical, two
hose trucks and hook and ladder
truck responded. The iremen thought
| the base ball park grand stand was
burning but it wasn't. The fire was in
small house at Sixth street and Second
avenue north, and pail OF water put it
out before the engine arrived.
| At 5:15 came an alarm from Cedar
avenue and Fourth street. 1t was a
| small fire and did no damage. Several
more alarms were pulled in, but the
| fires were of no consequence.
There were some accidents which
were not quite so trivial. The toy
pistol and the can of powder played