The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-02


most slightly and convenient spot in the
vicinity Jake felt his responsibility,
Young as he was, and worked like a
beaver to make the affair q success. The
village figured in history as a place
where Washington had had cannon
made, and a cannonading outfit was early
attended to. Three small pieces were
borrowed from among the relics treas
ured in the neighbtrhood and dragged
up the steep hill A fagpole was
raised. and bough booths for shelter and
refreshments invited the populace to
come and make merry Everything
was complete.
Stores of fireworks, of powder, of sugar
and lemons, and cakes and candies were
on hand, hidden in walled up caves, and
the boys of Oreville sat up all night to
welcome the inhabitants that would be
summoned by sunrise salute. The sa-
lutte was on time, if not a little previous,
but the morning hours dragged. Break
fast time came and went, and not q soul
aside from the faithful few who were
doing it all. and the inevitable small boy
hangers on-rallied to the hilltop to Gel
citrate. The committee boys felt thin
at the waist, and one by one went home
to breakfast. promising to return on
wings in order to do their assigned parts.
An hour passed, then another, and
still another and only now and then a
spectator was half carried, half coaxed,
to the hilltop. Jake made the trip from
the store, the mines and the cottages to
the hill dozens and scores of times, and
finally from sheer exhaustion and dis
appointment gave it up. The cannon
doomed at intervals up, down and
across the valley; the flag tapped lazily
on the pole; the lemonade grew stale
and the candy almost melted in the
! burning sun The ardor of the boys be-
gan to wane, and finally there was no
one to serve the guns but Jake, whose
| enthusiasm WIS reduced to simple re-
gard for the reputation of his hill. In a
| fit of desperation and anger he scooped
handful Of small stones from the
ground and rammed them in on a
charge Of powder. The discharge was
so much louder that he repeated the
dose in other guns, until the whole val
ley got a bombardment of stones that
: shattered window panes and ratified on
the roofs Of the houses
The boys laughed and cheered when
they saw the people rush out Of doors
and stare at the display on the hilltop.
A dozen pairs of hands fell to gathering
stones, and after few more volleys the
inhabitants turned out en- masse and
climbed up the hill for safety. Then the
boys resumed blank charges and the day
closed with every soul in Oreville on
Jake's hill
Years passed before Jake got an
other chance to play leading part in
Fourth of July doings. The year fol
lowing he had emigrated to another state
and spent the day wandering from cross
roads to crossroads, and from postofhc'
to posroaice looking for the Fourth. The
next year he put in hoeing corn. Tht
year after that he held flag for o Sun
day school picnic, riding twenty miles
standing up in a hay wagon loaded with
fdgeting, perspiring humanity. and wen
home to reflect that he had endured tn
tortures of a twenty mile ride on luIn
Der trucks, working like yeoman mean
while to keep old glory afioat, just +
eat some of his mothers cake and hi
aunt's bread and his cousins biscuit
The next year, however, made up for
string Of eventless Fourths.
It was the occasion Of the Prince {
Wales visir to America, and Jake ha'
become a town boy in q wide awak