The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1891-07-02
AN OLD TIME FOURTH"

AAere seems TO be division of opin-
ion about the celebration of Independ.
ence day. One class holds that patriot.
ISM Is dying out, because the day is not
ce1e brated with SO much noise as for.
merly, while the other class contends
that we are just as patriotic, but more
sensible.
Whichever is right, it is certain that
the day is not celebrated with the en-.
thusiasm of forty or fifty years ago.
In the "fifties," the revolutionary wal
did not seem so far away as it does
now. and survivor of the war was
not an unusual sight
First on the programme for an old
time celebration was the morning
salute. Cannons were scarce articles
in those days, SO anvns were utilized.
! Anvlls have a sunken recess in the
base, and when two anvils are SO placed
that the recesses come together. il
makes box" These boxes were filled
with powder, and when the appointed
sentine]s saw the first flush of dawn.
they applied the match, and bang! went
the improvised cannon with an explo-
sion that threw the upper anvil in the
air and a conclusion that ratified every
window in town.
By this time everybody was up and
out in the streets. In those DAYS, some
people kept Christmas, and others
Thanksgiving day, but every body celc-
brated Fourth of July.
Everybody wanted to celebrate, and
II they had not, public sentiment would
have made them do it.
1t was great day for boys-the only
day in all the year, likely as not, when
then were allowed unlimited liberty to
ENJOY themselves. 1t was also the one
day in the year when they could spend
their money on gingcr-pop, soda water
and peanuts without question. Fire.
crackers and fireworks were al most
unknown in those days outside of the
large cities.
At about ten o'clock in the morn.
ing the parade began to form, gen.
orally starting from the courthouse.
The marshal of the day, on the shini,
est and most spirited horse in town.
was the leader, and he usually had
four to six ''aide-de-eamps," wearing
patriotic regalia, generally red, white
and blue sashes and immense rosettes.
linen came the ''survivors' in car
ria&es. If any revolutionary heroes
were present, they took precedent; if
not, the veterans of the war of 1912 or
the heroes of SCOTS campaign in
Mexico.
Next came buggy with the 'orator
OF the day'-generally the village law
yer accompanied by the mavor.
burgess or sheriff of the county. Then
came the old settlers in carriages, and
after them came the militia company
and all'sorts of other companies.
Behind the companies came ANYBODY
who wanted to march in procession, in
ranks more or less aligned, and almost
Invariably big wagon crowded with
girls dressed in white, each wearing a
broad blue or white ribbon marked in
red with the name of the state she rep-
resented.
This feature of the parade was al.
ways sure of uproarious applause.
Finally came the boys, without anv
alignment at all.
Ihls procession moved to somebody's
grove, where stand had been pre-
vlously erected, the militia stacked
arms, the marshals and committee took
the stand, the multitude were seated
or otherwise arranged, and the exer-
cises began.
FIRST there was miscellaneous salnte-
and then selected band of girls sang
The Star Spangled Banner" Next
the schoolmaster read the declaration
OF Independence, with q deep voice and
appropriate gestures, and then the
band played something patriotic.
Finally the orator of the day spoke his
speech, about an hour in length, and
you may be sure it was full of patri-
Otto lire, denunciation of foreign
nations, laudation of the union, and
more than one declaration that we
were the greatest nation on earth.
The orator of the day was ALWAYS
sure OF generous applause, and the ora
ton always voted 1.-The best ever deliv-
cred" :,
This ended the ''exercises,'' and after
that came the informal festivities.
There was always a barbecue, an OK
roasted whole, maybe two, according
to the crowd, and perhaps half-dozen
sheep.
AS for the minor ''fxings'-bread and
butter, cheese, pickles, pies and cakes
there was q general contribution and
more than enough for all mouths.
Sometimes there was a dance in the
grove, foot race, wrestling match.
or perhaps horse. race.
At night there wa big bonfire in
front OF the courthouse, at which the
small boy held high carnival and gen
orally was master of ceremonies. By
the way, this was about the only nipht
IN the year he could stay up after nine
o'clock, and he enjoyed the privilege
SO much that he generally had to be
hauled in by his parents or big sister
some time near midnight
And so the celebration ended and
every body went to bed SO full of patri-
otism that they. wondered how the
other benighted nations of the world
managed to exist without . Fourth Of