The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1891-07-09

g. a. W STONE q clt VI 10 SEQ
tin-kettle tied to his
tail. He never feels as much Of an Ameri-
can as when on - The Day We Celebrate
he starts forth at the gray dawn with .
piece Of lighted punk in one hand and q
bunch Of shootin' crackers lin the other.
This brand OF fireworks has not adj
vancod to any greater degree OF perfec-
ton. But we are more able now to supply
ourselves with this small detonator than
we were once. It is no longer necessary
to go to the other side Of the world to get
these explosives, with which Young Amer
lea runs patriotically riot. We make
many millions OF them ourselves.
In the matter OF the cracker itself there
has been some change. While the small
lunches Of the ordinary old-tiine cracker
| with the fuses twisted together and
wrapped in white paper with Japanese
characters on the outside is still identically
the same as that which delighted the ur-
| chin before the war" there are largo
| crackers made which go off with report
| Ike pistol. These are the giant crack
| ers " and the only limit to the small boys
| admiration OF this explosive with its very
| superior amount OF bang Is that which the
price imposes. He can buy several
| punches Of crackers for the price of one of
| these enormous taings. The biggest Of
them are fully twenty inches long, and
| cost one dollar apiece. The small boy who
can permit himself the rare enjoyment OF
firing off these must be millionaire,
while the boot-blacks and news-boys can
easily afford themselves a bunch or two OF
ordinary crackers with which to celebrate
| the glorious Fourth
| America seems to be the only nation
| which has associated this kind of fire.
works with the observance OF the national
holiday. But in the matter of pyrotech-
MICS generally VIC are the foremost nation
! in the world. So far from there being any
falling off in this line more fireworks are
| manufactured in this country than in any
| on the face Of the earth. The principal
mandatory OF these je1 d artifce sells
over three-quarters OF million worth Of
these articles in o year. Every year the
demand, instead Of diminishing, increases.
| Down on Staten Island there is a factory
where over 800 employees, men and
women, are employed all the time in max
Ing up these articles. The greater por-
ton Of the United States is supplied from
this city Of New York ultimately. Al
though the biggest firm in fire. works is
situated here, it has branches in all the
principal cities. AS the time for celebrat-
ing the Fourth of July approaches the
orders multiply from all the principal
cities.
There has been a consolidation of the
different manufacturers OF this class OF
goods and the result is that since the first
of January Of this year, through pooling
their views in this way, the quantity sold
Is largely increased and the prices have
gone down instead Of up. The small boy
can to-day buy box Of crackers for
| uhora % ucod fo ava to q m
for them.
It is In the set-pieces and in tho new
styles of rockets, whirligigs, lights and
fireworks of that kind that tho improve.
ments have been made. A Japanese firm
deals largely in fireworks for day use
They are ono OF the greatest novelties i'm,
ported into the country and are very popu.
lar with people who have country places
where a number of guests are entertained
These fireworks are sent off from NOR
tars and after reaching a certain height
explode and some grotesQue figure is borne
In mid-air. Some god, or huge elephant
through the blue sky. Sometimes q
shower of parasols floats out on the air.
There Is not the splendor and brilliancy
of the night fireworks in these devices for
broad daylight effect. So although the 10
genuity displayed in these figures is inter
estinR and their wandering through the
upper air are delight, the chief charm o.
fireworks is lacking.
It is only cities or amusement compa
MES that go In for the large set pieces
which cost hundreds of dollars and much
: preparation. There is always the pros
poet Of shower which may wet the fire
works and that they won't 60 of, and OF
rainy days the display at the sea side re-
sorts Is called of.
One very ingenious form Of fireworks 1,
the kind which are set off on the water
Greek fire was known to the ancients. I
Is interesting to see a fiery serpent-lik,
thing shoot hissingly here and there owe
the CLASSY surface Of lake. It SEEM
venomous, as II 1t knew that it was dealin,
with Its greatest national foe.
America is tho great home Of freworl
and the cracker. The manufacture O
their spectacular comhushbles is create
than 1t ever was. There 10 some satisfao
ton in knowing that amid the march O
improvement In these goods the old-tim
cracker holds Its undisputed place in tn
feelings OF the small boy. It has no
changed. It Is the same small, spitefu
cracker that our grandfather used to sen,
off.
To tho majority Of people nothing in py
rotechnics is 50 beautiful as the rookie,
which scars Kissing In q fercely CLOWN,
orange line against the black of the nigh
: sky. and then at Its dizzy height explode
, with tremendous report and descends In
cascade Of glitterinR points of light, who's
color is dazzling. Emerald. ruby. silver
gold. purple, all the most exquisite tint
are displayed in the fountains Of fer
particles, and the sight can not be graft
, fed with anything more brilliant In th
, way OF color.
The Chinese musical candles 20 off Wit
: shrill whistling sound like that which l
q occasioned by air-brake. 1t is q not
which Wagnerite will delight in, and |
is a pity that Wagner didn't make use of
! in the orchestration Of his scores.
. Most Of the set pieces are OF national d.
: signs and emblems, but there are repre-
: sentations o. every kind from WashinRto
on horseback down to dancing skeleton
Many OF the figures pyrotschnically re-,
resented are of the comic order. Pune
l and Judy. prize-fgters, quarrelsome cal
? and dogs and other humorous designs al
I a IL -