Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-05

grumbllng and growing, and occasionally
swearing, the scramble and very little short
of rough-and-tumble fight that occurred
every time Fifth avenue or Duquesne car
took on load, made those events exciting.
1t was no uncommon spectacle to see car
SO crowded that three or four men, for lack
of better place, hung on by their hands
and feet to the tail-board of the car To get
ones feet on the coupling bar, which pro-
jects an inch or two from the plat
form, and hang on to the rail
was luxurious seat. 1t puzzled
one acquainted with the resources of popu-
lation in this region to account for the un-
ending stream of people that flowed into the
cars downtown and out of them near the
park entrance.
The Journey to the Park.
But if the scenes by the way were aston
ishing-and the procession of packed street
cars drew out quite an array of the Home
Guard, the mothers with very small chill
dren, the very old folks, and those who
could not get out to the park for divers
reasons, but who could and did stand and sit
in doorways and by windows and wave a
welcome with handkerchiefs or frecrackers
if the whole journey to the rendezvous
was az full of color and oddity as Persian
carpet, what was the scene at the park
itselfY
A gathering of fifty thousand people, it
may have been double that, for q mass of
humanity so immense and spread over such
large tract is beyond computation by any
ordinary observer, is not an easy thing to
picture Sometimes little piece of pic
ture, a section of statue-take for instance
the fact that man can stand in the flame of
Liberty's torch in Bartholdi's gigantic
work-will convey the idea better than an
attempt to grasp and portray the whole,
and to this end it NAV be stated that the
great bridge over -Four Mile Run by which
the Park is reached from Forbes street
was continuously filled with q moving
throng policemen saw to it that
none tarried-from 9 o'clock till 4, and
others report till far later. There was so
little spRce between pedestrians on the
bridge that at the distance of 100 yards it
looked like solid mass of which the colors
alone shifted and changed There was plenty
of room in the broad meadows. and even. on
the avenues, which promise to be model
roads at no distant day, beyond. Room for
tired men to lie at length upon the turf;
room for children to play the widest of
games; room even for young lovers to roam
Rt will and revel in sweet communion of
souls Well might MAJOR Gourley say, as he /
did to the writer: "The people of Pittsburg
never had such q chance to refresh them |
selves with pure air and beautiful scenery"
When the Mayor said this he was standing |
In the center of the athletic grounds, around |
the encircling track of which were ranged |
!, 900 or 1000 spectators, and it was hard to |
say whether the great green hills and the |
blue sky or so many free, happy and intel |
Iigent people enjoying the holiday were the |
yrander picture.
It was an Orderly Crowd.
Another feature of the celebration in the |
park that was notable was the entire ab- /
'ence of intoxicated or even hilarious in |
liyiduals. The great multitude was as
'ober as a Sunday school picnic crowd |
md a good deal more orderly. Only |
,nce did the writer see tears. They |
oiled down the cheeks of chunky little |
maid with the bluest of eyes and the sleek
st of golden hair tied up in single braid.
She stood upon the brow of the hill over
II six unripe purple plums tumbling away
ut of reach at a frightfully rapid rate.
hey were her plums, and she held a bag
nth big hole in it in her little right hand.
Doubtless even she was happier Last night
Tithout a stomach ache.
After the hustle and kaleidoscope scenes
n the park il was somewhat refreshing, by |
ray Of contrast, to come upon the Rev. DR..
Holland, sitting on his doorstep in the
hadow of the Bellefeld Church, while he
ct off frecrackers for the wide-eyed young
ters at his knee. 1t is well to remember
hat over and above the crowds in the park
nd the fireworks, oratorical and otherwise
here, there remained host of boys and a
,ountain of gunpowder that exploded
multaneously at home.