Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1891-07-02

@eAOWu3 anu myself.
$500 o. ha--oa- f-Isalu wa mot hv On
.Apelnfmept at the band-stand IN the
-. OF course the general topic OF
day and1nu izaS Accommodating holt
observance.
For several weeks previous, we, to.
gether with the other village bows, had
spent all our spare moments in collect
ing barres and other materials TO be
used in making big bonfire on the
square on the night before the Fourth.
Besides this general attempt at cele-
oration, the boys individually had been
saving up their spare pennies, all OF
which they felt in duty bound to spend
on their nations birthday.
This was the condition of affairs when
we met at the band-stand for our last
consultation.
~How much money have you saved
up?" asked Tom Parks of Frank Brown.
The question was repeated, and il was
shown that Tom Parks had Sl.l5. Joe
Blake $1.20, Frank Brown % cents,
while had been able to lay by Just
$1.0S
"FOur dollars and forty-one cents"
said Joe, after few seconds work at
mental arithmetic. ~Quite a lot, amt
it?1
Oar combined savings did seem large.
snow" said Joe, ~Pve been thinking
Of way to spend that money"
"Oh, that's easy enough!" grnmbled
Frank, to whom IL was a task Of self
abnegation TO save money, even for q
Fourth of July celebration
Franks observation was overlooked,
and we asked Joe what his proposition
was
Joe was, by reason of his superiority
In years and experience, our acknowl-
edged leader. and whatever suggestion
he made was generally received by us
with favor.
Il suggest" said Captain Joe, shat
we club together and buy lot of pow
der, fireworks and other necssaries, and
have little celebration of our own to
towns celebration this year is TO be
rather a slim affair, and / think with
what money we have we can get up quite
a little surprise for the people old and
young"
That's sol Wonder we haven't
thought OF 1t BEFORE" cried we in
chorus.
@Our celebration must be SURPRISE"
continued Joe. ~I'll borrow fathers
wheelbarrow tonight, and Tom and l
will go to Pottstield things are cheaper
there than they are here) and buy all
the fireworks we can for the money"
Frank, who had determined to include
candies and cakes among his items of
expense on the Fourth, suggested as an
amendment that we each reserve
small part OF our savings for contingent
cies, and this, by general consent, was
agreed upon
Frank was not the only one of us who
had sweet tooth.
ave must get some powder for the
cannon" said Joe.
~And for my old musket," put in
Frank
ais that old relic in existence yet?"
put in Toni
"Yes; it's alive and kicking" replied
Frank.
- Or thA- laftAs- FAast Of E%4aL.s alaaa
ment we have no doubt, for 1t was fact
well known to us all that the old weapon |
was possessed OF the habits of an ILL |
natured mule
Each Of US had some advice to offer in
regard to what should be purchased for
our celebration, and before we parted
that day Joe and Tom had full list of !.
what they were to buy.
Early that evening they started on |
their mission, while Frank and eagerly
awaited their return.
Pottsiield was only two miles away. |
and the boys ought to have been back at
nine o'clock, but IL was fully ten before
we heard the creaking of the wheel
barrow announcing their return. Frank
and FASTENED TO examine the purchases.
and IL was evident that the bows had
chosen the articles with an eve to GUAM
THY rather than quality.
There were two pounds OF powder I'm
al old iron kettle, irc-crackers in all
shapes and sizes, and other parcels of
pyr0technics too numerous TO mention.
After we had sufficiently examined the
conteats Of the wheelbarrow, the ques-
tl0n was asked
"Whora shall we put all this stuff?"
BY Oh time our folks were doubtless
la bed. who're we ought to have been
also, and the barns and sheds locked, so
that there seemed to be no opportunity
Of secretlng the goods at our homes. We
had not thought OF this in our previous
@Say, fellows" whispered Joe. sud-
denly, why can't we hide IL under the
ba dstand?"
The place referred to was a hexagon-
a. box-like fair that stood In the pub
llc square af the base OF the flagstaff.
Il was three or four feet high, and this
sleYated platform was occupied by the
local band on occasions like the one now