Smyrna times., 1891-07-08
Indenandence Day.

The 4th of July has been usually an
important day in Smyrna, but as
patriotic day in the way OF a celebra-
ton, it was thoroughly an off day. 1t
differed in another particular it was
not even general holiday. 1t was
Saturday and per force, the stores
must keep open and hence no recrea-
ton for the merchant and his clerks.
MANY persons were thoughtful enough
to make their purchases the day be-
fore so the day wasn't an oppressive
one.
The boys exploded fire crackers
pretty freely, and had the usual enjoy
ment the day affords in making noise.
A number of persons had their houses
decorated in the national cOlOrs, show
ing they were not lost to the sentiment
of the day aud the occasion.
The only music was that made by
the cOrnet band, colored, in going and
returning from a picnic at CheswOld.
A few went to Middletown, some to
Walkers School House and other
places, several fishing, but the larger
part who left home at all went to
| Woodland Beach. The crowd here
was immense. The Steamer Clyde
was crowded, all that the law would
allow, and had to pull Off with five or
six hundred disappointed mOrtals
standing OIL the dock. From the sur
rounding country in all kind of teams,
the people commenced going at an
early hour and kept it up through the
day. The persons who go to public
places just to look at others land they
are not few, must have had in the
continually moving, changing crowd, q
good day of it. 1t was various crowd
of various moods, all of whom seemed
to enjoy it because it was the 4th
Conspicuous among the lot was a
crowd of Dover boys who came there
in a yacht. Several speeches wer,
made that seemed to amuse themselVe
and some crOnies, but it is not stated
whether they We're patriotic or what.
Considering some peoples idea o
the way to celebrate great natiOna
holiday, the day was got through will
fully as well as might have been ex
pected.
The sons of Ham have come to lOol
upon the 4th as much their day a
Christmas, and many of them with n,
/
These and their brothers of white
skin whose lOftiest ideas of both thes
occasions is a time of rOwdyism an
debauchery, made themselves cor
, spicuOus in both conduct and name, a
! is their wont. To labOring men, for
was day of rest from manual labor
. the Sunday following as a day of res
a served double purpose in the way {
, recreation.
t This Fourth probably excelled an
g previous one for individual displays
rockets, &C., during the evening.
some cases neighbOrhOOds united, an
v in one or two instances parties retire
IS to their back yards for only themselv
v to enjoy. The stores were entire
n exhausted of explosives, and MOI
= wanted The boys had been maxim
d run on the crackers and torpedo
n for a week.
8, The new laundryman, one of Il
Is successors to Hen Lee, came in for
share. Some of his young men Gu
toners told him the Chinese e
lr crackers were little and of no accOul
1t and they wanted him to enjoy one
70 American production, and putting
10 great big cannon cracker down on
1t floor, they fired it off, followed by Sc
is eral others in quick succession. T
n room resOunded with the big moi
Is and was filed with smoke, but t
ID | Chinaman laughed with the Othe
ne evidently impressed with the fact tn
re the Melican fire cracker was q I
thing.