The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1892-07-08
dur Fourth.

If we had had a Glorious Fourth
made to order and delivered Monday
morning we could not have done any
better by ourselves than Providence
did for us. 4 perfect summer day-a
clear sky and a cool breeze-roads
neither dusty nor muddy happy,
comfortable, well-dressed, well-fed,
well-behaved crowd-a good dinner,
a fine speaker and q fine speech-stir-
ring band musio-races-fireworks-
and=surrounding and pervading all,
like the spirit of the day, the small
boy in halo of smoke--all these hap
Ply elements combined to make about
the most perfect Fourth that we can
remember. To be sure the aforesaid
spirit of the day awOke about two
O'Clock and made his more material
elders who need sleep swear little,
but when one hears childish voice
yelling "Hurrah for the Fourth of
JULY, he must be pretty far away
from his own youth not to forgive the
little miscreant if it is two o'clock in
the morning.
When morning came there was
hardly house which did not display
its flag or a bit of bunting and several
of the business buildings were dec
grated with unusual profusion and
taste. From early morning till noon
the people streamed in from all parts
of the county, from remote Usage and
the country beyond Humboldt and by
| twelve there was a crowd that over
flowed the park in spite of the fact
that there were several other celebra-
lions and more or less pretentiOus pic
nicsfn the county. At one O'Clock,
Mr.. Foust, the president of the day,
began the formal exercises with few
appropriate remarks introducing Mr..
GoshOrn who read the Declaration of
Independence. Ex-GOv. Anthony
then spoke to as quiet and interested
an audience perhaps, as it was ever
the good fortune of Fourth of July
orator to address. And the audience
was well repaid for its attention. Mr..
Anthony told them in his fOrcible and
entertaining way many things about
this government Of ours, that is about
ourselves, which it was good to hear
and moreover to mediate upon. He
wishes us to remember and realize
what we say often enough but do not
appreciate, that the government is the
people and no worse and no better
than the people. 1t was great
speech, "the best ever delivered in
lola" we heard from men of all shades
of political opinion. Gov. Anthony is
politician; but he knows when to
talk politics and when to talk patri-
otism. He talked patriotism Monday
and every loyal heart responded.
After the speaking was over the peO-
pie flOcked to the race track and wit
messed a running race between a
chestnut horse, owned by Wilcox, of
Piqua, and a sorrel, owned by Van
Fossen, of Humboldt, in which the
chestnut won by half length; and a
trotting race won by Holman's horse,
of Bronson, with Ed. Irving's and
Brightley's horses as close seconds;
and an exhibition of speed by Col.
Bruce. There was no bicycle race be-
cause our riders could not be induced
to enter. But everybody enjoyed the
other races.
In the evening the streets were gay
with people who, between the fire
works, the band music and them
selves were kept entertained until the
last rocket shOwered its benedictiOn
ON a patriotic and happy people.
We didn't see hot or uncOmfOrta-
BILE or diseontented person all day. We
didn't hear of an accident. We didn't
hear complaint. The voice of calam-
ity was shamed into silence for one
day at least, and all the people were
proud and happy and well content, as
the citizens of so great and prosperous
and free a country should be. There
was nothing the matter with Our
Fourth.