Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-03-26
FESTIVITIES BEGUN.
Sharpsburg Opens Its Semi -Centen-
NAL With a Mass Meeting.
TOWN AFIRE WITH ENTHUSIASM.
Judge Over Tells How the Town Looked
When He Was 9 Child.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR TO.DAY's PARADE

To-day Sharpsburg will be half century
old, and no birthday has ever been cele-
brated with more pomp and grandeur than
will the people of this borough mark their
arrival at the halfway post in the irst
century of the towns incorporation. The
old and the young alike will take their
places in the festivity, and the event will
90 down through all time as the red-letter
day of Sharpsburg.
Last night everything had been prepared
for this joyful occasion. From every house,
shop and public building the Stars and
Stripes foated to the breeze. At the princi-
pal squares in the town large and beautiful
arches are erected. and not thing that
would add beauty to the situation is
lacking.
The parade to-day will be one of the larg-
est ever seen in Western Pennsylvania IT
every person turns out who has promised,
the line will be over four miles long. To-
night an extensive feature has been pro-
vided for in the way of fireworks. A large
quantity has been purchased and they will
be fred from the surrounding hills.
Formal Opening of the Celebration
This semi-centennial was formally opened
last night with mass meeting in the Pres
byterian Church. The representative men
and women of the town turned out enmasse
and it is safe to say the building never
held such happy assemblage
The meeting was called to order by H. j.
Heinz, and as Judge Collier, who was to
preside at the meeting, could not be present,
j. D. Shaffer, ESQ.,, was called to the chair
After music by the orchestra, Rev. I. M.
Thompson invoked the Divine blessing on
the meeting.
President Shaffer then read regrets from
Governor Pat!ison and Colonel William A.
Stone. Judge Over was the speaker of the
evening. He said:
1t affords me much pleasure tonight
to meet with you and sha1e your JOY.
1 can remember, when 1 was boy.
of passing down the river and seeing your
borough. to my mind beautiful village
nesting among the hills. There was no
smoke or dirt no changing Of hammers to
disturb the peace. heard at that time,
though, there was mill somewhere In the
vicinity, but think the workmen were en-
joying the favorite pastime OF the workmen
of fto-day-striking.
Went to Sharpsburg for q Wife.
A number of years later, when 1 was a
young man, got in the habit Of visiting
your town more regularly, for had met your
beautiful young ladies' and later grew more
interested and carried one off as my bride.
Then 1 came to live with you. In 1870
the first talk of street improvement began.
At that time we had some old fogfes here
who opposed paving, grading and
all manner or progression. We
went ahead though, and to-day have a
borough to be proud Of For . number na"a,,s,i Of
attorney. During that time much work was
done, and can say that no Improvements
we're ever made more economically than
these. 1t was not done by burdensome taxa
ton.
Henry j. Heinz followed the Judge in a
fitting speech. He spoke of the early days
Of fthe town and showed its growth up to the
present time.
Robert Malone, J. D. Shaffer, T. J. Ford,
w. P. Porter and others also talked. The
entire programme was interspersed with
appropriate and pretty music.