Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1893-12-27
scHooleoV FIREWORKS.

scHooleoV FIREWORKS.
0os-s chow They Wouldn't Work Property
AMI tho Consequences werc Unpleasant.
Ihave IN my miad display Of fro
WORKS given by myself when 12 years OF
ago or less. Dr. Adam Norris, my
schcolmasser in those days, knowing
that was q past master in chemistry
and TN adept at tho manufacture Of COL
Ored fire, directed me to organize an
entertainment. The old gentleman is
gone now where there may or may not
be fireworks. but to his dying day he
never appreciated my efforts on his be-
half. 1t was proposed to illuminate tho
Fairgrounds with colored fires and Ian
terrs. to invite the parents of the 80
scholars and to rcgalc them after the
display with cake and wine-I mean,
of course, the parents.
was let off my evening lessons for
a week and allowed tho run of the
school laboratory. There reveled in
preparations. Not content with mere
red, blue and yellow fires, I arranged
Catherine wheels and Roman candles
and rockets. felt tho instinct of a
Brock and Pain rising in me. Ievcn
asked DIR. Norris for additional money,
telling him that I had an idea for a
splendid novelty. He trusted me, tax
ing the word Of our chemistry master
that ] knew what was doing. My
novelty, which I kept as n grand sur
prise, consisted of ''set piece" with
the words: "God bless DR.. Adam Nor
ris."
This benign wish would come out in
red fire and subsequently, change to
green, if all went well. The night ar
rived and the company. The prelimi-
nary illumination was not entirely sue
cessful, rs my assistants did not under
stand their business, but the first Cath
| crime wheel went around several times
| and appeared to be we'll liked. Owing
tn some unfortunate miscalculation with
tho materials, my rockets would not
| soar. The spirit was willing; the
| chemical compound was weak. So they
toro about the ground, like snakes, and
| Kissed in among the company, and one
let off purple stars under the petticoat
of a Lady. A solitary rocket really went
up n considerable distance, and the
stick fell through the hotbouse of 9
man next door, who had always beer
unfriendly toward the school. pass by
the hot air balloon. 1t scared ali
right, but forgot to tie on tho mag
nesium light, so nobody realized what
fine thing was being done. The Ro
man candles passed off without advers,
comment, and then lighted the ''se
piece"
You will not believe what happened
Nobody has ever credited the story
though have told it to thousands. Tn
facts, however, are these: Owing t
unforeseen circumstances, the first tw,
words of the dIsplay-those asking Go'
to bless our good master-did not igh
ut all: the next word, Doctor, fell Of
altogether; the a. in Adam also fail
ed. and tine whole of our preceptor
surname, excepting the initial letter
blew up. What was the result? Why
against the black night, raised on sup
ports some go feet above the heads O
the bewildered assembly, there blaze
forth solitary colossal Dam N"
1t burned red. and then in a silenc
that could be felt turned green. TIL
Damn and ! turned green together
That ended the entertainment. Peopl
never believe this story. Indeed Mt 6
great n distance OF time should he il
ciined to doubt it myself, but I cannC
forget the subsequent interview with IN
dear old master in his study. We had
little private display Of fireworks all
ourselves. Thus do most improbabl
effects result from remote causes. III
Chinese by inventing fireworks were d.
ing thing which. after long gener;
tons Of time, rendered it impossible fl
me to sit down with any comfort for
veek.-Idler.