Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-01

U" " : :s.,,. are PF'7sF'lal'y
With plenty Of money the boys could have
celebrated in a way that would have awakened
the sleepy little town SO effectually that the
older inhabitants might have imagined that
hostilities between the north and south had
broken out anew.
To obtain the necessary ar ticles wit which to
celebrate was the sll-important question before
the boys club, called the sour Boys" two
weeks before the time designated the
GLORIOUS Fourth" One of the boys, Bern
Gilman, suggested chipping in and buying a
lot OF skyrockets and red fire. but his father
was an engineer and made big money, the
proposition was nothing remarkable.
The words "red fire" suggested an idea to
another of the club, Jim Slade, and on his
plan OF celebration there n unanimous
agreement. 1t was to the effect that an effort
be inaugurated at once looking to the collection
OF as much red fire as possible in the two weeks
yet remaining before the Fourth of July, and
on the night OF that day letting it off in a
bunch.
To the members Of the 'Our Boys" there was
no necessity to formulate plans or advance
ideas as to how this red fire was to be obtained.
They were sons Of railroaders, and knew red fire
by heart.
Every f1agman on a train leaving east or west
has among his collection of lamps, torpedoes,
poker and shovel a couple Of sticks OF this ma
10 warn the train followins ~ their near an
proach to the train ahead These sticks burn
five minutes. and. Of course, contain a large
quantity of the red powder. All the railroad
men leaving from Columbia on the eastern or
through men runninp from ONE end of the
division to the other, were not known.
The "Our Boys Club originally was a ball
club, but had been in existence for several
bonsa and The IrXuries 81 sncb
Jim Slade. being a member of a state militia
comnanv as drummer hov. knew sometbinp
sbont organizing for effective work. and he it
was that nronosed and annointed committees
70 corral every train that passed through the
town.
Rows horn and raised in a railroad town soon
become exnert car inmners and il must indeed
be fast train that thev cannot successfully
mount. A rendezvous was selected back of the
railroad round bouse in the Gala, of a deserted
bouse in which was 10 he stoYeJ ali the mate
rial sacnred
The bovs worked like be,xers and as only
bovs can work when n Fonrtb Of Jnlv ceIe-
bratiop ia in the nrosnectiva and Mt the and of
the first week tventvlseven sticks had been &C.
cured and some seventv-fye railroad tornedoes
The latter article ia Also an imnortant mart of
railroader's outfit- and crossing the vision of
one of the collectors. several we're secured. and
thereafter thew were added as a sort of
auxiliary
As the day drew near the bows renewed their
efforts and the red FIRE and torpedoes came in
in such large quantities that one or two Of the
more timid bovs sngces,ed a halt Rut like
the trained bloodbound. thew smelt the snort
from afar and decided to give the little town a
celebration that sbould 90 down in its history
as n red letter dav of the most vivid hue
To add zest 10 the collection the railroad
ofic ais hegsn 70 notice the grea. inroaas on
had to ra their brain for new stories as to
their rapid dsappearance
On account OF the vigilance OF the railroad
officials the bovs' base of Generations we're trans-
ferred from the wards of the road To the ont
skirts of the town Trains going east we're easy
TO monnt but those going west called for yai,
unteers who were expert train Jumpers. and the
narrow escapes made wherein the loss of a
limb. or even a life. hung in the balance were
numerous enough to appall any bow but the
son of a rsilroader.
Charley Van lew and Johnny Hook wore both
thrown half under . fast-moyino freight in one
day, but their GOODNESS and strength pulled
them through with badly torn clothes Coupled
with these mishaps were numerous brushes
with the railroad detectives i'm the way of
chases over cars and out over the hills into the
country The bows were known to the detec-
tiyes and while thew did not care TO arrest them
it was their duty to keep them off the cars and
protect the company's property. At nightfall
several of the bows in company with their
father would RIM across these ofiicers lint
knowing wink wopld act matters ripbt before
anv harm had been done
On tn. LIST dnv of july a halt WAS made in the
foraeiny and the work of extracting the red
nowder from the sonbomore signals was bepnn
A eour barrel was used as a receptacle and at
the end of two inys' work it wns three-onarrers
filled The tornedoes had mounted mn IN
number until nearly 200 of them we're piled up
in a store box in an off corner of the room
Then as n final endeavor. three of the bovs
in whom were traits that 90 toward making nm
a diplomat called on the chief train dispatcber
Mt that point and in the most persuasiye tones
begged for n contribution toward helpine ont
their celebration.
With keen discernment the DISPATCHER saw
into the whole scheme and promised 10 bnln
them II thew would let him know the full mar
ticulars of their plans. No more fun-loyinr
man lived than EN-" Stevenson. the dis
hatcher. and the bows. knowing this. told him
all.
His contribution was an eve opene; to the
bows and after opening the signals. the barrel
was filled to the brim with the precious red
fire.
At last the great day arrived. and the parents
of the boys belonging to the club were as
tonished at the use to which the monev given
for firecrackers and other explosives was put.
Instead Of buying frecrackers and torpedoes
they made the mouths of many of the out
side BOYS water as they passed among them
munching peaches or apricots or contentedly
chewing away on some delicious sweetmeat
And then the novelty of the situation struck