River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1894-07-05
FOURTH or JULY CELEBRATION.
The American Eagle Takes Its Annual
Frolic at River Falls.
A Day of Sports. Speeches and Base Ball


The Celebration at Clark's Grove
was varied and jubilant success.
The anticipation of our great nation
al festival was here exceeded by the
joyous reality; and from the noisy i'd
night of the Bird TO the serene dawn of
the 5th River Falls was "A continuous
pageant of patriotic mirth. Loud
bursts OF cannon, shrill screams of
steam whistles. and the changing of a
half dozen bells, heralded the birth of
the llsth anniversary of our nations
freedom: and as the teams of the farm
ers came dashing into the city in the
early morning the streets presented a
picturesque and fascinating appear
ance.
The business blocks and private res
licences were profusely decorated with
flags, shields, and festoons of spangled
bunting, the dust of the streets was
settled by judicious sprinkling, and as
the organizations assembled for the
parade every participant in the gay
scene congratulated himself and his
neighbor upon having joined with the
city in concentrating the Fourth.
The procession formed and marched
as outlined in the program of the day.
The first division was composed of
bicycles no less than twenty five -
and formed fitting van guard for the
solid train behind. The second divis-
ion, comprising the City Cornet Band,
the Fire Department, the uniformed
Cadets and the local post of G.. A. r.,
was especially attractive, because of
the excellence of the two new Organi-
Zations-the band with its mastery
10. n, l..fF
martial bearing.
The floats of the third division gave
color and dignity to the procession and
were in themselves "A moving piano.
rama, indicative of the stock and
trade of their builders. Among the
merchants represented were Burhyte,
Freeman, YOuells * Avery, Smith,
Chinook and Curtiss. +. j. Burhyte
had an especially elaborate float. The
structure was imposing and graceful
in proportions and its elegant draper
les and rich ornamentation together
| with its six superb horses made it a
subject of admiration and comment.
The II. 5. Freeman exhibit was a
handsome display, suggesting drugs,
| tinery and the mystic art of medicine.
Geo. Chinnock's ponderous steam en-
CINE and bright cOlored harvester
| made itself felt by drawing the atten-
tion of the crowd and sundry horses.
The Pierce Co. Cornet Band and the
Disappointed Democrat made up the
fourth division.
Nobody knew till yesterday that
John Winn voted the democratic tick
ct in '92; but there he was in the pa
rade giving himself a public kicking
with an Internal machine which pro-
ii. ia. Lot Of foil
voted for Cleveland" Following the
| fourth division was long and orderly
line of carriages and wagons.
The program at the grove was gen.
erous feast of music, singing and
speech. The Declaration of hide
pendence was very effectively read by
Miss Anna Dodge; and Misses Eva
White, Dotty Daniels, George Corn
| well and Ethel iIeasley, delivered pa
| triOtic poems with commendable spir-
il and grace.
Mayor Ballard in a ready and cordi-
| al address welcomed the people to the
grove and the city and received a cheer
from his audience. Brief and enthu-
siastic addresses were made by d num-
Der of prominent local speakers; and
| the program was concluded by the
stirring hymn America.
The sports were opened by run
ming horse race. The purse of $1,000
was won by j. Nj. CurtisS while Nc
keever, a close second, received $500.
The scrub running race was won by
c. V. Scott, with X. NJ. Briggs second
and VIM. SchOtield third The purse
was $1,000. In the gents bicycle race
Gilbert NOrSeng won first prize, $500,
Frank Webster second, $500, and
Frank Chapman third, $500. In the
ladies' bicycle race the purse of $1,000
was divided equally between Misses
Susie Downer, Constance Haugen and
Emma Jenson-the judges being UNI
able to discriminate between the grace
of the three competitors.
In the 100 yard dash Dalky of ELS
worth had "A walk-away over Ray Fol
lansbee for first prize. The purse was
ley captured 81 80, first prize, while
Cecil Dodge, Edwin Green and john
ME Morrow won respectively SO, $50
and $.25 for second, third, and fourth
places. The sack race resulted in a
tie between Finn and Donnelly. The
purse was $500.
The three legged race was won by
Swenson and Brown over Finn and
Donnelly The hose race in the eve
ming between Mark Gunderson's team
and TheO. Smith was won by Smith 5
crew: but the prize was awarded to
Mark GundersOn by the generous fire
men because of his heroic conduct in
getting out his Ueam after having
crushed his hand and lost his little
finger in the machinery of the hose
cart.
By far the or atCst event of the
day was the base ball game between
the Cuban Giants of st. Paul, and the
River Falls picked nine. The Cuban
Giants, as their name would indicate,
are club of stalwart negroes, and in
their neat suits of black and white
with Ryan" across the breast they
made trim and formidable nine.
The River Falls boys are, as one of the
Giants remarked, ''meah kids" but
they played like heroes, kept the score
tied ll6-l6l through the ten innings,
and received the cheers and admira-
tion of the immense crowd of specta-
tors who swarmed over the Normal
School Campus.
Brilliant plays were made by Lusk,
Purves and Fuller; and both Dalky
and Campbell as pitchers made it ditfi-
cult for their opponents TO lind the
ball
The purse of $500 was awarded to
the Cuban Giants as compliment to
the visiting team and liberal residue
of the funds collected was divided
among the home team.
The fireworks at nine O'Clock were
dispropOrtiOnately meagre, but the eff
feet was good as far as it went. The
committee on illumination was not TO
blame as its efforts were handicapped
by the railroad strike-Orders sent to
Chicago for extensive fireworks could
not be filed.
The dance in the pavilion conduct
ed by Williams, Dodge and Kaler was
the chief feature of enjoyment for a
gay crowd of young people, and
wreaths of gray and purple adorned
the eastern horizon before the last of
the merry-makers wendell their sever
al ways homeward.
Cases of 40 wears standing where