The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1894-06-29
PATRIOTISM IN THE EAST.
Boston, June Is, 1894

18th. The cOmmemoration of the day
in Boston, however, began on Sunday,
many clergymen preaching sermons
appropriate to the occasion. In
CharleStOwn, too, a few of the more
! important local societies began the
celebration by holding banquets on
Sunday night: and some of the clubs
evinced the keen feeling of the Char
lestown people for the anniversary
by Selling the first allowable moment
for the commencement of the festivi-
ties, holding open house from mid
night on Sunday till midnight on
Monday.
In Boston proper, on the 18th of
June, one sees but few evidences of
the celebration of this anniversary
The holiday for the schools-which
are still in session-the closed shops
and the throngs of people who crowd
the streets, the harbOr boats and the
trains which run to the beaches are
the usual demonstrations accompany
ing legal holiday. Except these
signs, only a stray flag or bit of bunt-
ing hung from window here and
there shows any interest in the event
which the day commentaries.
The Fourth of July is the day on
which Boston eXpends her patriotic
enthusiasm for the year. Then crowds
of American citizens from the towns
and villages north, south and west,
and all the remnants of humanity
from the out Of the way corners of the
city crowd the walls of the common
and celebrate their independence by
an uninterrupted course of peanuts
and lemonade from the stalls which
spring out of the ground, apparently,
in night, fiaunt in gay red, white
and blue through the days existence,
and vanish. This is the jubilee of the
patriotic year for Boston proper.
In Charlestown, the spot where the
struggle commemorated by the day
took place, the 18th of June is,
naturally, the day which touches the
national feeling of the people. This
is seen as one crosses the river which
separates the city proper from Charles
town. Indeed, the first impression of
jubilation is given on this bank Of the
river, where the gray stone buildings
of the navy yard present themselves
draped deliberately with the national
colors, with flags flying, and with the
musket Of the sentinel who PAGES be-
fore the door tied with streamers of
red white and blue.
Crossing the Charles river we find
ourselves in CharlestOwn, and one is
infected at once with the feStal air of
the place. Everywhere the city is
profusely decorated with flags, bunt-
ing, Chinese lanterns, portraits of
patriots and notices. The Bunker
Hill district, which includes MOnu-
ment Square, exhibits the proudest
display. The fronts of some of the
buildings here are completely hidden
by the streamers, flags and emblemS
which cover them. The monument
itself, as suits its display, is unadorned
except for the flags which float from
the east and west windows at the top.
In it's plain severity of color and out
line, the high, gray shaft looks like a
gaunt sentinel guarding historic
spot from the encrOachment of the
buildings which cluster thickly around
the base of the green slope on which
it stands. The hill capped by the
monument, and all the neighboring
streets are beset by townsmen, includ-
ing women and children, waiting for
the events of the day, the parades of
the morning and afternoon, and the
crowds are fast increasing through
the overflow of strangers poured out
by the electric cars, the steam trains
and the boats which are arriving. The
air is filled with the ringing of bells,
the occasional booming of cannon, the
the swapping Of fire works and the
distant playing of bands.
The two professions, the one start
ing at nine a. M, the other at two p.
M, are of distinctly different
character. The afternoon procession
is made up of different military and
civic organizations of Boston. That
of the morning is largely composed of
| tableauS and exhibitions, ludicrouS,
satirical or historic, much resembling
those seen in the Mardi Gras carnival
| of New Orleans. Among some of the
more interesting historic displays
were a party of minute men of rs
dressed in rustic fashion, with three
cornered continental hats, and armed
with ancient flint-locks and powder
| horns. In contrast to these are the
minute men of the future" little
boys in blue with wooden. rguns; and
an old'plow, said to be one of those
left in the furrow when the American
farmers drove the redcoats from Con-
cord back to Boston, holds an honored
place in the parade.
IF ic On1v tho cOrdid or tho irporo pt