The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-10-09
Highest Of all lin Leayening Power-Latest 7. S. Govt Report
Rs%assE
ABSOLUTELY PURE
DEDICATION PUT OFF,.
Ceremonies to Celebrate the
Crossing Of the Delaware
to Take Place Tuesday.
spectal to the .Jersep citu Ncars.


TRENTON. Oct. 8. 1Ss5.-It is a good
thing for history that it is the date of
dedicating the monuments marking the
spot where Washington crossed the Del
aware. and not the event itself, which is
so uncertain. General STRIKERS nara
tive of the brilliant achievement would
have to be quite a different one If it
were.
The services were originally set down
for the middle of September; then def
nitely fxcd for October /; then post
poned until yesterday, and, then, in the
presence of a large crowd Of ~disappoint-
ed people gathered with the foud cxpec-
tation of learning from the gifted speak
ers announced how Washington and his
shoeless band of heroes. with blood
stained footprints in their tracks, gath
cred at the same spot and fought their
way through ice and snow in open boats
fury ago across the raging Delaware, it
was again postponed until next Tues
day.
A DISAPPOINTED CROWD.
Some took their disappointment philo-
sophically and contented themselves with
imagining the scene, and pictured for
IL otC1if in waltz Us az
strobe down the path which led to the
old ferry, and amidst the sleet and cold
and darkness took his position in the
Prov of the boat, freighted with the
hopes and fears of an almost despond-
ent people. Then it was all a stony,
rough, untried way, with elements rag
ing fit to shake the determination of the
most undaunted, with perhaps worse
L. - - -;l1 fNr +hn
rebel leader. Yesterday all was peace
full and serene. A velvety green sward
sloped down where once was the ferry
road: the river was calm and peaceful;
a covered bridge gave sightseers dry
footing across, while on the other side
was nothing more formidable than q
passing train bearing General Stryker,
with his manuscript in his pocket, on up
the river.
Others did not bear their ~disappoint-
ment so easily, and said they wouldn't
come again. General Washington had
MT stopped for the weather, and there
was no reason why those who were to
honor the memoir of his brave act
should either. particularly as those who
had thought in the morning that 1t was
going to rain all day and te~legraphed the
speakers not to come had proved poor
weather prophets, and the afternoon had
turned out to be a lovely one.
CONSOLING TILE MULTITUDE, !,
About a couple of hundred people mad
gathered around the monument at two
O'clock, others having already, gone
home. and. after the band had played a
tune, listened to General w. W: Il.
Davis of Doylestown, President OF tne
Bucks County Historical Association, tell
how it tina the meeting was. yet was
not.
He took the whole responsibility upon
himself for having telegraphed the
the time there would be a drenching
rain all day. He said that hundreds who
had intended coming had been kept
away by the unfavorable weather. and
while he was sorry for those that came,
and hated to ~disappoint them, ne hoped
that they would get over 1t by next
Tuesday. as he would MS
ment. and all come again; The meeting
would be held then at 1870 o'clock. rain
or shine. freeze or melt.
John s. Williams of S%olebury, chair,
man of the Monument Committee, said
that the monument was all ready for
dedication and implied that he was sorry
no one was there to dedicate 1t. IN
stead of saying it. however, ne very very
acted for what he thought to be the
best, and they would abide by his de-
cision. The band then played another
tune and everybody went home.
THE VILLAGE EN- FETE.
The village had put IN its holiday at
tire for the occasion. Flags were flung
to the breeze from every house and all
the Inhabitants were prepared to enjoy
the distinction of living at such a his
forical spot. People cam in carriages
from long distances and from every di-
rection. Trenton. PENNINGTON. Newton,
Doylestown. Solebury, Yardley, as well
as all the nearby places, were repre-
As the ceremonies on the Jersey side
were subordinate to those on the Penn
s~vlvania side. they also were postponed.