Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1895-07-04
THE FOURTH.
1 Grand Celebration Witnessed
by a Large Concourse
Of PeopIe.
Good Races-Big Evsnts-A Happy
Time and Everything Paid Up.


Time and Everything Paid Up.
The celebration OF the glorious fourth
in Elk Point yesterday was q complete
success. The program, the races.
the parade. the peanut vender
and the lemo-fiend all met with such
appreciation that the day was voted q
p~leasurable and happy n in every
particular.
The celebration was under the DOM
ination Of the Elk Point Driving asso-
citation, and the officers Of that institu-
ton are deserving Of thanks for their
hard work, and the successful fruiti0n
Of their plans:
The first day "wednesday was de-
voted to baseball Ia the forenoon and
races in the afternoon, u full and &C.
curate account Of which follows this
article.
The morning of the fourth opened
very auspiciOusly. The weather was
perfect, and the dawn Of this glorious
day was ushered in the customary man.
ner by the booming of the cannon by
CannOneer Godfrey. At ten o'clock
came the parade, and by that time the
streets were lined with people. Every
train that arrived came loaded down
with q mass of humanity, until at noon
it wal estimated that there were $500
people in the city. The parade, while
not so gorgeous as on former occasions,
was q highly entertaining and instruc-
tive affair. 1t was under the direction
o: Marshal Hans Anderson. After the
Elk Point band, the president of
the day, speakers, committees, com
pany ID, and fire company, calme the
chief attraction. 1t was two wagons
carrying iOrty-five young ladies repre-
Goddess Of Liberty, Miss Nellie Free
man, standing erect on one wagon, and
Miss Grace Ringsrud representing
South Dakota on the other wagon.
Each was surrounded by an equal num-
Der Of young ladies representing the
states. The bicycle section of the pa
rade, led by Will Freeman, was also an
attractive feature. Each one OF the
wheels was decorated with the national
colors. Following all this came the
ragmuffin brigade, and an endless
amount of amusement was derived
therefrom. All in all the parade was q
glorious success.
On the court house grounds occurred
the exercises, under the direction OF
the president of the day, Mayor Gil
more. They were opened by a prayer
from Rev. T. M. COffey. Then came
the reading Of the declaration of inde-
pendence by DR.. J. Griffin Comfy, which
was particularly we'll rendered. After
this there was the music by the glee
club, and then came the Grafton by
Col. John l.. Jolley of VermilliOn. The
colonel was in his happiest mood, and
his address lacked the too frequent Gle
ment of spread eagleism, and contained
solid thought and excellent ideas, and
everybody who listened to the dis
course could not do otherwise than 60
away feeling prouder OF the nation
and the country. He referred to the
fact that twenty-five years ago, on the
same day and nearly the same hour he
had delivered an Grafton to the citizens
who had gathered in Elk Point. He
~contrasted the country rs it was then
and as 1t is now. He compared the
comforts Of today with the rigors
and plain manner OF living OF twenty
five years ago. The population had in
creased from 5000 to 10000, and the
wealth in greater proportions. The
old men of today had served their
country faithfully and well, and he
hoped the generation now coming on
deck would do equally as we'll. The
speaker then took up the line ol
thought that the citizen was the sOv'
erign. II there e ills, political, /,
wa the fault of the citizen, for he alone
had the power to remedy the fault,
Good citizenship meant good govern
ment, and the man who improved his
intellect, voted his true belief, wal the
best citizen, whatever ticket he nigh,
be named or designated by.