The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-07-03
GOSSIP OF ADAY.
Fourth of July Noise Pro-
ducing Agencies.
A Bunch Of 100000 Fire
Crackers That Costs SIS.
As q Noise Producer II Goes away
Ahead of Boiler Shop.

According to law made and provided,
~ the old formula has 1t. the ire
Cracker will have no part in tomorrow's
celebration in this town. With this dis
pensstion there are two classes that are
very much dissatisfied, the seller OF fire
works and the small buy-the former be-
cause q good part OF his expected reve-
nue. will be cut off and the latter because
the prohibition interferes with his per-
Bonal liberty in the matter of making
noise and manglipg his fingers In time
honored and patriotic fashion. But III
there are TO be no fire crackers here they
will be in use elsewhere, and 1t is inter
esting 10 note what provision has been
made in this respect for the observance
Of the great national holiday. A dealer
IN file WORKS, enc of the largest In the
city told the Gossiper this morning with
eCmething OF regret that such things
cannot be here, that in New York and
other places where the tire cracker has
not fallen under the ban they are Offer
ing for sale punches of imported ire
crackers, each containing 100, 900 crack
ers. Just think what pandemonium
Providence is escaping by not permit
ting the sale OF these 10000 crackers all
in one bunch! =s.. s-....
or course every small boy could hardly
afford the luxury OF this concentrated
combination OF noise and sputtering, for
NOT every boy has the necessary $40 to
purchase one of these monster punches,
but those who arc SO fortunate or unfortu-
nate, whichever way you choose TO look
at 1t cu2ht to get "A good deal OF fun out
of such large investment. These big
punches are made up OF what are called
"mandarIn" fire crackers, such as are
used by the wealthy Chinese in their
celebrations. The bunch il intended to
be hung from high window or sus-
pended from a flag pole. When lighted
Il begins business with great sputtering
which in turn lights the string of crack
ers. These are made OF hand-rolled tis-
sue paper and they crack like SO many
rifles. Every twentieth cracker Is OF the
"cannon kind, while midway in tho
string are bundles OF squibs from which
the crackers hang in three strings. At
the. bottom are serpents, flower pieces,
fountains. etc. Ii takes half an hour
for the whole bunch TO do its work and
for noise giant boiler shop, the Cos
Epers informant says, cannot compare
with 1t.
The S15 bunch represents the cost
liest rs the cent bunch does the cheap
est in the line OF noise producing
agencies. Between the two extremes
are the 5000 bunches at 1915, and
the 10000 punches at $3.50. Next in
importance and popularity to the fire
cracker the dealer told the Gossiper
came the torpedo and he added
that the sale OF these this year wolld
far exceed that OF any preceding year
be could recall. Roman candles are on
the market al from one cent to one dollar
each, while sky rockets have much
wider range, from one cent 10 feven
dollars. The seven dollar variety is what
in the Tarlapce of the small boy would be
caleb ga DADDY" for II will cover half
an acre OF the heavens with veriegsted
fire. Among the novelties are balloons
for use In the cay time and which are
calculated to furnish no end of amuse-
ment. They are made TO resemb bic life
sized ROSTERS, monkeys and pretty much
every animal up to the elephant. These
are so arranged that they are not de-
sstroyed by their first flight, but may
be chased down and be rehlled. More
over. a card may be sent up with them
requesting the finder 10 return them. In
set pieces there are many novelties this
year, including life-sized bicycle riders,
dancing skeletons and kicking mules.
What Curious people the New YorlScrs
are. TO be- sure. They have had open cars
on their surface roads for a few weeks
only, and now they are telling terrible
stories about their effects upon the pass
engcrs- Ii isn't the pneumonia this time,
but the JostlIng of one passenger against
another where the car swings suddenly
around a curve. It.seems that these weak
backed Gotbamites are fearful lest their
hacxbones become permanently displaced
by bis jostling process. Here in Provi-
dsEce there Is no such complaint and
peorio are cniy too glad whel the weather
permits the running of open cars rather
than those of the box description which
recome stufy and uncomfortable when
crowded. but then Providence is only
rountry town In the view of the inhabit-
ants oil the metropolis and its opinion
and experiences are not worth consider
ing.