The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-07-02
THE OLD-TIME FOURTH L:
How Our Fathers and Grandfathers
Celebrated the Day

How Our Fathers and Grandfathers
Celebrated the Day.
Our forefathers of three generations
ago had a much more pleasant method
of celebrating the glorious Fourth than
the advanced and cultured urchin Of
to-day employs in paying tribute to
bis dear old Uncle Samuel On Satur-
day next the nation will be plunged
in hysterical vortex of booming,
swapping, laundering, cracking and
crashing sound. Perhaps if the bold
signers of the Declaration Of indie.
pendence could have known what they
were inficting upon posterity they
might have paused before afixing
their signatures to that noble docu-
ment
Contrasted with the violent celebra
ton of this up-to-date age, the Fourth
Of July Of sixty, seventy or one hun-
dred years ago presents a peaceful
picture Of hearty patriotism more in
keeping with the real sentiment Of the
event than the present clustering fash
ion.
For instance, here is the way the.
people of Germantown, Pa, celebrated
the Fourth Of July of 1918. There
were three cannon in the little town
which had done service both in the
Revolution and in the War of 1872.
Several days before the Fourth the
ladies Of the place boiled hams, roast
ed sucking pigs whole, baked pies by
the dozen and biscuits by the hundred,
made all manner Of cake generously
lied with jam, and on the morning Of
the great day deposited the good things
with the proprietor of the best tavern
in town. It was the province of that
important man to feed all the men
and boys Of the place and surround
ing country with the provender sup
piled by their wives and daughters.
Huge tables, rough but solid, were
set on the village green, as there We're
no buildings in those days large
enough to accommodate such great
congregation of people. EARLY in the
morning the young men Of the place
had fired off the cannons two or three
times, as official notice that the Fourth
Of July had come again. Powder was
none too cheap then, and it was need
ed for more practical purposes than
making an noise, so the salutes were
few in number
At the noon hour the whole commu-
nifty of the town met at the green where
mine host Of the tavern had already
heaped up the tables with the good
things provided. There Were speeches
and a prayer, and then the work Of the
day began. Benches were placed on
all sides Of the tables, and the eaters
sat as closely as possible. There was
not room enough for all, and when
one had eaten his fill his place was
Immediately taken by some hungry cit
izen who had patiently been waiting
his turn. The war heroes of the Rev.
olution and of 1912 were given first
chance at the provender and also the
seats Of honor at the heads Of the
tables.
The Ladies Did Not Dine.
None of the ladies dined with the
men. It was not considered proper.
They stood in groups near the tavern,
gowned in their best and making
polite comments on the diners. In the
late afternoon, when all the men
had eaten their fill, there was
ball in the public house, and it was
here that the ladies really enjoyed
the day. They danced right merrily
until we'll on toward midnight, when