The Monmouth inquirer., 1896-07-02
OLD TIME FOURTHS.
r~o TYPICAL CELEBRATIONS or THE
DAYS OF LONG AGO.


Contrasted with the violent celebras
aon of this up to date age, the Fourthl
Of July of so, 20 or 100 years ago pre-
sents a peaceful picture of hearty patrf~
otisnp mors in keeping with the real
sentiment of the event than the present
clustering fashion
For instance, here is the way the peo-
pie 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 waw of 1912. Several days
before the Fourth the ladies of the place
boiled hamsS roasted sucking pigs
whole, baked pies by the dozen and bis
cults, by the hundred, made all manner
of cake generously filled with jam, and
on the morning of the great day deposit
ed the good things with the proprietor.
of the best tavern in town. 1t was the
province of that important man to feed
all the men and boys of the place and
surrounding country with the provender
supplied by their wives and daughters.
Huge tables, rough but solid, were
set on the village green, as there were
no buildings in those days large enough
to accommodate such great congrega-
ton 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 1t was needed for more practical
purposes than making 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
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 COM.
ments on the diners In the late after
noon, when all the men had eaten their
fill, there was ball in the public house,
and it was here that the ladies really en-
joyed the day.
In the thirties there was change in
the method of celebrating the Fourth.
The country was more prosperous and
it's patriotism had taken more vain
glorious turn. The town of Newburg-
on-the- Hudson gave great Fourth Of
July celebration in the year 1881. 1t
was gotten up by an ambitious trades
,,.av. xx,l,o ho1 c<r+roo&ad fbo x,ol;+;ooY
fever and desired to represent his dis
trict in congress. He subscribed $50 to
celebration fund, and after enlisting all
the ladies of the place in the scheme he
promised to make good any amount that
might be needed after the other towns
people had been canvassed for contribu-
tions.
The ladies began the work weeks be-
fore the Fourth. Committees were ap-
pointed, and each member was to call
upon certain number of her friends for
contributions. One lady promised to
contribute "a large loaf Of block cake
nicely frosted for the center of the main
table, two large boiled hams and six
dozen soda biscuits. Furthermore, she
said she would help set the tables and
give the use of her silver spoons and
cake basket. This was prize contribu-
ton Another lady, whose husband had
already subscribed $40, promised for the
event six loaves of cake, six dozen bis
cults and also enough cut flowers from
her garden to decorate the tables She
also rendered the services of her coach
man for the day and the use of her farm
horses for conveying the provisions to
the banquet grounds, grove about two
miles from the village.
Powder was purchased by the ambi-
tious politician, and the village cannon
was shot off at regular intervals during
the morning of the Fourth. He also
gave small change to the boys of the
town, and this was used to buy pepper
mint candy and gingerbread. Firecrack-
ers were very expensive things then,
and few boys cared to indulge in the
luxury Of using them, even if they had
the financial means.
In the morning all the people who
had promised provisions had them car
ried to the vestibule of the church,
which was used as depot on that day.
The streets leading to the church were
teeming that morning with servants
and housewives, all carrying baskets
filled with the good things From the
church they were carted to the grove.
There, from early sunrise, young ladies
and young men were busy making and
setting the rude tables, also place for
the orator of the day.
The latter had been invited from
neighboring town because of his wide
repute for eloquence. He was young
man, who wore his hair long and affect
ed an artistic Indifference to the com
mon affairs of life. He was also eccen-
trio in his dress, and in ordinary con-
versation used nothing but the most
ponderous language.
At midday all the preparations at the
grove had been completed, and the peo-
pie gathered at the church for the grand
procession to the festival place. A band
composed OF young men of the village
led the way, followed by the three finest
equipages to be had, in which sat the
aged Revolutionary heroes. The 1912
veterans marched next, and then came