The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-07-04
GLORIOUS 4TH.
Although TODeka Has Grown
Too Big to Celebrate
Still Some Of Her Population
Have Not.
so THERE is NOISE
And JubilatiOn All Over the
City Today
And Two or Three Fourth of
July Events.

This is an uneventful Fourth of
July for Topeka For the first time in
several years there are no orators here
except the few who live here and who
could not be coaxed out into some grove
or adjoining village. There is but one
celebration and there is no speaking
there.
Marshau's band is playing patriotic
music at Garfield park, the Topeka
base ball team is wrestling with a Kan
sas City ag,sreg3tlon and Topeka nofses :I5s
are struggling for supremacy at the
fair ground. That is all, but it is
enough. AS a rule people do not care
TO listen to speeches on the Fourth
of July. They want TO shoot fire
crackers, sit around on the grass and
have q good time.
The celebration of the day began
early in Topeka. Commencing yesUer-
day morning there was an occasional
explosion of a firecracker and last night
the peace of people all over the city
was disturbed by boys and men who
could not wait for the coming day.
Every boy who had a bunch of crack
ers left was UP this morning at day
light and he saw to it that none of his
neighbors were allowed to sleep after
that time. AS the day advanced grown
men strolIed up and down Kansas ave
nue. shooting. MOI all of them shot
blank cartridges, but no one was
hurt. If this dangerous custom
cannot be stopped in any other
way the police should stop the firing of
all guns blank cartridges or no blank
cartridges.
A half dozen boys dragged a small
but very noisy cannon down the street,
stopping every now and then to repel
some imaginary charge. Aside from
the people who were making noise
there We're few on the streets. Mer-
chants stood in their doors, but no trade
came except to the vendors Of soda
water and ice cream, and at noon the
doors of all but the drug stores and
candy stores were closed.
The rain last night and the threat
ening weather this morning kept many
women indoors this morning and some
dresses made especially for the Occa-
sion will go unWOrn today.
The biggest celebration in the county
is at WakaruSa, where there is an old
fashioned Fourth of July picnic, sack
race and all. The speakers We're to
have been T. F. DOran, H. c.. Larimer
and A. w. Dana, but at the last mo-
nlent Mr. Dana decided not to so.
There is also celebration at WatsOn'S
grove, southeast of the city and W. F.
SchOch, J. L. Campbell and Rev. NJ.
c. Long are the speakers.
Other Topeka people speak at the
following places;
General J. Q. Caldwell, Newton; Gov
ernOr Morrill,, Hiawatha; L. S. Dolman,
WamegO and MenOken; A. NJ. Harvey,
MenOken; Frank Herald; Tonganoxie;
w E. AtchisOn, Burlingame; o. c. Hill
Jewell City; John Calvin, HavensVille;
J. G. Wood, Norton; Robert Stone
Stafford, Menoken; Rev. H. D. Fisher
Hoyt; T. A. McNeal, Smith Center; C.
S. Martin, Salina.
Marshaus band gave q concert at
Garfield park this morning and is Civ
ing another this afternoon.
Another concert will be given this
evening and following it there will be
| a display of fireworks from the open
space in the south part of the park
The park presents a genuine ceIebra-
| ton appearance. There are candy and
]
the like and the firecracker and tor
| pedO "fiend'' is enjoying himself
| There were to be a good many of the
/ regulation Fourth of July amusements
! for the children, such as the creased
! pig, races, etc, though these are not
! on the official programme.