Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1897-07-01
HE CHOSE THE EAGLE

The members of the Seventy six clut
arose and met on the street corner before
it was day; met in pairs, in trios, in quar-
tets, and hurried on together until the clut
entire finally found itself in the public
square of the little city, the seaport towr
of Shelton.
Each member seemed to bear his part Of
general burden. In the gathering dawn
one bundle showed itself to be flags, an
other revealed the texture of bunting
while some half dozen of the members
moved in single file, linked together like
monster by ladder, so unusually long as
to suggest its being several ladders spliced
together.
The club had evidently laid It's plans be-
forehand, and, being composed of mem
bership entirely masculine, held it's various
tongues and moved about silently, haltine
at length before large white house facing
the square from its west side.
There the gray light of early morning
revealed sight well calculated to arouse
the emotions of the Seventy club, for
from the cornice of the house hung gi.
gantic pasteboard shield displaying the
royal arms of Great Britain, the lion and
the unicorn not more proudly assertive,
however, than the multitude of flags, large
and small, union jacks, merchant and
royal, that waved above and below, from
cornice, window and door.
Seeing which, the emotions of the club
broke forth into silent energy. The bun.
dies fell to the ground that every shoulder
might aid in raising the ladder until il
rested at convenient If somewhat shaky
angle against the front wall of the house.
Then the members of the Seventy six club
fell to work removing the hated emblems
of British power.
Now, it SO happened that as the gray OF
the eastern sky warmed to rose and the
rose paled to gold the members of the
Seventy six club Glanced all to have as.
sembled on the roof at once some lower
ing hinge shield of rcd, white and blue,
others engaged in festooning the cornice
with lengths of bunting, and that while
so engaged the front door of the house
opened and a man came out, man con-
siderably past middle age, who must have
been a stalwart giant in his prime, for,
leaving the door ajar and giving but a
glance at the debris of union jacks and
arms Of Great Britain scattered over his
grass plot, he moved silently about the
foot of the ladder, and with a grip of one
whose muscles were yet of iron he seized
its sides, strained, lifted, and over the lad
der began to go, as the sun shot up tri-
umphantly, disclosing the IS faces of the
members of the Seventy six club, bearing
varied expressions of surprise, dismay and
disgust.
The ladder falling prone upon the grass,
the grizzled face of the elderly giant looked
up to the roof, from which fioated the but
partially completed decorations of red,
white and blue
"Aw, gentlemen, good morning, =
quoth the elderly giant 'It bids fair to
be glorious Fourth, does it nots''
From the extreme edge of the roof the
president of the Seventy six club looked
down.
say, now, captain, this isn't fair, y
said he, mot only to have such decora-
tions blazing over the square in the face
of the speeches and the Declaration, but
to object in this way when we protest"
No objection to any amount of protes-
tation, my dear fellows, none at all re-
turned the captain blandly. provided such
protestat'ons are verbal 1t is only this
thing of ,n0uual protestation am object
ing to, and Chat from Il purely American
standpoint, too, Mr.. President, as you
must admit-'eyery mans house is his
castle, you know, gentlemen.
The club, seemingly visibly affected by
Al -
to confer, while the captain, lighting his
pipe, shook silently, but with a visible
agitation of person.
Al the sound Of an Introductory cough
he looked up. 1t was the president again,
backed by the anxious faces Of the rest Of
the club.
We own we are beaten at our own
game, " he said. what are your terms Of
surrender?''
Restoration of damaged properly and