The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-07-06
HOW THE DAY
WAS SPENT |
Parade, Picnic and Fireworks Afforded
Some Pleasure.
MARRIED BY HARD TIME EFFECTS.
The Grant Band Tried to Put Spirit Into
the Events Of the Day-Lsrge Crowds
But the Money spenders Were
Far in the Minority.

In comparison with previous years the OBJ
servance Of Independence Day in town yes
terday was the most tame effort on record
There was a lack Of spirit on the part of the
people and the proprietOrs Of hosteries say
there was also a gaeat scarcity Of finance
| The hard times of the past six or eight
months made themselves apparent in more
than one respect. People who had little
money to spare attended the bicycle races at
Mahanoy City, or the Grant Band picnic at
Columbia Park, and the proportion that
spent money in town was small, although
there were large numbers Of people from out
side places here. The electric railroads did
a big business and until late hour all cars
were packed with people.
There was considerable display of fro
works through the town, yet the dealers
complain that the balances of stock on hand
are large. A canvass of the town showed
that there were no serious accidents from the
use of fireworks, cannon or revolvers.
The most cheerful returns, from fnan-
cial point of view, come from the ice cream
and soda water dealers The torrid weather
made great demand for cooling refresh
ments and it seemed that the heat diverted
to The soda counters much of the reyenue
which would have gone into fireworks had
the weather been less oppressive
The first and really only exciting event of
the day took place shortly after ten o'clock
yesterday morning, when boy threw a
squib ON a stand of fireworks in front of
Mellet's store at the corner of Centre street
and Market alley About ten dollars worth
of crackers, Roman candles and other nerve
teasers went off almost simultaneously and
raised such a cloud of smoke and racket that
Watchman Creary sounded an alarm. The
IRE department responded, but its services
were not required
The next event of the day was the parade.
which took place shortly after two o'clock i'm
the afternoon. 1t was by no means as Ella
borate as had been expected, many of the
business men whose names were on the LIST
falling to put forth their displays The parade
was headed by the Chief Burgess and
uniformed police followed by Chief
Marshall w. T. Schoppe and his aids
David Morgan and Phil. Maher Next
came a committee of escort from the
Grant Band. The Annunciation Cor
net Band, Watkin Waters Post No. 146
q. A. r. and the Patriotic Drum Corps in
the order named, followed by thirteen
wagons of the Columbia Brewing Company,
the one in the lead being drawn by six
HNAoSo' io IdCIoIN onOb store made
humorous display and the Famous Clothing
Company had a brigade of banner-carrv1ng
boys in line. O'Neill Bros presented float
bearing attractive furniture and A. Me
luskey's float consisted of unique ar
rangement Of various articles in his line of
business. Neat displays by J. M. Kalbach
Miles & Gaughan, A. Womer and A. p. Tabor
followed, the latter having four teams in line
Next came the Greek Band, members of the
Vaudeville Club on float and in grotesque at
tire, the Lithuanian Band Columbia H. & S.
f. D. Co., and the Rescue II. & L. Co., fully
equipped and with all apparatus. The fire
companies made a very pretty ending of the
parade. The Grant Band picnic at Columbia
Park was the next attraction During the
afternoon the attendance was fair, but in the
evening great crowd was at the park. Con
sidering the depression in the times the pic
mic was very fair financial success.