The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1898-07-06
FOURTHS LONG AGO.
NOISE WAS A FEATURE OF OLD TIME
CELEBRATIONS.
It Was . Great Day For the Small Boy,
and He Enjoyed 1t to the Fullest Ex-
tens-Fun Began Before Daybreak-Ps-
rsde Of Fantastics-Other Attractions.

l
tens-Fun Began Before Daybreak-Ps-
rade Of Fantastics-Other Attractions.
Grown up people don't make SO much
of the Fourth as they did just after the
close of the civil war. The fathers and
mothers of those days had seen their sons
go forth to battle in the pride of their
youth. They had read In the newspapers
how bravely they had fought, and when
the telegraph wires brought the heart
rending news that the lads had fallen
while fighting for their country they wept
silently and thanked God that they had
not died in vain. When the shattered
armies dispersed to their northern homes
and Independence day came round again,
| they realized that il had new significance
to them. 1t was a day upon which to cele-
brate all the victories of the war; the tri-
umph of the cause of freedom over slavery
and the establishment of peace No
wonder the sight of the battered flags that
had been borne across many "a bloody field
OF battle fired their hearts with patriotism
and led them to express their emotion by
the discharge of cannon on the village
green, by the ringing of the bells in the
steeples and by the illumination of their
homes at night
The Fourth of July was then the great
est day of the whole year, and no expense
was spared TO make it memorable. The
bands played, the veterans Of the war
marched proudly through the streets and
the crowds oheered in honor of the occa-
sion. And what of the boys Of those days9
They were little patriots, every one of
them. They had been thrilled by the
stories of the battles of Antietam, of Get
| 81, ,oll hi
mothers knee. They had listened with
bated breath TO the orators in the public
square as they recounted the valorous
| deeds OF the soldiers on many field of
battle. They had learned of the beroism
of some of the big boys whom they had
known at schools, who had run away from
home to become drummer boys and buglers
in the army. All these things conspired to
kindle within the youths breasts the
sacred fire of patriotism and moved them
TO resolve to offer themselves to their coun-
| try as soldiers when they should grow up.
They formed themselves into companies,
| with captains, drummer boys and color
| bearers and paraded the streets just like
the real veterans. Their guns were made
of wood, but they handled them as care
| fully and withal as dexterously as the real
| soldiers.
The Fourth Of July was the day upon
which every boy felt that he had an in
| alienable right TO make all the noise he
could. Every flrecraoker was to him
! scream of JOY that the veterans had tri-
umphed and every rocket that pierced the
sky dropping a trail of sparks behind it
was shrek of delight that the carnage of
battle was ended. Thirty years ago no
boy in town wanted to lie in bed after the
church clock had tolled the hour of l
o'clock on that morning. Creeping out of
| bed in the darkness, boys dressed hurried
| ly and silently made their way to the
street. The stars were shining brightly
above their heads, and the air was a bit
chilly. They were soon joined by groups
of other boys, and together proceeded TO
| the homes of companions who had failed
| TO put in an appearance, and by throwing
stones at their windows or by pulling
strings that had been fastened TO their toes
awoke them.
When the party was complete, they pro-
ceeded through the deserted streets of the
town firing guns and setting off punches
of snap crackers to arouse the sleepers.
Several of the boys carried horns which
they blew TO their hearts content. A
number of citizens who did not relish hav-
|
turbed stuck their heads out of their win
dows and said uncomplimentary things to
them, but they only laughed and fired off
more crackers. Their teeth chartered with
excitement or cold it is not certain which,
but they did not mind it and kept up the
merriment
With the first peep of day the bells in ev-
cry steeple began TO peel out a sunrise sa-
lutte, while from the hilltop a cannon
roared out hoarse accompaniment of ex-
ploding powder.
BY this time the city was awake, and
| the streets were soon filled with people.
| Excursion trains from distant points ar
| rived every few minutes and added their
| human freight to the bustling crowds.
| Farmers from the surrounding country
with their families loaded on OK carts and
farm wagons drove into the public square
and became part of the multitude. At
o'clock came the parade of fantasies -
men and boys dressed in the most gro
tesque costumes imaginable and mounted
on ancient nags or drawn in carts that
had been decorated for the occasion.
At 10 o'clock the civic and military pa
rade marched through the streets to the
music of innumerable bands. There were
fire companies in red shirts and black he'll
met hats drawing the hand engines, or
machines, as they were called. There
were companies of Masons and Odd Fell
lows in their regalias, platoons of police
men in uniform, squads OF cavalry with
sabers clanking at their Sides regiments of
soldiers with the guns they had carried in
the field, wagons loaded with girls in
white representing all the states of the
Union, floats upon which were represent
ed scenes in the pioneer days of the re-
public, and carriages containing the city
officials and distinguished guests. Thou
sands of people crowded the sidewalks and
buildings on either side of the route of
parade and added their shouts TO the noise
of exploding gunpowder. When the pro-
cession reached the park, literary exer-
cises, consisting of the reading of the Dec
laration of Independence, an grafton by
the local congressman, an original poem
by budding genius and the singing Of
America, were held.
When it was all over, the military and