Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-07-05
SKOWHEGAN.
OUR CELEBRATION.
A Big Crowd. Perfect Day and Splendid List
OF Attractions.

1t has been several years since the
shire town of Somerset county has held
a celebration, but, yesterday, the old
town woke up to the patriotic spirit of
the day and held one of the granlest
celebrations in the history of central
Maine. When the town clock in Rail-
road square had finished striking the
hour midnight, the fun began and the
populace were aware that the Fourth of
July had come in all its glory. The
younger population We're out en- maSSe
and made life burdensome for the older
people who wished to pass n restful
night. Then again. at o'clock in the
morning, the whistles of the various
manufacturing plants of the town sent
out their shrin voices against the rugged
hills about Skowhegan, and the Fourth
had begun in earnest. Bells rung, boys
shouted, torpe1oes cracked and fire
crackers sputtered, and the day had
begun.
At \. NJ, the crowds from the sur
rounding towns had arrived and the
town was alive with humanity when the
people gathered on Madison avenue to
derson. the popular wooden manufactures,
acted as starter. and Daddy" Leach as
judge of the several foot races, which re-
suited as follows:
Obstacle race, in which the obstacles
We're a load of hay. barrels. etc.-JoSeph
Nigue. LIST: Wallace McPheters, "a; +.
w. Thomas, Sd.
Sack race-L. V. Thomas. list; +. W.
Thomas. ID; Wallace McPheters. Sd.
Three-legged race-1 homas brothers.
list: McPheters and Averill, ID.
AT 94a A. NJ. the industrial and civic
parade started from East Leavitt and
Heselton streets-and what a parade it
was Never has Skowhegan witnessed a
better one Over the following route it
moved, amidst the cheering of the multi
tule: Water street to Madison avenue 10
Elm street Elm street to Pleasant street.
across High street to Court street extern
sion, Court street and Ieavitt street to
Madison avenue thence to the south side
Of the kennebec river, Main to East
Hathaway and Main streets. The line of
parade disbanded on the island and was
made up as follows:
FIRST DIVISION.
Four Mounted Police. under supervision
of Chief of Police Thompson
General Isaac Dyer, a veteran of the
Civil War and famous in the Red River
expedition. marshal
Thomas III. Anderson and Amos X. But
Ter. aids.
Belfast Naval Band. "a pieces.
Skowhegan Board of Trade
Selectmcn and Assessors of the town of
Skowhegan.
Clergy of the City.
Co. e, I'd Regiment. N. G. S. NJ, Captain
Wallace McPheters.
Fifty members of the Uniformed Rank
A. O. L. W., of Watervile Co. A. Cap
tain Edward Towne commanding
Two floats containing 80 girls. ornament
ed with the national colors
Skowhegan Fire Department. Chief Nut
ting, Assistants Rochester and Murphy
Steamer No. l. Union Hose, j. Nosmus
Hook AMI Ladder Co.. each with a full
compliment of men in line.
SECOND DIVISION.
Dewey Drum Corps of Athens. Simon
Fox, drum major.
Five teams, displaying Osborne's farming
Implements
d. II. Bartletts display, five teams.
Novelty Mill display.
]. 7. Thbadeau, the baker.
Wentworth Il Oak, furniture dealers.
]. d. Rawles e. Co.. hardware dealers
c. w. Day, the popular grocer and fruit
dealer.
A. G. Blunt, the hardware dealer.