Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-07-07
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.


Middlebury's Celebration Grand Sue
cess-The Day in Detail.
To describe Middebury's celebration
of the GLORIOUS Fourth as "rOusingn does
not half express the way it was done last
Tuesday. To celebrate such an occasion
without a crowd, would be something
like playing "1amlet" with the title role
omitted, to use a much-used comparison.
But the crowd was here IN couples, in
families. single, tWius-and maybe a
sprinkling of old bachelors. who don't
count. anyway. And they made such a
celebration of the nations birthday as
old Middlebury has rarely experienced.
At an early hour the teams began to
stream into town from every main road.
Any sort of vehicle was good enough,
Just so it would go-and this was an old
fashioned celebration without any frills.
Buggies, carry-alls. road-carts, farm.
wagons, surreys-all followed each other
as in a procession along the dusty high
ways of the early day. The morning
had broken bright and cloudless and gave
promise of an ideal summers day. The
result of all this was that by noon Mid
dlebury's population had about trebled.
The small boy, as usual. ushered in
the day before it was light, and with his
cannon fire-crackers made known his
presence. The first event of the regular
program was the procession of "horri-
bles"-and the word properly fitted the
makeup of most of the boys in line.
The procession was formed at the fair
ground, and led by Col. Thad. Chapman
as marshal of the day and Eugene
Twitchell as assistant. paraded the prin-
cipai thoroughfares. The Citizens Cor
net band of Brandon was at the head,
and was followed by floats, and horribes
on foot, In teams and on horseback.
There was Uncle Sans Philippine band
in band-wagon, a wild man in an
improvised circus-cage on wheels, Aguin-
aldo in native costume on foot. a rig
hauled by team consisting of very big
horse and very small donkey and
loaded with people of color-many col
ors, in fact; and no end of others In COM
ical make-ups. The procession was long
enough to do Justice to a circus.
The contests of the day were most in
terestng. The tub race in the river was
especially so. The prizes went to Willie
Steele and Theodore Butler. In the
wheelbarrow race Edward Larock was
the winner with George Steele second.
George Wilson coupled with Archie
Nelson beat William Lavine and Edward
Larock locked together in the three
legged race. The four-legged race was
captured by George Steele, his brother,
Burt, being good second. John Hutch
ing won the sack race In good order. In
throwing the base ball William Debuc of
Vergennes was first with w. II. Levine
second. The Tug of war between the fat
and lean men was won by the heavy
weights. Races were on the fair ground
track as follows Bicycle races AL
bert Lowell, LIST; Mr.. Little, I'd; Rob.
Pinney 3; George Smith, 18th. The boys
race: Harry Cobb, lst A. Burt, I'd C.
Thomas Sd. In the free. for-all trotting
race only two heats were paced, Little
George being first in both heats and
Cinderella second. Miss Mabel Sd In the
first heat and 18th in the second. Time,
80 and 2 :33. In the , 80 class only
one heat was paced, Brown Dick being
first, Montapoe second and Monitor third
and Athlone fourth. Time 2:57. The
races were discontinued on account of
rain.
The heavy showers that fell In the
afternoon did not interfere with the en-
joyment of the crowds, even II they did
put stop to the races at the fair ground.
The air was cooled and freshened by the
rain and the evening was ideal. The
fireworks set off from the triangle in
front of Battell block were witnessed by
large number. The dance at the opera
house in the evening, given by the fire
department of the village, closed the day
In very enjoyable manner.