New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-07-09
CELEBRATING THE FOURTH.
A MORE IDENTIFIED OBSERVANCE OF
THE DAY.
THE EXODUS OF THE wELI-To -Do-NOIsE MAE
ING IN TOWN.

other- was the blase remark Of q
Coney Island car last Tuesday evening.
An elderly man stared through gold spectacles
NJ the sneaker and turned away with a sniff.
That sniff spoke volumes. The preface TO the
volumes would read that the elderly man had
seen many independence Days, with and without
the aid Of gold spectacles. and that day differed
from day as star from star. but that the olase
man was too pitably young and blind to see the
signs of the times.
Perhaps the blase man had forgotten that
this was the year 1899. and that last year was
1898 The great mass Of the people OF Greater
New-York had not forgotten it, Such another
Fourth Of July as that on which the Nation re-
ceived its historic message Of ccngratulation
from Sampson and the feet at Santiago can
hardly be expected in this generation. But this
time last year It seemed that the people had
hardly awakened to the significance Of the facts
This time last year it is true, the display OK
starred and striped bunting greater, be-
cause at that time, for more than Two months
not a hagpoe in the city had dared 20 stand
bare; but last Tuesday, although the weather
hereabouts made it a day on which no one but
hypochondriac could help enjoying himself
certain digniied consciousness that there was
definite National for rejoicing was dis
tinctly observable in the demeanor OF the
crowds independence Day seemed 20 have
gained in solemnity.
To see the crowds It was absolutely neces-
sary to get into the outskirts Of the city, unless
one chose to make his observations in the poorer
quarters on the two tanks OF Manhattan. In
any holiday crowd, Of course, the majority must
always consist Of those to whom Christmas,
Thanksgiving and Independence Day alike are
simply opportunities for personal relaxation but
this years Fourth Of July crowds seemed TO
have decidedly improved in tone Leaving out
of consideration the more VIGOROUSLY berry re-
SORTS it looked as If class Of peope-women
OF the better classes, for instance-to whom the
day had heretofore been rather a nuisance than
otherwise had resolved to celebrate on a basis
of high patriotism. One evidence OF this was
in the revival Of last years fashion Of wearing
the National colors in ties, hatbands and little
bows-a thing that made no observable part
OF the days observance two years ago
The general exodus Of the well-to-do from the
paved streets was not altogether peculiar to this
year. 1t has been becoming more and more the
! rule for years past as the means OF transporta-
ton have become more perfect. But this year
with the of the Fourth itself great National
anniversary and a Monday too the evacuation
of the residence quarters was more thorough
than ever Whole blocks. where a few years
ago the foot passenger would have moved along
a firing line Of small boys were this year almost
deserted 1t seemed that the tomtom and bang
stick Fourth of July had passed into the limbo
OF the has been The vendors OF fireworks
would tell the inquirer that trade was as good
as ever or better. and so II may have been but
Judging by the effect on the ear. the volume OF
noise developed between sunrise and sunset was
less.
rod oIC n no
making in NETWORKS celebration this year: the
early morning the noon. when the salutes were
fired at the forts. and the night. The last was
the most interesting, because, naturally, the
most spectacular. good place to watch the
after-dark display was the roof of a tall
building close TO the shores of the East River,
and therefore not far from the centre of Great
er New-York There the sound of explosions
reached the ear, not by any means from every
where, but from half dozen scattered fields
far and near if a complicated battle was
going over a wide area and many different
bodies Of troops were engaged One could find
quarters-notably the whole downtown or Wall
Street quarter-where all was as silent as the
grave. and not flash OF light showed in
half an hour. But in other directions smoky
brightness would every now and again rip open
the dark, revealing what looked like a vertical
sided charm, a bunch of Bengal lights or
Roman candles went off on some sidewalk. Then
that quarter would relapse into darkness. and
the glare would appear perhaps half a mile
away And meanwhile the rockets from
everywhere. seldom IN large numbers from one
place, but as if some family other were al
ways firing its little domestic stock. But, tax
ing the whole wide field. leaving out the places
where the set professional displays were In
progress, the East Side gave by far the most