Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-03
How the Glorious Fourth Was OBJ
served in Early Days.
"REMINISCENCES OF 4 PARTICIPANT
Pistols and the Breech Ends of
Muskets Used.
S SMALL BOY A FA CTOR

/ All OIu-tilne curtin OF July was as well
observed as the modern Fourths hereabout.
| albeit the mode was often primitive, and
| there was neither the elaborateness nor
varied styles of jollfication of modern
| days"
| Such was the remark of an old citizen to-
| day to Star reporter
| From my earliest boyhood," he con-
| tinued. the day has been one of jolliica-
] ton, at least to the young people, and 1
| am quite sure the hubbub of modern times
| does not surpass the noise then made. The
| firearms then used were pistols, and the
| breech-ends of old muskets, many of them
! with flint locks-a small brass barreled
! pistol. and the sawed-off muskets being the
| favorites. The latter were mostly used in
| cannon form, fastened to block of wood
| and 1 have one which, having gone through
| the war of II, was used by my father, my
| self and my son in firing salutes on the
Fourth till a few years ago, when l found
that it was unsafe. Then we had gunpow-
| der, from which we made crude fireworks
| for there were few rockets and other such
explosives on sale, and the prices were
often beyond the pockets of the boys
| 'Firecrackers have been in vogue since /
| can remember, but cost much more Il an
| nova levy a pack l have paid many a
4 time The levy was piece of money sup
| posed to represent eleven pence, and equal
| ing twelve and half cents. We knew the
| improvised cannon baby walkers and
| that the name was appropriate thousands
can attest from their past experience. The
| boys used these as soon as light dawned
and there being an average of one to
neighborhood but few in the city limits
| could enjoy late sleep.
| ''Of course, there was law against shoot
| ing within the city limits, but greater lib
! erty was enjoyed The sentiment that
| the day belonged to the boys, and so they
| kept their fireworks within the line of
safety there was no complaint. Washing
| ton had not then been compactly built
up. There a large amount of vacant
ground-'commons-at the public disposal,
and the police, recognizing the danger of
firing off crackers in the alleys where the
houses were abundant, allowed free scope
within territory where there was COMPARE
tive safety.
Evasions of Law.
There was law, too, against the sale of
fireworks, but how could it be enforced?
All the boys had to do was to get negro,
whose uncorroborated oath did not count
| to go to the store and make the purchase
when there were whites present. The
colored boy was respected through the jol-
| lifcation and helped it along, being paid in
| kind by his juvenile employers. Thus, at
| least one hardship of the old laws as to
the colOred race was appreciated by the
boys in general on the old-time Fourths.
| Now, as to the general celebration of the
| day. The armories of the military compa-
| mes, the fire engine houses and other pub
| lie places were decorated on the day. or
even in advance. and before daylight the
| jollification would commence, the ringing of
| the bells, firing of guns. pistols and crack
| ers, with salutes at the arsenal, navy yard
and by the old Columbian Artillery taking
| place about sunrise. The military feature
was always in evidence the Fourth,
| obeying the command:
Squeak the fife and beat the drum,
| Independence day has come
Sometimes in general procession, at 9TH
| ers in parade, in camp or in target-firing.
| 1t being more agreeable to take the cooler
hours of the day, it not fnfrequently hap
pened that the evening of the Sd spent
| in decorating the armory and the men
| bunking therein marched out at daylight
| for sunrise parade on the avenue. A
breakfast at one of the hotels or restau-
rants being included Target practice was
feature with some, but not always car
ried out.
Some forty years ago. 1 believe 1t was,
| the Morgan Rifles went one afternoon to
Kalorama to try their skill. There was a
| church picnic on the grounds, and target
| practice was given up for dancing, and
when the day closed the soldiers slung
| their arms behind their backs. presented
arms to the ladies and engaged in escort
| duty. the band heading the line.
Did you ever hear of the spring of
| punch? over forty years ago the Light
| Infantry held a three days encampment
| on the Bladensburg road, and the morn
| ing of the Fourth a quantity of liquor,
| lemons, sugar, &c, was sent to the camp.
| In little time the spring was converted
| into a running bowl of punch and soon
] as it wa; known there were two lines of
| suckers lying along the stream
Places of Amusement.
Prior to the war the usual places of
amusement We're closed, but in the German
| beer gardens there were often performances
| of the vaudeville character. During the
| war some of the theaters were opened and
| largely patronized by the soIdiery, the per-
f. grl1k II q n a
patriotic character.
| 1t sometimes happened that there was a
| murder on trial in the Criminal Court,
| in which the jurors were required to be
! kept together. But few of these allowed
| the day to pass without observance in the
| rooms in which they were confined. When
! John Surratt was being tried for completely
| in the assassination of President Lincoln
| II ere was by special arrangement with
| the court and counsel a unique celebration
| by the jury, in which the bailifs who had
! the jurors in charge participated These
left the court house early on the morning of
| the Fourth and, though some were old men,
| their boyish feelings were shown by their
! hiiarity on the way to the spring on the
| farm of Mr.. r z. Blair, near Sligo. Here
| they spent the day in picnic style, one of
| their number reading the Declaration of
| Independence and others making appropri-
| ate remarks. while all Joined in the patri-
otto songs.
| Firemen Ever Ready.
| "The firemen were almost certain to per-
| form their part. In decorating there was
| much revelry. and house and apparatus
| were replete with the colors, each company
| attempting to make the best show and the
| most noise, often spending the night of the
| Sd at the house to be on hand at the first
of the hubbub, ready to respond to an
| alarm. Nearly every company had its bon
| fire, but real fires were somehow not as
frequent during the jollihcation of the
| Fourth as at other times can recall, go
| ing back twenty years before the war, no
real fire on Independence day Sometimes.
| the companies had picnics the Fourth
| and were always represented in the gen.
| eral professions that day.
| las rule, when there was no general pro-
| cession in honor of the day, there were pic
| mics held, Sunday schools, societies and
clubs giving them. 1t is interesting to know
| that Stickfoot. Hickeys, Gales, Berry's,
| Smiths, Pierce's Mill, Little's. PARROTS
| and Bomfords. favorite places for enjoy
| ment in the wild woods in those days have
! long since been subdivided and improved by
| residences-Anacostia, lexington, Brook
| land. lie Droit Park, Washington Heights.
| Kalorama and other more suitable names
| now designating those places. On the Vir-
| ginia side of the river were Arlington-pop-
i