The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-07-04
COST OF THE FOURTH.
Five Millions Annually Go Up in Pow.
der and Smoke.

Harvey Lincoln, in Baltimore Herald.
To salute the Nations birthday costs more
than IL did to conduct a campaign under
Washington. five times as much as the value
of the commerce which Semmes destroyed in
the Pacific when he was cruising around
money the United States got from England
on account of the Geneva award. which
award covered all damage once done to the
merchant fleet OF America by cruisers built
in England.
The powder burned in firecrackers alone
this year would make monument higher
than the Washington monument at the Ma
tion's capital, and it would be four times as
broad at the base. The Fourth of July is
as we'll known in China as 1t is in the United
States, for the celebration Of the festival
of freedom is in this country one of the
sources from which the empire of the De
scendant of the Sum and the first cousin TO
all the fixed stars draws a great and stead
lily increasing yearly revenue. By the banks
of the Yangtse-Kiang they keep watch OF
the calendar and prepare their cargoes OF
firecrackers against the Mclean mans
much bang-bang.
The last two weeks in June see fleet
of sailing vessels come gliding in through
the Narrows-big clippers such as used TO
make Columbia. the Gem of the Ocean.
ard such as it does Yankee heart tn good to
from Far CathaY." laden down so that the
water runs back in long curling waves from
the chain plates with the spoils Of the East
in the shape of the firecrackers of our youth
Don't you remember how you used to put
them under tin pan or In barrel, so that
that the Chinese first found out that the
Mclean man" had day set apart in the
calendar upon which he desired to make
noise every American boy has been paying
tribute to the Tartar who sits on the throne
Of China. He is glad to do 1t, too, 1t pleases
German family which sits on the throne of
England.
The 100000 which we burn up in powder
to celebrate the Fourth Of July is so much
greater than the tax imposed upon the col
onies by the stamp act'' that there is little
comparison. OF course. England never got
the revenue she desired from the passage of
that ubiquitous bill. but If she had Ii would
not have amounted to a 1.-THE of what we
now expend In burning powder yearly.
In Park place, in New York city, there
is sold every year fireworks worth at least
81. 900 600. The ships unload their German
fireworks in the harbor and the crackers
are temporarily stored there. On Monday.
June Is, there arrived the bark Penobscot
with a cargo composed of firecrackers en-
tirey. She is of more than 1000 tons bur-
den, and she was only one of the many in
the firecracker fleet. On the shores of the
East river there is great storehouse which
is filled with Chinese firecrackers. The ships
come in end unload there, and the car
goes are stored up against the coming of
the Fourth of July.
body except the proprietors of the estab-
lishment know just how much of the con-
is by way of San Francisco, that the great
stores come. Whole carloads of Chinese
fireworks fresh from the Oriental steam
ers. are started from Frisco for the in
terror A carload of fireworks may cost
81, co., or it may cost 5000. according to the
kind of Fourth of July" stored therein.
pieces" planned for special display some
times cost $50 each, while the packet OF
torpedoes packed in sawdust costs only 1
cent to the wholesale 'ealer and cents 20
the small boy.
Besides all the powo which is burned up
in fireworks on the )urth of July there
must be taken into acc cunt the amount of
powder which is used in salutes all over the
country.
Every little village fires salute to the
Nations birthday. and some of them ex-
pend much powder as do the big cities.
for in those places where the immediate
need of things has not carried away the
efforts and the souls of the inha bitants
patriotism is stronger and more powder Is
burned.
To fire a small cannon takes 81 In powder.
| ten thousand inhabitants takes s. worth Of
| powder at least. No town makes salute"
| of less than twelve discharges of cannon,
| and you figure up the cost for yourself.
Then again there are forts scattered over
| the country and the fleets of the Nation
scattered the world and wherever
| there is a ship and wherever there is a
| fort there Is powder burned on lndepend-
ence day. So il all counts up and when
| the shadows gather on the Palisades and
| the long purple streamers of half-fading
| light are thrown across the Hudson powder
| worth s. 0C0 900 will have been burned up as
a salute TO the mighty mistress Of the
western seas