Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-31

military funeral to a civilian the
padres were informed that hereafter the
troops would not take part in the obse
quies except in private capacity, and The
arms were taken from the soldiers Church
and state are so closely knit in Spanish
lips that this had been invariable Gus
tom. and the Spanish priests We're very
wroth. and here was sown the seed of dis
cord IN the arcadian peace of the bailiwick.
Twas ever thus in the history Of all great
nations Religion Is the rock upon which
they split, and Guam as the rest.
Preparing to Celebrate the Fourth.
Soon the glorious Fourth of noisy memo
ry drew near. and the patriotic lieutenant
determined that the new Americans should
make a proper start in their celebrations of
this great day, he called them together
and told them of his plans. A holiday is al
ways dear to the indolent natives heart
and especially a new and American holiday.
so they set enthusiastically to work, and
there was much comforting among the lead
ing citizens. 1t soon became evident that
there an opposition party. This was
! headed by the Spanish priests and their cry
was that the United States would give the
islands back to Spain, after ALL and that
then all those who had taken part in the
American holiday would be black-isted and
would suffer accordingly. In spite of this
dire threat this party was decidedly in the
minority, and the rest set about proper
preparation for the affair. A committee
of three was appointed. consisting of the
half-caSte American. really the best man
on the island the AmericaniZed native, and
| the Japanese trader. our naval officer pres
| dent over the whole. First the august
! body evolved a scheme of decoration and
soon the walls Of the palace were decorated
| with colored paper scrolls and festoons, in
| closing startling and very home made rep
| reservations of the American flag and the
| shield with 1776-1S99 in large figures At
I Pitt also the same chaste ornamentation
was carried out. In the streets triumphal
| arches of bamboo and flowers were erected
| at different points in the line of march, and
| things took on a very feStal appea rance.
| In the meattme the malcontents held aioof
would not decorate their houses and whis-
| pered ominously of the awful things the
| Spanish would do when they returned in
! avengtng wrath. and, though they damned
| the ardor of some, the rest labored all the
| more for the cause.
The Great Day.
| AT last the fateful morning came. and AT
! sunrise the native buglers acquitted them
selves noble" The day was of course a
holiday for ALL and at noon a salute of
| twenty-one guns Numbered forth. This
| was fired from a lot of ancient iron NOR
sars or coehorns of about the vintage OF
1850. that were found lying around the
palace yard. All the more modern guns
| We're removed by the Charleston or by the
Spaniards. SO the salute was fired with
these. and though rather ragged made a
| laudable amount of noise Then the popu-
| lace assembled in the plaza, when the lieu
| tenant read the Declaration of Independence
| in English in his best quarter deck style
| The Guamnos received this with tumul-
| tuous applause, though it is certain thai
! rot more than six people in the crowd I'M
| derstood Il word of it. He was followed
| by the official interpreter. who read the
| Declaration in Spanish. Meanwhile sew
eral of the high contracting parties were
pledging their new-found patriotism in CO.
piouS libations of tuba (cocoanut rum) anC
gin. and were consequently getting more
and more enthusiastic.
| The proce sSion next took place and was
truly an inspiring affair 1t was composed
of the naval officer, the committee, leading
citizens, the troops, specially given theiI
arms for the occasion, and some buffa Il
| carts filled with six beauteous little brown
maidens of the city, arrayed as goddesses OF
| liberty. The number of goddesses was mad,
so great to avoid dissension, for each lead
ing citizen was positive that one of hi:
| numerous progeny was the only proper god