Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-04
Sig Year Tor Fireworks.

| nuSudl preparations have been
made by manufacturers OF fireworks
and devices for predetermined display
this year. They look for an.unusually
brisk trade, ana thesvutput Is expected
10 double that Qf-.l1si year, The fact
that this is Presfdcntiai year is chiefly
responsible for the large orders an
ticipated and INLAND. There has been
a notable increase in the number Of
novelties which viii be marketed The
manufScturers also seemed to have put
forth Special efforts to offer a line Of
cheap GOODS whks,h VIII catch the
ihlagination ofthe Juvenile element. 1t
is on this problem that the fireworks
man has spent many hours of hard
work. for it has been found from ex-
perience that the novelties pay the best
ia all concerned.
81 This year the price lists Of the differ
ent large manufacturaiE contain an ex-
tended numbers of Novelties, some Of
which possess catchy and suggestive
names. For example. there is the
Flying Dutchynan," which performs
werdly before the explosion comes and
puts an end Hashis gyrations. Among
the other inventions which have found
good sale are the; magic fountains,
spray wheels, windmills, japanese
aerobats, heavenly twins. navy bat
teries devil fountains. vesuvius. dandy
electric torches, sun wheels. crimson
butterflies. emerald fopntains and
magic fans. OF these. q large number
are penny goods the names have
been selected withskSx4dw to catching
the. interest Of thex1ha boy. one Of
the most marked feaknSk of the trade
this year has been the demand for
"home ma d. crackers
The goods are made in American
workshops and are sold at cheaper
price than those imported from China.
1t has taken a long, time. the dealers
state. to properly introduce the Amer
lean goods and get the styles familiar
lied. The crucial point has been
passed. however and the home made"
cracker is now firmly established in the
yearly trade. The cheaper goods, which
include the very small cracker. twiued
in long lunches. are still imported from
China in large quantities. and in this
class of work the American manufac-
turer cannot compete with the cheap
Chinese labor Mandarins. for eX-
ample which consist of from 5000 to
10000 crackers twined in long lunches
are among the best selling novelties
during the past two or three years
The Mandarins are made up of small
fire crackers. with here and there a
large cracker. which serves to pune
tuate the continued rapid fire of the
small crackers. Mandarins are. as a.
rule hung on a tree to be set off and
by rapid firing Maxim gun.
There is one big cracker which some
of the large manufacturers are placing
on the market which will bring joy
to the heart of all Fourth of July cele-
orators. s4:It is an immense affair.
known to- the trade as the 20-inch
cracker 1t produces sound like a 20
pound cannon. The iobbing price of
this is 81. They are use.l, as Il rule. to-
wind up the entertainms J.. The stand-s
ard supplies used in pyrotechnic dis
plays are in as good demand as ever.
These include candles, shells. mines.
wheels. rockets. batteries and fancy
reproductions of these common goods.
Some dealers are placing on the mar
ket what are called the Neopolitan
shells. which explode five and six differ
ent times in their career through the
air. There are four, five and sometimes
six distinct breaks made. and in each
one a new set of colors spreads its
long tresses of varigated fire through
the night air There is nothing new to
report in torpedoes. They are the same
this year as they have been for many
years past. and the demand is as good
as ever. None of the dealers are hand
ling the little balls. which of late have
had a rather good sale on the streets at
the hands of the push cart men and
street corner hucksters. The dealers
state that they are considered rather
dangerous to handle and so far have
none in stock. The prices are the same
this year as in the past, and ii is only
in some classes of goods where there is
no competition that the prices are
somewhat higher.
Dried orange peel allowed to smolder
on piece Of red hot iron or an oi
ch 1. l,a