The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-17
A VERY GLORIOUS FOURTH.
FIREWORKS DEALERS EXPECT u
BIG CELEBRATION THIS iEAH.
More Big Orders Than Ever BEFORE fire
cracker Crop Poor Torpcdoes and caps OF
Increased Noise DrsigninE the Set
PIeces-Few Novelties in Firew0rks'

v oN''s
About this time Of year the proyIdent small
boy, such H. one reads about in improving
tracts. saves up his cents. He doesn't DO H.
however, for the purposes mentioned IN sad
tracts but with u view 10 providing hin'~eH
with materials for the Fourth OF July, Simul-
taneouSly the fireworks dealer lays IN a STOCK
Of peace-and-quiet shatterers with a view
10 securing the aforesaid cents OF the smal
boy. In time the Glorious Fourth comes
along and in spite of the many good people
who persistently prophesy the near approach
Of the millennium when we shall celebrate mat
occasion with nothing more noisy than ice
cream and the pastoral picnic, there is the
same old slam-bang time in the Chinese lash
ion that has characterized former years, ana
the midnight sky is filed with ftzHly creations
of living fire. Moreover, for the discourage
ment Of the advocates Of Il noiseless Fourth,
it may be- stated that every year the fireworks
celebration Is becoming more established
~ a proper public performance.
Prophecies were in order last year, naturally,
that after the war fever had died Town the
celebration Of Independence Day would lapse
The outlook doesn't bear this out Although
the war fever has subsidized and there Is no
evidence that il is a factor this year, the demand
/, a. great as ever before and this years Fourth
will be- ~ big As any other years and probably
bigger, All the fireworks. dealers report a
STEADY ana lively Npnldlu tAlfnulnR 10 an
classes of he trade. There are more big orders
this year than ever before, that l., orders rang
ing from sJU TO s5,O being mostly for munich
pal celebrations or from cltlzens' committees
having in charge public demonStrstl tons, Then,
too. the big seaside and mountain resorts
have their own celebrations which serve To
advertise them, and the fashion is on the In
crease Of having Fourth of July displays at
private country houses. These hotel and
private house displays run from $3.50 TO sldUo.
1t II surprising how good and extensive a pro-
uFntnmn nj fTRWnrnS Iun hi puFrlnu ON NV
a 1udiclous selection OF articles at the price
first quoted.
70 be chiefly considered in the matter. the
humble but expressive firecracker II the sine
qua non. At the risk of spreading devastating
grief among the Juvenile population 1t must be
an Inferior one. IL Is not the fault of the Chi
nese, They are turning out rs good an article
a. before and at the same price, despite the
ravages Of Boxers and the unsettled conditions
of politics in the Empire. But this country isn't
getting the benefit OF Il, all the good brands are
going To England and other parts of the world.
where there il no duty, Here the duty. which
Is by weight, has been increased, and the result
IL that 10 keep to the old price and there would
undoubtedly be another revolution II anybody
tried to advance the price OF the firecracker
on the small boy dealers have ordered
their crackers reduced about so per cent. in
weight. This means bali a. much paper. half
as much powder and, sad TO say, only half az
much noise 10 the cracker, But iti- got TO be
endured, because with all our mechanical inge-
nlltN over here we can turn Olt Tins KIND oil
explosive as cheaply rs the chinese, who do
the work by hand and collect wages of a few
cents a day for II. The ~sceptical regard the
| magnificent gold and red decorations on the
mark like Made in Germany, " to delude the
| people into believing that a home Troduct
comes across seas from China. bur il il, the all
to-wise sceptics who are deluded, for the gilt
tering covers are the real thing, and there are
no American products Of this kind on the market,
except the biggest giant crackers.
Closs After the nrecraCkar A. "A Noise nrn1ucer
come tha paDer cap and the torpedo. A few
firms have on hand this year q cap SO big that
when placed in q cap-exploding cane is likely
to blow the cane upward through the front
teeth OF the unwary operator unless he holds
IL very tightly, These are regarded with III
favor, however and the manufacturer are
reasonably careful, a. a rule, not 10 turn out
anything that is going. to make the business
Juvenile populace. As Tor the tornedoea, they
are harmless, even the biggest of them, except
IN bulk, Within IA few DAYS some small boys
who stole a large n%ackage OF, big onesl let them al
go of al once and lost n hand or two and several
stray fingers In the nrocess. but this was because
Of the concentration OF energy. Separately
done -eriol- harm, The largest and most EN-
phatic 10Y torpedo made IL III" cat-scat, and Is
not built for ornamental PURPOSES alone. but
Is de,,gned: ~ It's Rone siRnliie,' to enhance
song Of the nocturnal hick-fence tenant, Even
this article dos, no harm: II * all sound and
IuTV' s'4nnNUhN hoihlns ana III hooklNn u II
said that the cats are W accustomed To the
torDedo.s now that when one IL thrown they
hustle along the fence and bat NJ il with their
paws, Another shattcrer of the silence. the
toy pistol. has had is day and passed into the
realm Of the unconsidered. because Of its ten
dency. In SCATTERING the Silence, 10 shatter also
the urchin who discharged II.
From the viewpoint ~ the dealer the great
thing In fireworks. Is the night display. This
taxes n considerable OUTLAY, IL the showing
H. to he made worthy ~ the occasion. Prob
ably this country will spend onward Of a quarter
Of a million dollars this wear in making brill
liant the night Of the Fourth. As there is a
very large. discount on fireworks bought IN
bulk, il ia becoming more and more the fash
ion every year for %patriotiC citizens Of cities
OF from 25,o" to 5000 inhabitants 10 raise