, 1900-07-11
FROM CENTENNIAL
NINTH CELEBRATION OF INDIE
PENDENCE DAY IN THE
VALLEY.
For Years the People of That Pleasant
and Prosperous Locality Have OBJ
served the Fourth Among Them
selves, and This Years Celebra-
ton Wa One of the Best.

Centennial, Wyo.,. July Especial
Correspondence.)-For the last nine
years the citizens of the Centennial val
ley have regularly observed %Independ-
ence day with such public entertain
ment as the valley could best supply
basket p~icnics. reading the Declaration
Of Independence, Rotations and songs,
with a dance usually closing about 6
O'Clock the next morning.
For five years past the days enter
tainment has been held at the public
picnic grounds located on Middle Fork,
where the hills and mountains, the
groves and streams form a pleasant and
picturesque retreat for all manner of
outdoor sports, with shade and SUM-
shine, streams, rocks, canon and valley.
Teams began to arrive about 10
o'clock and before twelve the grounds
presented a lively scene, with free
lemonade. $4,000 square miles for fire.
crackers and outdoor sports, and the
entire armament Of heaven in which
to exercise ones voice and listen fer
the reverberating echoes from the hills.
A social hour for lemonade and
friendly greeting seemed to be the 6rst
number on the program; then came a
hundred yard foot race, free to ali, in
which Ed Baily won first prize, and
Otto Sanders second.
The juvenile race made room for
some pleasantly among the little lads
and the race proper was won by Claude
May, first, and Bonnie Bellamy of Lar
annie second.
For the three-legged race there were
four entries, three Of whom managed to
pile themselves up at the outcome, leav-
ing George Fruit and James McCune as
sole winners of a dollar purse, when
dinner vas announced and guests were
escorted, invited and appointed to seats
by James Bird. while Miss Bird, Mrs.
Hecht, Mrs. Gregory and other ladies'
waited upon the table. Three times
the table was filled, with no diminution
Of bread and butter, coffee, cold ham
and chicken, chicken and fish salad.
cakes and pies without limit, oranges
lemonade and ice cream; even after 70
persons. all told, had partaken the
tables stood loaded for any who might
have been too bashful for their robust
appetites.
After dinner the ladies' equestrian
race was called by E. B. Steadman, who
had charge Of the races. Miss Laura
Wolbol's horse and that Of Mrs. Geo.
johnson left the track and started on
an Independent race all their own, leav-
ing Miss Myrtle Baily to ride the track
alone, which she did in good style. and
won the horsehair quirt offered to the
winner OF this race.
c. M. Gregory announced the after
moo exercises and called the people to-
gether at the tables, where seats for all
were secured and the following program
was carried out:
Chorus, Columbia, the Gem Of the
Ocean"
Reading the Declaration Of Independ-
ence ....... ....... Mrs. Nels Engen
Address. MI. John Bird
Chorus. America"
Address. .....Mr. M. D. Houghton
Recitation, Roll Call"..............
Miss Eya yEo,hol
Recitation, Independence Bell".....
........ .........M Miss Mabel Hecht
Recitation. .......M Master Ernest Engen
Reading, Now and Then"..........
...... -. ..........Mrs. Nels Engen
Flag salute. Children of Hecht District
Recitation, Memories Of the War.
Miss Myrtle Baily
Chorus, "The Star Spangled Banner"
No prompting or faltering was no.
ticeable ON the part Of any, and the
musical portion Of the program was
we'll rendered.
Mr.. Bird reviewed the history Of our
country from the first battles Of the
- hNasAAo 0S AooS
century of his subject by decades, and
closed with many interesting and anus
ing incidents, comparing present con-
ditions with the time of his boyhood,
and welcomed to our country the hardy,
honest homeseekers Of Europe; but as
to the Japs and Chinese, Mclean nan
no wantee much"
Mr.. Houghton referred to the increas-
ing spirit of charity In the American
character as plainly visible in the cele-
bration of American Independence, and
remarked that the Am~erican-born citi-
zen who couldn't make q speech on the
ed forward to with expectations Of joy
The ordeal Of bringing the little
to the world, however, is . critical one
mother-to-be, and her anticipations Of
v,,{vu event arA With gloom.