The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-07-05
!, BIG DAY At
RIVERSIDE
Fourth of July Celebrated by
a Big Crowd.
SHIELDS MADE A iii
Spoke From Standpoint of an
Ex-Confederate.
CAR SERVICE WAS GOOD
Crowds Handled in a Salts
factory Manner
CAR SERVICE WAS GOOD

The Fourth Of July celebration at Riv-
erside park yesterday was a success in
every respect with the possible exception
that the weather was little warm for
comfort. There was a great crowd pres
ent. many more than could hear the
speakers. but the splendid music Of San
ford's band resounded through the forest
trees and echoed on the river Everybody
could hear that. The speaking ana reel
tadons were good and nearly everybody
was pleased It would have been hard to
ind larger and better natured crowd
in the state Of Kansas.
In the early morning the transfer
wagons began to haul lumber and benches
into the park and others came with the
paraphanaIia Of the lemonade man. IN
the early part Of the forenoon people be-
gan 70 collect In the central part of Riv-
erside with their dinner baskets. which
showed that they had come TO stay all
day. People from the city drove out to
see the crowd and enjoy the music in the
forenoon and in the afternoon they left
their ligs at home and came back on the
street cars. The farmer who had finished
his harvest was there with his family
and they ate their dinners in the cool
shade Of the trees. The farmer boy with
his best girl drove into the park with his
splendid pair Of roadsters to his carriage
and after seeing the sights came up to
the city and put his team in a feed barn
while he took in the business center Of
tho city.
The celebration was under the auspices
Of the Union Veteran Union but they had
invited the organization Of Confederate
soldiers to join with them and the blue
and the gray were there comingled and
those who formed part of the matchless
army OF Lee and the invincible host of
Grant, who had met on many bloody bat
uefelds. sometimes the one and some
times the other getting the best Of the
day, but always giving new evidence to (
the world Of faultless American valor, /
were there sitting under the same trees /
talking Of the stirring times Of the six /
ties. They were enemies then for the sim (
pie reason that each was fighting for his {
cause, but friends now, proud of their
common country.
The Street Railway company did its
best TO handle the crowd. but people had /.
to walk home or wait sometimes for the T.
Cext and the next car. In the early morn f
ing a seven minute service was put on
the Riverside line and occasionally a I
aoubIe-header was sent out. Superintend- /.
ent L. o. Williams watched the transfer +
up in the city and great precautions +
were taken to avoid any accidents. Man (
ager S. L. Nelson was everywhere. One /
time he would be up in the city giving /
seen with his handkerchief stuffed around 4
his collar taking the place Of some NOR (
torman. with his face as red as # he had /
been standing in front Of a fiery furnace. /
The street car people did themselves (
proud and there was not even a semb- /
lance Of an accident during the entire /
day.
All day long standing room was at a
premium on the cars. but al the time the +
crowds were orderly and good natured. /
At $50 o'clock. long after the exercises I
were over at Riverside the cars came .
to town with every inch Of standing room +
occupied and men hanging onto the steps
or riding on the bumpers and returning F
TO the park all seats would be occupied +.
with people going TO see where the cele-
bration had been.
called for order. there was a great crowd /
In central Riverside and people were scat
tered ali over the park. There was. how
ever. more people around the stand than
could hear the eulogy on the Day we
Celebrate" He introduced Rev. Brun-
dage as the first speaker OF the day. He
Impressed upon the minds of his hearers +
that this was not a romance but a reality.
He referred TO the nineteen great battles
Of the revolution. closing with the sur
render Of Lord Cornwallis ut Yorktown
These great battles were fought TO es-
tablish this government and then he re-
ferred to the great sacrifice the nation
had made IN the war of the rebellion 10
nreserve il. He said this was one Of the
greatest wars Of modern times and there
we're 10000 men killed ia battle while
500 oao more were wounded in battle. The
speech was listened to with attention
bv those who could set near enough 70
hear. At the close of Rev. Brundages
speech an adjournment was taken for
Sinner The people we're everyT here un-
Ser trees eating their Fourth of July din
ners a few minutes later. but many came
20 the city and the hotels and restaurants
si6 a big business.
Mr.. J. b. Fishback. who wore the Grand
Army button. was the first speaker in
the afternoon. lie started out TO make
good speech and told the children about
he old fashioned Fourth Of July celebra-
I