Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-07-03
HAIL THE FOURTH
How Rock Island Will Observe
the Glorious Holiday
Tomorrow.
THE WEATHER CUTS A FIGURE
Preparations for Picnics Abbreyi.
ated by Prevalent
Moisture.

Tomorrow we celebrate the 126th
anniversary of the signing of the
Declaration of independence, and
that immortal document will be read
again before thousands of audiences
made up of millions of people in all
parts of the land. Tomorrow an
army of orators will hold forth in
terms of burning eloquence upon the
matchless bravery, sublime patriot
ism and surprising wisdom of our
gallant forefathers, whose courage
won independence and whose fore
sight enabled them to- perpetuate it
for us, their grateful heirs, to enjoy.
Where, in revolutionary times. the
people may have shown their patriot
ism by patiently listening to the
reading of the Declaration of indie
pendence and to eXhortations upon
the glory of America, the average
citizen of today sets up a different
standard. The most common illus
tration * hau in the case of the av-
crage small boy, and some who are
not so small, who gauges his fidelity
To his country by the amount of
noise he is able to produce. The
same general principle governs all.
The success of public demonstra-
tions in this vicinity tomorrow
hinges largely upon the weather,
fact that we have been brought 10
realize very wildly of late. 1t must
be confessed that preparations for
good, old-fashioned picnics have
been made with caution and i'm some
cases they have been left out where
under the ordinary circumstances
they would have. been included. 1t
is difficult to see how the "continu-
Gus vaudeville" as il has been term
ed, that the weather has put on of
late, can be called off long enough to
permit regular and consecutive eel
cbration of the Fourth after the reg
ular plan.
Preparations Have Been Abridged.
Therefore many have been loath
to lay out capital to erect stand,
pay the expenses of the speakers,
hire a wagon to transport the god
dcss of liberty and mobilize the
band. So, if the weather disappoints
us and is fair. the individual will
have a good opportunity to display
his originality in providing amuse-
ment for the occasion.
In the city business. of course, will
cease, and The Argus will make hol-
iday with the rest and suspend pub
licatfon for the day. While the sale
of fireworks has been rather light,
there will be plenty of noise to suit
the nervous, and what with the small
boy who gets up ahead of the little
birds to start the fireworks. and the
man who sits up late at night to fire
the last shot, there Will be plenty of
Fourth about town. The boys will
do well to bear in mind. however.
that the revolver and blank cart
ridge will be barred from the street
under the mayors orders, and an in
fraction of the rule will he likely to
lead to a permanent separation of
the owner and the gun, if nothing
more.
Banks Close Two Days.
Following the example of the Chi
cago and New York banks. all the
banks of this city will he closed both
Friday, July /, and Saturday, July ),
principally to give short holiday
to the office force. For the same
reason the Rock Island Savings bank
and the Central Trust & Savings |
bank will not be open the night of |
July ).
The postofiicc will close at 10 a. m.
tomorrow, having one delivery by |
carrier, leaving the office at o'clock.
The Regular PIcnIcs.
In the form of regulation picnics, |
the variety offered will suffice. The |
Columbia club will hold forth, as in |
other years, at Huber's garden. The |
Watch Tower and Prospect park adj
vertise strong attractions for pie
nickcrs with the additional feature |
If fireworks in the evening. There |
will be picnics at Woodward's grove |
and at other places in the upper part |
Of the county. and also at Edgington
and Illinois City in the lower end.
Or course there will be private par
ties and picnics. and steamboat eN-
cursions both up and down the river.
Probably the most popular attrac-
ton for the people in general. eff it |
doesn't rain will be the baseball
games between Rock Island and Dav-
export. The first will be played at
the Twelfth street park on this side
IF the river, beginning at 10 a. IN,
and the second in Davenport at ;
p. M The continual rains have pre-
rented the public from getting a fill
Of ball lately and the result will
probably be big crowds both morning
and afternoon.