The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1903-07-15
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.

quired 10 invoice the disasters. St.
Paul and Minneapolis came to the
front with about one hundred and
twenty-five. Only one case so far
has proved fatal. Some have lost
an eye, some an ear, others fingers,
and few have received burns
which will leave permanently dis
figured countenances. A Minneap
oils boy died of lock jaw from pis-
toll shot wound, and it is claimed
that the blank cartridges used in
the pistol contained tetanus germs.
1t is deplorable fact that the OBJ
ject of Fourth of July observance
has been largely lost sight of. To
adults it should be day for refec-
ton. Every man and woman should
either read or hear read the Declar
alton of Independence, and that i'm
mortal document should furnish
| food for mental assimilation at least
portion of the day. Instead, how
ever, the great mass of people have
turned the day into one of noise,
carousal and debauchery, without
thought of the great event which
the day is to commemorate.
1t is expected that the younger
element will make a noise, and no
one objects to it within safe and
reasonable limits. But to see men
thirty years old or more fire cannon
crackers or pistols right in the
midst of a crowd of women and
children, and then laugh at the
fright sometimes bordering on hys-
terics) produced among those ner-
vously inclined excites a decent
man S disgust, if not his anger.
On the afternoon of the Fourth a
game of ball was played at Lexing-
ton park between the St. Paul and
Minneapolis clubs. There were
present between 5000 and 5000
people, about one third ladies', and
it is safe to say that upwards of
one thousand of the young men had
pistols. Still others had cannon
crackers. The pistols had five
chambers each and every time a
good play was made everyone hav-
ing pistol would shoot all five
cartridges. For every run there
was a Bull Run cannonading, and
at times one could not see half the
length of the grand stand. Those
who took the trouble to examine
the counterances of the fellows who
fred the pistols and crackers among
the ladies in the grand stand nc
ticed in all of them an amazingly
brief expanse between their hair
and eyebrows.
There are still others who meas
ure their patriotism by their sto-
machic capacity, and compare notes
next day-those who are partially
lucid at the wind up 1t reminds
one of the young man who had just
returned from a German wedding
Asked how many were present he
replied about forty" Asked again
if they had a good time be replied,
20, about five kegs"
There is encouragement however,
in the thought that there are peo-
pie who look upon the Fourth of
: July in the proper light. For some
time there has been developing in
the large cities a sentiment against
so much ear-splitting noise, carous-
ing and dissipation. In St. Paul
this year this sentiment took sub
stantial form. The Commercial
, club, cooperating with Ohage, (pro-
nounced O-hog-ee with the accent
on the hog) ''pulled- off, a mammoth
picnic on Harriet island for the ben
eft of Young America. Dr. Ohage
is authority for the statement that
there were $4,000 people on the
island, more than 5000 Of whom
were boys. Free baths were en-
joyed by 1850, and there was not
an accident, not case of drunken
ness and not an arrest.