New-York tribune., 1903-06-28
FOURTH OF JULY NOISE.
Toy Pistols Cause Much Harm
Firecrackers and FirezCorks.

The glorious Fourth Of July nowadays is cee-
brated for fully month in advance with noise of
explosives. While the frecracker is likely to be
popular ever this year. the toy pistol has be-
come a still greater favorite. There is something
supremely fascinating for the boy In the mimic
revolver. He thinks he feels the in him
spond to the explosion Of its caps He carries ii
| in his hip pocket just policeman does. If it
| has chambers for blank cartridges, he loads the
cylinder after the fashion of a Western cowboy.
And comes the supreme moment of pulling
the trigger and smelling the smoke.
It happens that just now the health officials
Of various American cities are watching the toy
pistols almost attentively the boys them
selves In Pittsburg this year the annual harvest
OF fatalities has already begun. Ten boys have
died from blood poisoning. and the Board of Health
is endeavoring to prevent the sale and Of the
toy pistol In Chicago woman shopkeeper was
recently fined so for selling toy pistol, with
box of caps, child. In this another child
got hold of the weapon and killed itself
In this city the Health Department is in readi-
ness to fight lockjaw which frequently results
fatally from pistol wounds. Health Commissioner
Iederle says he will from nov provide whoever
comes with serum and the State Health Depart
ment has also announced that it has large stock
Of anti-tetanic ready. The spectacle Of
physicians soIemny preparing anutoxins in their
laboratories while the gamins shoot off their
fingers in the street, would seem sensible as
breaking ones leg for the sake Of having it set in
spliuts 1t is somewhat similar to the automobile
races France. when the pleasure seekers are
followed up in the rear by an ambulance and sur
geons.
For this reason agitation has again been set
afoot to Danish toy pistols from New-York, just
as they are trying to do in Pittsburg. The Leading
fireworks dealers strange as it may seem at first.
are also in favor of such abolition. As one
dealer said:
"A few dangerous kinds of toys give our whole
business the black eve. We assert that we man.
ufacture fireworks that safe for intelligent
man or boy to handle. The sooner the toy pistol.
the torpedo marbles and canes and the various
other TOYS for exploding driven out the
better for us
The United States is the largest market in the
world for pyrotechnics. well as the largest pro-
ducer OF pleasure explosives There are twenty
factories in this country at full blast the year
round. In England there are only two and on the
Continent of Europe only few more. On the east
ern side of the Atlantic. one of the men OF the
trade expressed it, "the standing armies use all
the powder in loaded cartridges" What gives the
fireworks trade such impetus is the variety of
celebrations in different parts of this country.
Elections and primaries picnics and anniversaries
reunions and receptions follow one another so that
sf all these occasions were celebrated in one city
there would be almost continuous explosion
With the coming of the Fourth there is an in
crease in the demand for that traditional form Oh
Juvenile patriotism, the Chinese mandarln cracker
This was made China primarily for celestial fes-
tivities The hrecracker is to cost more TINS year
than formerly but dealers that in return the
bows will get powder and less clay, more noise
nd loss fizzle The cheap crackers that used TO I'll
at three and five cents q pack have become 100
tsne They cost 10 cents a box wholesale in emma
each box containing forty packs. and each pack
sixty crackers. When the expense OF wrapping eacn
mack and box with gayly tinseled paper is consld-
erred # would indeed seem impossible to realize
profit without sacrificing noise for clay.
Set pieces have not proved as popular TINS year
az aerial bombs and rockets. There Is an element
% ,nvsterv in the latter which fascinates The set
niece before 1t is touched OF gives lhe Spectator
eort of clew TO its appearance when on hre' ana
,bi os n of its charm Then. again. the behoider,
iHa+ ~ tbe yvindward side of such pyrotechnlc
Sisniav is compelled TO breathe the suftocallis
T. 10 in The sky exploding pieces therefore that
the fireworks experts have cohceIilIdtet ILoS' ra
their cunning The contents OF U.s. ne md noior
arra nged with endless varieties OF liie anu % rr
.,TShsre &c a Niagara, for example,, SAID one faIk
Place dealer pointing to an innocent LOOKING polo @
,,loSes tc Continued there is shower OF hIe
like that of waterfall IL Will Keep I, oet 81
mider until the bottom or frorn sne tbe !yiagara
were some Japanese parachute rockets 1ney
ranged in price from 81 to $50 Near py were sumo
revolving at 81 80 each ~. III.
..OnIt there package for a Newport NlIii
the fireworks said. pointing 10 a bIe poA as
was being loaded @ inIo ,h an have ALREADY certified
check for 5000. Almost all are aeTlal Shri
taining diving devils flying fish, prsmatlc
Epnds fire Jewels. Neapolitan bombs, ser i
,~rnetiers and bouquet stars. Some of these bombs
,p-n give i've successive explosions ou,
Ina bo M had been stopped short in the doorway
by a special watchman' and toid 10 tiii'"
his cigar 49,, u.- ..,bosa are occasional
s.les II is such a combination as TINS lndt We
-nosf Of This costs only $" polnuhs " 80 a Pf n
age into which clerk was bunaHVns a!Va IN maj as
CIRCUS looking paper implements. ieS' IN 'ia' as