Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-07-06
NATIONAL HOME
The FOURTH.
Thousands Enjoyed Days
Sports and the Fireworks.
fantasies, Rope Pulling, Creased
Pig, Tub and Foot Races
All Made UP Season of Fun and Good
Time.

The Fourth is over, the glorious
Fourth, and the National Home was
as quiet and peaceful, Sunday morning,
as if the noise and the crowds of the
day before had never been. There was
something doing at the Home from
Is o'clock in the morning until $50
in the evening when taps were sound
ed, and ut the railroad and electric
road stations for several hours after
that rs the transportation companies
were taxed to their utmost capacity in
getting the immense crowd home after
the fireworks. The crowd began to
gather soon after seven in the morning
and by the time the sports At the re-
serv0r took place at 10 O'Clock the
banks and fields all around it were
crowded. The crowd scattered a little
| at noon, some returning cityWard to
| dinner, others to the restaurant and
many others to the woods with lunch
| baskets. 1t increased again until mid
laftcrnoon, dWindlcd like the ebb of the
| tide ana returned in the evening by
thousands for the fireworks.
| The judges of the fantasies were
Postmaster Hill, Chief Engineer Lewis,
Sergeant Major Savage and Capt. w.
| S. Oakman. They awarded the first
| first and second prizes to members of
| the Home Walter Bailey and G. c.
SeWall, respectively. Ralph Rackliffe
With his donkey carried off the third
and n group of which Earl Farwell
was the leader the fourth.
Captain Edward Frederick was ref
cree of the rope pulling contest, which
went to Captain Coleman's team. The
! pull between the farm and engineers
department was not pulled off as
| scheduled, but instead volunteer teams
| from the crowd contested.
His pigship, through the ovcrturning
of the wheclbarrow and the breaking
of the crate which contained him, was
enabled to select his own ground for
| the chase. Some of the crowd, how
over, scrambled after and saw. the
sport. which was hot and lively while
| it lasted. June Shaw of Augusta, cap
tnrcd him, and not only held him but
carried him for some distance to the
| crate.
| The tub race was a close one between
| the two leaders, a. w. Goodrich of
| Augusta, and c. w. Doliff Of Gardiner,
the former winning. DolIiff won the
| swimming race easily. The creased
| pole. however, was no cinch. There
| were but three contestants, Dolliff,
| Goodrich and Willie Hall of Chelsea.
They made many trials, getting but a
| little way and falling into the water.
much to the amusement of the specta-
tors. Goodrich made perhaps the best
distance in the attempted walking but
Lon Gt1 111F
tee decided that they had worked hard
enough to be entitled to the money any
way, and permitted them to crawl out
and get the flag. Dolliff drew first. Hall
second and Goodrich third chance and
cnch succeeded in getting out. There
were two prizes offered, but Robt
Icrscy of Portland promptly and gem
Ierously donated Il third.
The l00-ya dash for employees of the
Home and members was won by H. \
Gillispie Of the band; time - seconds.
IG. Nelson of the band was second
Otto Dorr OF Chelsea, won the 10O-yard
dash free for all; time liz seconds;
Gillspie was second
The jumping contests were won nv
]. Concannon of Augusta, with C. w.
DOllif of Augusta. as second. Stand
ing broad, #. in. and TT. ? In;
running broad. 1G it. and Is #. in;
running high, #. Az and it. 614. In
the last Concannon broke Wiley's rec
ord of last Fourth of it. / in.
Captains McAdams and Nutting and
Lieutenant Pratt had charge of the
three-legged. barrel rolling and sack
races. which were won. respectively,
by Dolliff of Gardiner, with his part
ner: Goodrich, second; Frederick
Knowles, first: A. w. Goodrich. second.
C. w. Dolliff, first; r. w. Hallowell.
second.
Captains Daily and McNulty looked