The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1904-07-01

10 ---l---A-AS - - 0AI ~ --4l 30
rasz1E .Sr-5dly IN America. and We are
not now dependent upon China and
Japan for our frecrackers, our red
lights and our nOfse-making, nerve
destroying devices.
Time vas when a few roman candles
and some skyrOckets furnished the
larger portion OF the fireworks for the
celebration OF the Fourth Of July IN
the smaller towns, but modern patri-
Otism does not stop at that
Nearly every citizen Of a town win
lay out considerable money for his
supply Of fireworks, and il is not In
frequent that q private family viii
spend from $50 to SIS in order TO
make a pig Illumination on the na-
tons birthday Set pieces. such as
we're formerly much priced at cele-
bratiOns in the average towns are
now quite often seen on the lawns OF
private individuals, for the American
Workmen have learned how to make
them, and that means that they are
10 be obtained more cheaply.
The day when the small boy and
his big brother had 70 pay ten cents a
bunch for crackers has long passed
by. Machinery has been invented to
mold the paper cylinders and load
them with powder at the rate Of GOO
and more a minute They can be
manufactured at about two cents a
hundred in large quantities and retail
at a profit at five cents.
The combination Of powder and
various chemicals which the fireworks
a program to be given at night which
can be kept up for three or four hours
If desired, with something different
almost every miEute. One can get
up a family celebration on the curb
stone in front Of the house which will
include not only rockets and roman
candles, but pinwheels, mines, bombs,
splitting devils and other things which
are apt TO wriggle around among the
spectators, and the entire cost will
not be over IS.
From this figure the prices range
all the way up to a carload Of set
pieces containing a ton Of powder
and costing $1,000. In some of the
elaborate displays at the resorts nea-
New York and other large cities pa
per. powder and chemicals are turned
into sparks, fame and smoke at the
rate Of $1,000 an hour-more than the
highest priced opera singer in the
world charges for her services.
The rocket which Ehizzes into the
air aid breaks into stream of pend
ants or is turned into a single star
amid the "Ohsi" and -Ahsi" of the
spectators is still used, but it has
been wonderfully changed in recent
years. It stin whirrs upward IN it,
aerial Eight, leaving a trail Of sparks
behind. but at the end of the journey
may burst into a golden shower re
semblin6 some familiar flower.
Perhaps from the center falls a rain
Of red, white and blue balls floating
gracefully downward until they al
most touch the earth Others form a
cluster Of long, delicate lines some
what similar TO a rainfall on a sum
mer day and thus they are named.
The rain comes down. however, at a
rate Of from SIS to $50 a faIl-much
more costly than the natural shower.
The most interesting feature % the
boy is the rocket which sends a
group Of fiery serpents down among
the crowd. This year a number of
new ideas in rockets have been Origi-
mated, one OF which is called the jew
eIed automatically = very beauti-
full piece.
The columns Of sparks burst into
a golden spray, from which issue
three balls of various cOlOrs, each ball
discharging what are called pendants.
They remain in the air fully q minute.
Another new idea is called the dia-
mOnd chain, which consists Of a dozen
or more links, each containing a star
A novelty is a compartment which
contains either one large OF several
small balloons in the form Of ami
mails, clowns and other comic feat
ures. By an ingenious contrivance
hot air is forced into the paper by
--~.o-N.NNyN-NN.Ns~~s~S~- ~0-~S~-~-N-~-~~SN-N-0S
The First Stars and Stripes.
The first using Of the stars and
stripes in military service was at Fort
Stamofx, renamed Fort Schuyler, now
Rome, New York, in 1777. August I'd
OF that year the fort was besieged by
the English and Indians; the brave
garrison were without a flag, but one
was made in the fort The red stripes
were OF a petticoat furnished by
woman, the white stripes and stars
we're supplied by an officer who gave
his shirt for that purpose, and the
blue was a piece Of Col Peter Ganse-
vOOrt's military cloak Three women
worked on the flag, and it was raised
70 victory, when on the 22d Of August
the redmen and the English were de-
feated at the fort
The next record Of the using Of the
stars and stripes is on the first ami
versary Of American independence,
which was celebrated at Philadelphia,
Charleston, S. C., and other PAGES,
July 4th, 1777.
The banner was used at the battle
OF Brandywine, September 18th, 1777,
at Germantown, October 4th OF the
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