The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1904-12-27


the custom which resulted in the
terrific injury TO that young girl.
Mixed with the sympathy and pity
which every human feels for her is a
sense of outrage and Indignation at
the criminal carelessness of the per-
son who threw the fire-cracker which
blinded her. and at every other man
or boy who INDUCED his selfish de-
sire to make himself conspicuous
and obnoxious by setting OF fire.
works on the streets during the holt
days.
at may be unjust. and yet It is
natural that every one who is guilty
of any act similar to the one which
made that poor girl spend her Christ
mas in darkness; which turned her
bright future to gloom, should re-
ceive some of the condemnation
which he, through whose act her
blindness came. deserves. IL is diff
cult to write with proper restraint Of
the scenes which were enacted on
the streets of Lexington Saturday
night. and which were repetitions Of
similar scenes on every Christmas
Eve for years. Fire-crackers, tor
pedoes, Roman candles. every sort OF
fireworks that could be used to
make a noise were in evidence. Il
was not boys only, or mainly, who
we're guilty; half-grown and full
grown men and women, black and
white, were doing all in their power
to make the night hideous and the
streets unsafe. II is marvellous that
only one serious accident happened,
that only one person suffered an ir-
reparable injury.
"If there is an over-powering de-
sire Of any large number Of people to
make a noise at Christmas time, they
ought to be put together, out in an
open field, and let to make what
noise they want-shoot giant fire
crackers. torpedoes, Roman candles,
sky rockets or anything else. IL they
hurt themselves or each other II can
be borne by the community much
better than IL they blot out the light
from some sweet, innocent girl going
from a hard days work to the home
of which she was the Joy and light.
''If there must be such celebra-
ton next Christmas let all those who
desire to take part in 1t be confined
in the potter's field for the twenty
four hours before Christmas and In
dulge their desire to make a noise
to their hearts content. And also
let every one who shoots fire-crack'
er or torpedo or any other sort oil
fireworks of down town be- sent Il
the rock pile for thirty days. II Il
impossible to estimate the loss II
mere dollars and cents which the
merchants of Lexington suffei
through the barbarous custom. The
country people hardly dare come tC
town, do not dare come for severa
DAYS before Christmas unless the,
can come on the train, or have ar
old perfectly gentle horse to drive
No woman whose daily labor for dai
ly wage does not necessitate her be
ing out after dark dares be on thu
street after o'clock for the last few
DAYS before Christmas. Christmas
Eve the stores had as well be closed
"There are ordinances enough al
ready to stop the habit II they arr
enforced-if the police force will ar
rest the first man who sets off an.
sort of fireworks down town, ant
the police judge will impose the lin
1t of fine and Imprisonment on hin
and on every other who is guilty.
But It would be well to have on
other ordinance-one prohibiting
the sale Of fireworks of any sort
making II an offense punishable b.
fine and Imprisonment for any on
to offer for sale any fireworks Of an,
descriptions, and we hope that thu
general council will pass such an or
dinance at once while the memor.
of this Christmas is fresh in tn
minds of every citizen"
The Herald has sounded a timel,
warning. Stop this sacrilege of tn
most sacred holiday in our calendar
before some of our own citizens ar
MANNED or blinded for life, or killed
If such a thing should happen, tn
whole people would rise in theil
might and demand Christmas with
out fire-works,-but why wait? VIII.
not do II now and save someone al
awful misfortune, or an intimel,
death?
Aside from the danger, these fire
works are a wanton waste. Hundred
of dollars worth are exploded year
ly in every town and city to gratif
a savage taste for noise and glitter
The money spent in fireworks in Pa
ducah every year would bring glad
ness to every poor unfortunate Il