The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1905-07-13
The Fourth of July in Washington.
By Martha l.. Schneider. Washington. ID. c.

Police reports show that the Fourth
of July 1905 in Washington was the
quietest one on record. The small
boy made his accustomed noise with
small crackers when obliged to, and
large ones when he got the chance,
but the police regulations were so
strict against the latter that few
accidents occurred from giant crackers,
as had been the case in former years.
In the evening the small boys, assist
ed by the big boys, made the streets
grow bright with Roman candles, pin
wheels and skyrockets, but there were
no public fireworks, nor have there
been for many years. Neither has it
been customary to have public
address or official celebration in our
midst.
For the first time in the remem-
brance of the present generation,
patriotic societies held meeting for
the general public to take part in their
celebration of the Fourth. Heretofore
they have held such celebration for
themselves.
"The most noteworthy thing" says
the N. Y. Times, about the Fourth OF
July, sis that we and the world have
become SO accustomed to it. It's
consequences have taken such form
and are SO inwoven with the life of the
time, that our feeling towards the
event is one of acceptance only hall
conscious" ''For the great mass OF
the American people it is the subject
of sincere but rather vague senti-
ment."
To a certain extent this is true, but
the patriotic societies of the Daughters
of the Revolution and similar organi.
cations are doing a great work in
, arousing the consciousness of the
masses as to the true meaning of 1.-THE
day we celebrate.'
On Tuesday Memorial Continental
Hall was opened for a public demon
stration OF their great interest in and
honor of the GLORIOUS Fourth" 4
great deal of what too many deem the
old fashioned method of OratOrical
fireworks was INDUCED in, but the
true spirit OF patriotism was in it all,
and when one came out into the din
and roar of the small boys celebration
the noise and the smell of the powder
assumed new interest and ceased to be
merely nuisance.
Mrs. Donald Mclean, president
general Of the D. A. r., presided and
made very able address. Hon.
William E. Andrews, Auditor for the
Treasury Department., was the orator
of the occasion. He referred in his
remarks to John Paul Jones who was
the first to hoist flag over an
American war fleet. The hero whose
home coming has been so long de-
layed, but who started for home on
July 4th, 1905. "How fitting it is
he said, ''that his remains should
return and find their permanent rest
ing place among the people he helped
to emancipate." He spoke also of
Mount Vernon, and paid a glowing
tribute to the women to whose patriot
ism we are indebted for the priceless
privilege of visiting Washington
tomb.
Mrs. Emily Edison Briggs, who was
the first woman press correspondent
in this city, presented to the society a
life mask of Gen. Washington. This
mask was made nearly, if not quite,
century ago from the life matrix OF
Washington, which was made in 1875
by the French sculptor, Jean Antoine
Houdon. The mask, which was
presented by Mrs. Briggs, was for
many years the treasured possession
of the famous artist, Emmanuel
Leutze, who painted Westward Hop
one of the most attractive pictures in
the Capital and who presented the
mask to Mrs. Briggs husband over a
quarter of century ago. In present
ing a copy of the Declaration OF
Independence to the Daughters, the