Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-06-30

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 u1l1nal other portions of the
 planet, but this is doubt
 ed in some quarters, al
 ,H though it Is admitted on
 all sides that in making
 it's rounds the past few
 lWH|pR years 1t has taken on xyarious changes and that this ac- Icounts for the talk regarding it's rapid nmovements in recent years. This is noticeable in many respects but in &none more so than in the interest Htaken in the observance of the nation al holiday now, compared with that of Hformer years, when about the only Nattraction the town folks had on the NFourth of July was the firing of can Hnon on Spencer hill at midnight, which Twas attended with good deal of for amality and was invariably kept up un- It'll daylight and continued at inter- 9vals during the day. To be sure, the ztlny fire cracker that could make tsuch racket when placed under ibarrel figured prominently in such {eyents, as far back as most of us can fremember, and is still in vogue to fsome extent, but it is dying out and in Imost instances it has been relegated to the rear to make way for more ex- tpensive and dangerous methods of Iusing up powder which frequently re- lsult in much damage to human life, so smuch so that the practice If indiscrim- mate use of modern devices used on the Fourth of July is being discour- aged all over the country and in all probability the time is not far distant when more safeguards will be thrown around the handling of such things than we have at the present time. The public Is familiar with the sad consequences that have come to many from the use of the toy pistol, to say nothing of the more deadly weapons that have come into common use in Waterbury during the past nine or ten years. An ordinance covering this kmatter, passed last year at the sug- Sgestion of Mayor Elton, will go into seffect for the first time this coming EFourth of July and everybody will be Interested in seeing what good it will accomplish. It Is certain that the lreckless use of powder has become q lmenace to life and limb, not only ill Waterbury, but elsewhere, and the lauthorities in every city in the United Estates are taking steps to minimize fthe danger from this source. It is ihoped that Waterbury will keep up twith the procession in this respect. ifrhe absurd idea of measuring mans lpatriOtism by the amount of distur- sbance he can make on the Fourth of July, should be drowned down as ispeedIly as possible and if it cannot be abolished by education then the ietrong arm of the law should be in lvoked. 1t does nobody any good and works untold harlships to thousands.
 THE USE OF FIREARMS.
 The provisions of the ordinance hiined at the discharge of firearms on the Fourth of July are as follows: ,ffi. = Section l. The discharge of fire arms containing either blank or ball cartridges. on or in any square. park. street. highway, bridge or public walk within the limits of the City of Water bury on the Fourth day of July, in each year is hereby prohibited.
 Section 2. Any person violating the provisions of this ordinance shall for felt and pay penalty of not more than fifty dollars.
 lIS ID iiShl dS iui hS ih eoCs, but in the opinion of a large number of good citizens it should have been framed so that it would reach dis turbers in all parts of the city, wheth- CT on the public ways or on private property. But 1t is step in the right direction and in time it may be amended and made equal to any emergency that may arise.
 But 1t must not be inferred from what has been said that Waterbury never had creditable Fourth of July celebration. It had. Years ago when the population of the town was less than half what it Is today. patrl. otic citizens made things hum. and the boys and girls extracted lots of sport out of the programs which were invariably carried out with an aban don that might he termed somewhat out of place in these days when con. ventionaIities have invaded almost every walk of life and one is often prevented from having a jolly time through fear of offending the sensi tive feelings of those about him Thirty five or forty years ago and less nearly everybody knew the whole pop uiation of the town. and a man of recognized probity could say almost anything he pleased without giving offense. Ii is quite different now and necessarily so too. perhaps. since some have learned 10 regard freedom of speech as something that has no limi tations.
 IN YE oLDEN TIME.
 One of the most notable demonstra lions held in Waterbury on the nation al holiday within the past half cen tury was that gotten up by Company A, when the soldier boys. under theil first commanding officer. Captain Richard Hunting. who afterward. went to the old country and died In London. observed the day by ban Quef at the Scovill house. followed by exercises on the green, including a balloon ascension. which created sucl c sensation that the youngsters never tired taking of It. Then there was the. monster parade of the hremen which was attended by nearly all oi the fire fighters in the state. and better still. the monster demonstration that took place the Fourth of July next sffcS the close Of the war in which tho Senior Temperance made its first pub llc apresrancc In uniform and tho sil yer fpngsIed orators thrilled the peopI, with a recital of the heroism of Wat erbury men in the struggle for tho maintenance of the union. and ths superintendent of schools. MT Lewis