Cañon City record., 1905-07-06
How They Enjl yed
The Fourth of July
The Canon 0eneray Day Quietly the
Neighborhood the cityMany Went
to Cripple Creek. Pueblo and Westcffe.


The one hundred and twenty-ninth
anniversary Of the signing OF the Dec
laration OF Independence was honored
in Canon City last Tuesday by sus-
pension OF business OF all kinds, the
occasion being made . holiday by
everybody and was celebrated in vari-
Gus ways, the favorite manner OF its
Observance apparently being to spend
the day in picnickipg among the hills
within driving distance OF the city.
As q prelude TO "the day we cele-
brateu the small boy and some OF bis
conRene-s OF larger growth under
/took the task on Monday night OF
srousing public enthusiasm by calling
into requisition giant crackers, bombs
and other explosives, and for twenty
four hourp thereafter the din was kept
mn with patriotic fervor. Mayor Coui-
\ Ter. in his proclamation on the subject,
Nnorded Young America considerable
latitude in relation TO the explosion Of
frs~orks within the city limis. and
that he made the most Of his opportu-
mites will hardly be denied.
There were q number OF minor acci-
dents, bat no loss Of life, the most seri-
Gus affair Of the kind. probably. beng
the injuries sustained by Earl Helm,
Young man residing on River street.
Who had his fsce bruised and lscersted
and several fingers broken by the pre-
mature explosion OF cannon cracker.
The day was gala one at the peni-
tentinry and the convicts shared with
the more fortunate OF their fellows be-
yopd It's walls the pleasures Of hoh
day. The prison band gave . concert
in the morning for The bepeiit OF the
inmates Of the institution, and In the
afternoon they were treated TO vnu-
deyille entertainment by . company OF
thespians now playing an engagement
1t the opern house In this city. Fol-
lowing a custom OF the penitentisry.
rardon was granted, in commemorntion
81 the day, Edgar Smith, OF Pueblo.
being the lucky man. smith was con
yic,ed Of murder in the ,econd degree
six years ago and received long SEN
tence. Upon the recommendation OF
: Warden Cleghorn and the prison au-
orities, he was chosen as the hene-
ficiary OF the nnnual Fourth of July
pardon
As there was no celebration OF the
day Of a public character, except the
Fruit Growers picnic at Rockafeilowt
grove, two miles enst OF town. many
Canon City people went TO orippi.
Crrek. Pueblo and westcliH, where
there were races and other sports. The
excursion trains were crowded and the
pa,senper business OF the railroads
running on, of this city was one one oi
the heaviest ever known on similar
occasion. As rule the excursion
trains returned on time and those who
had pa,ronized them were enabled to
get good nights rest after n strenu-
ous day of sight seeing.
Hundreds of families. forming nu-
merous small gatherings. picnicked in
the various mountain resorts within .
radius Of dozen miles of the city,
spending the day quietly In rest and
recreation. Among the larger picnic
gatherings may be mentioned those at
Garden Park and Oak creek canon.
Smaller ones were held in Grape creek
Zanon, Cottonwood Springs and score
Of other places within a few miles
One small party, more energetic than
(,opost other celebrants, drove to the