The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1905-06-23
Gbe Declaration
of Independence

VA &AANSPNAAWSAASN
You have alllread the Declaration of
Independence. l suppose. 1t Is print
ed on fine type in the back of the
Child's History. and at the top Of the
names signed at the end to show how
they wrote them Is John Hancock's
big and bold. the way a person would
write II he We're dong 1t with a burnt
match. Papa used to gather us to-
gether In the parlor after breakfast
every Fourth of July and read us parts
of 1t and explain the long words, so
that WI would understand what the
Fourth OF July vas really for-that 1t
wasn't Just to burn holes In III
clothes. n brighten horses, II leave
stubs Of lrecrackers on the sidewalk
that don't get swept off for days. When
we children came to have our own rev.
Olution against the go%verness that time
mamma II papa went away to be
gone two days. we knew just how to
go about IT.: and we wrote a Declar-
alton Of Independence, copying 1t after
the real true one, n then we all sign
ed our names at the bottom with big
tlourishes. the IA John Hancock and
the others did.
We thought with all our preparation
success was sure, just as the patriots
Of '7G were successful as the reward
o. o 'nS's go SsTinkj P9 aam nav Vas aeorr,ans
-Georgiana Saunders-which made 1t
all the more appropriate, because the
name Of the king about whom the
original Declaration was written was
George. as you probably know.
When We got the Declaration done,
1t was something like this-some Of
l Tho - i n II ii 90 ntStnL = rn IL FpN- ~, 49, L~-1.
and some we made up ourselves:
When in the course Of human events
1t becomes necessary for something to
be done about it. and we can't stand
1t any longer. The history Of our pres
ent g%oyerness Is a history"of repeated
injuries and u%surpations. To prove
this let facts be submitted to a can
did world.
+ /. She makes US brush u teeth
twice a day, which Is unnecessary as
we'll as wasteful.
2. She Won't let u lay books face
downwards, and so you lose the place
and are a long time finding it when
you come back.
3. She objects IL you make a fork
In your mashed potatoes.
4. She won't let US breathe on the
window and write with our fingers
days when it rains.
5. I'VE can't have butter and sugar
on our rice, only milk and sugar.
8. She notices. and makes US go
back to look where we've made finger
marks on the white paint.
Z. We have TO make our own beds,
and then. IL there is a wrinkle, or 1t
isn't done right, we have to do 1t all
over again.
can think of.
We. therefore. do solemnly publish
and declare that we are and by right
ought to be free and Independent, and
that our mother and our father went
away this morning and will not be
back until tomorrow evening, and tha
she Is not our mother and our father,
never has been and never will be, and
that we mean to do as we please, and
that we nave full right to levy war and
also to do all other acts and things.
And to this we pledge our lives, our
fortunes n our sacred honor. :
(Signed)
Arthur l.. cambridge CHATS mel,
Majorie cambridge.
Hester B. Bainbridge,
r. Charles w. cambridge.
Gregory cambridge. his x mark.
And we brought in Rex-he's a mix
lure of an English mastiff and a Siber-
ian bloodhound-and we linked his paw,
n made him step on the paper Just
below Gregory's name. And then we
drew a circle around 1t and wrote REX,
his mark" Then MAZDA, the collie dog,
had to come In, too, and pretty soon
there was a mark about the size OF a
hot-house violet, Just below where. Rex
printed a big black %carnation-
shaped thing with his lordly paw.
Spotty, the cat, was the best of all:
she upset the ink bottle on the nursery
carpet, and got all her four paws in
the Ink, n then ran right across the
>papeTr. so her name was in several
places.a Charley '(who wrote tt) was
sort of mad at hrst-said 1t spoiled the
looks Of the paper, and 1t would have
to be written all over, but we told him
ut showed how interested and enthusl-
astics Spotty vas
Then Majorie got her. sealing a
and took q piece OF red silk ribbon and
made a kind Of bow out of 1t with ong
streaming ends; and we put a " seal
down In the S,lower left hand corner
sAnd when III was finished IL was 81
work of arts Then the question was,
aWhat,shauld We do with It?
Let's put II at her plate at break
fast" suggested Hester. fs
Better send 1t through the mall
Said Maforieia she Won't dare to say
sariything togythe postman. 10. '
Pin tt'On her door," said Charley.
Nc, said, that won't do. The
original Declaration was read but ioud
81 know, cause L asked papa, Thew
e 1t out loud. and then they rang q
big bell till 1t cracked.
We'll. who's going to be she one to
read II? asked Charlie.
Wen drew lots" / said.
And W did with little pieces of
string: and the lot fell to me. 1t all