The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-07-04
Few Accidents to Mar the Oh.
. servance Of the National
Holiday.
PLENTY OF NOISE
BUT FEW CASUALTIES
Police Have Less Trouble in
Rigidly Enforcing City
Ordinances.

II sane Fourth Of July is possible,
Minneapolis had one today, and altho
there were several slight accidents, no
one was seriously injured before noon
and in many parts of the city almost
a Sabbath quiet prevailed.
From the start the police enforced
the ordinances rigidly. There was by
far more noise last evening than to-
day, and as it has been the custom in
former years for many persons to make
their noise on the evening of July 3, .
the police did not interfere except
where the celebrators were careless or
used revolvers instead Of frecrackers.
Nearly hundred revolvers were taken
from boys, and two or three young men
were arrested and locked up for placing
explosives On the streetcar tracks. The
city has been freer from this evil than
ever before.
The fine weather made it possible
for the small boy to go to the pleasure
resorts, as he is always willing to do,
and accordingly that much noise was
removed from the city proper. The
woods about the city limits were crowd
cd with picnic parties, and many police
men were detailed at those places to
prevent the careless use of fireworks
and to be on hand in case of accident
or trouble.
Little Drunkenness.
One noticeable fact was the lack Of
drunkenness. Altho the saloons were
open, their business was not rushing,
and the downtown places did an un-.
usually light business. The business
streets were almost deserted and only
sn occasional firecracker told the diff
ference between this and the ordinary
holiday.
Police Superintendent Doyle placed
many Of the night men on duty at noon
today, and many of the day men will
work until late tonight. Every detec-
tive was on duty and there is little
prospect Of trouble in any part of the
city.
The fire department also had a quiet
time until noon. There were no fires
caused by fireworks and the only alarm
answered was turned in by small boy
IN North Minneapolis as a prank. Chief
J. R. Canterbury grants no vacations
during the months of July and August,
and every fireman was ready for siren
uous duty Sunday evening.
Ponce and hospital officials are sur
prIsed at the small list of accidents
before the Fourth and today. Last
year there were nearly dozen acci-
dents due to firecrackers before the
y
ported. -Four of these occurred last
night and one June 20.
Everybody Celebrates.
Minneapolis was Fourth of .Julv
headquarters for the entire northwest
Ioaay. The observance of Independence
Day was more general thruout the city
than usual and rivaled the celebrations
OF the village days of st. Anthony and
early Minneapolis. The pace estab-
ilshed today is likely to be the marker
oy which all future Fourths will he
judged. ,s-. -
Everybody who could do so took mart
In the celebration. The small BOYS and
the still larger youths who rolled out of
ped at dawn to begin the celebration
re]olced to see the sun. full-faced and
smiling, rise in all his glory with rich
promise of bright, clear day. BE hid
his face for a time early in the fore
noon, but scared nobody. After plan
ming for days and weeks for outings,
with the picnic baskets already packed
ana the KIDS ready and waiting, with
the best girl already invited and the
days program mapped out, with plans
OF other sorts already made, NOBODY
allowed cloudy sky and a few drops
OF rain to interfere.
Noise Began Early.
The noisy celebration began early.
Small skirmish engagements between
the small boy and the festive finger
cracker have been on for DAYS, but fol
| lowing the stroke of midnight the real
noise Of the day broke forth.
From early morning until the return,
ing crowds began to pour back into the
city the streets were almost deserted.
The quietude of Nicollet avenue remind.
ed one of a busy day on Robert street
In st. Paul. The first cars for the thou.
and and one pleasant resorts about the
city were crowded. Some of the early
Mlnnetonka crowds, in order to be sure
| OF place, went out on the last cars
| last night and camped for the night In
the Excelsior commons and on othe1
! picnic grounds about the lakes.
| With the morning cars came the
| crowds of early birds, mostly fishermen
but by 6 and Z o'clock the family bust.
| ness was on full blast and every eat
played to full house. The ten-minute
service established by the streetcaI
company for the day was none too FIRE
quent, an dtho every available car was
In commission, crowds were always
waiting at transfer points. The rail.
roads on both sides of the lake did a
record business also. The st. Louis
|
shore, as did the Great Northern on the
north shore.
Every other line reaching lakes and
picnic groves was busy. The groves
| parks, and resorts about the city in
every direction were filed to overflow
| ing with pleasure seekers On all sides
were smiling faces. The red, white
and blue was everywhere visible. Young
and old alike surrendered to the spirit
Of the day.
Big and Little Celebrations.
The largest general gathering Of the
| day was the Catholic picnic at Nelson 4
| grove in North Minneapolis, where %,
| 900 persons from the Catholic thurche,
/ and societies Of the city gathered fol
a monster picnic. st. Paul Catholics
i gathered at the state fair grounds Pol
a similar celebration. The thousand
other celebrations were not less success
full. Churchese, societies. lodges
neighborhood cliques, families and 9th
ers made the most Of the day.
i Excelsior, at Lake Minnetonka, CAV,
itself up to a genuine old-fashicnei
Fourth Of July celebration with noise