Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1906-07-06
OLD-TIME CELEBRATIONS.
rarndes, Dinners and Speeches Char
ucteristic I~NentUrcS.

ucteristic FentUrcs.
parades. dinners and the drinking OF
AS many toasts as there were states III
1be Union formed the characteristic lea
lures of the early Fourth of July cele-
brations. There was less noise a century
ago than is usually the case to-day ana
abs olutely no overindulgence in hreworks'
because fireworks were so scarce lhat
their use was practically restricted 10 INC
public gardens. These popular resorts
of which there were several in New York,
Boston, Philadelphia and other large
cities. were careful to announce, often
weeks beforehand, the attractions pre-
pared for the anniversary day Nearly
every town and village could point with
pride to Revolutionary veterans, and the
presence Of these warriors who had con-
t,:buted their share toward making the
Declaration of Independence mean some
thlng to the country added to the deep
personal interest in the day. 1he love
for their young country rang out 70
end clear in every Grafton and alter nm
ner toast. The following toast, given ny
/, the merchants of New York in 100 al
the Tontine Coffee House. is but a sam
rIe of many which the day always Called
forth
The suspicious day that rescued Oil
| country from the hated yoke or foreign
tyranny and gave us Dolorable rar!h
among the nations of the earth-nAy us
plol ious events never De efaced from our
memories; may the blessings l. has con-
serred be as lasting as the globe we IN.
Labit and may each revolving year uto
us more united, more Happy and more
free"
During the early years of the last cen
t,rv the celebration in New York lnvarl-
i ably opened with a discharge OF cannon
from the Battery. \ parade OF tE militia
! and volunteer rifle organizations, accom-
panied by the leading societies OF the city,
in which Tammany was always well rep
! resented. marched through Broadway be-
low the present city hall, Wall street and
some Of the other thoroughfares.
After a march of about an hour the
paraders filed into St. Pauls or some
other prominent church, where the Dec
~laration of Independence was always read,
! followed by an GRAFTON.
In the evening every tavern and cor
fee house had a special Fourth OF July
dinner. This latter custom was unlVer-
sal. No hamlet was so small that 1t
could not gather its company OF patriotic
diners in the village tavern, where their
! enthusiasm WAS uiSpldSSu ~ iNpSotSo PAS
testations of loyalty to their country.
The residents of Brooklyn 100 years
ago we're not to be outdone by their
friends in the greater city across the river,
as, according to a newspaper account at
the time, the Fourth of July, 1854, was
celebrated in Brooklyn as follows:
The military of Kings county assembled
| at the tow of Brooklyn to celebrate the
dav. At sunrise a salute of seventeen
/ guns was fired. The uniform corps OF the
| Troop of Horse, Republican rifemen,
Washington fusileers and the Rising Sun
companies formed on Brooklyn Heights
! at 10 o'clock and marched through Sands
street, Main street, Front street, up old
Ferry street, to the parade ground.
Later in the day there were dinners in
| the various taverns and the customary
toasts.
An account Of a celebration at Potts
Grove, Montgomery county, Pa, is inter
esting not only for the picture of rural
enjoyment, but as a sample of the jour
nalistic writing commonly seen in the
early newspapers
"Two feldpieces, chcerfully served,
sent abroad in the forenoon the lofty re-
port of both fun and frolic by sixteen we'll
timed and successive discharges. Joy
Deauleu Oh every plo" me green FdlIeyS
and distant hills participated in the glad
ness of the day by reverberating the mag
nifcent and far sent sound of liberty
and independence"
Mention is then made of the dinner,
with its attendant speeches, and in con-
! GLIDING the r~'iter adds:
The retired sun had just by this time
let in the gloomy shade of night, upon
! which the company betook themselves to
tie tavern of James Kinkead. where they
| enjoyed themselves with the sprightly
dance and Toasted to a late hour upon
song, sentiment and rosy wine."-New
York Times.