The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1906-05-22
LOOKING BACKWARD.
THE FOURTH OF JULT AT cHALLIs
20 YEARS AGO.
EDITOR MEssENGER :

1
National Day-Fourth Of July
and l presume you will not over
look it this year.
In scanning the files (for some
historical points, of paper pub
Iished here in the early days of
the Yankee Fork country, L no
tice a letter from a correspond
ent or reporter who was present
at your first public Fourth of
July celebration. That your
readers may see how they FLEW
the American Eagle" in those
early Challis days, l inclose the
clipping entire for publication,
if you deem it of sufficient impor-
tance
The traditional American SEN
timent displayed at this place in
celebrating the day of Independ-
ence, was so creditable that l am
sure you will open your columns
for brief chronicle of the cere-
monies and doings of the occas-
ion. 1t must be known that this
was the initial effort of the new
and rising town of the Salmon
foothills. and, as sojourner, /
may speak very properly of the
enthusiasm displayed and the ex-
cellent taste which marked the
proceedings throughout. Even
the performances of Saturday
J night, which, with the mimic
. thunder of the anvil, woke not
, only the echoes, a thing quite
poetic, but also all who were
wooing the drowsy god, was
quite endurable as denoting the
patriotic fervor which was to
break forth when Sunday should
. have passed.
Early on Monday morning
the Main street was alive with
the denizens of the town and
with the residents of the sur
! rounding country, for the miners
of Bayhorse and as far as Kin
nikinic and East Fork had rest
: ed from their labors and gather.
: ed here to swell the number and
share the sober revelry. At 1C
o'clock a cavalcade of hersemen
and vehicles containing the lad.
} les and children were formed into
line, marshaled by Jas. ShouE
and Felix Reinbold, and proceed
ed to Beerley's grove, about hall
mile above town. A very hand
4 some feature of the line was {
: State Car handsomely decorated
o containing the number of young
: girls to represent the origina
Union. In the midst of them
e and supporting the flag, was tbs
d emblematic Goddess Liberty IL
/ the form of Miss Thulu Harden
, brook. The grove had been ren
: dered quite comfortable for tn,
warmth of the season by tn
q construction of a capacious ar
/. Dor, wrought with the limbs o
It the cottonwood, which shielde,
S the occupants from the sun, an,
in which the ceremonies wer'
y conducted. Here, too, was Sprea'
y sumptuous repast, which, at
y later hour, was relished, as
It may say, by the entire commun
ity.
''At II o'clock the Presiden
II of the Day, Mr.. James Burns
d called the assembly to order, an
20 the ladies and gentlemen of tn
a musical society sent forth tn
anthem of America to the az
e compartment of the organ. Tn
e President, with some prefator
,e remarks, then read the time
. honored Declaration in q cles
,, voice and with nice and prepe
accent, at the close of which al
&c ether patriotic song was given.
ID The orator of the day, Maio
i'd j. L. Onderdonk, freeing hin
self from manuscript or note
!, gave his audience terse an
spirited discourse on the theme
s' suggested by the struggle fc
Sc independence. 1t was forcibl
Is and concise effort, full of origin
5. ality of thought, a masterly eS
;s position of the objects for whic
the fathers of the revolutio
u struggled, and the benefits whic
he it wrought not only for tf
le American people, but for oI
d. pressed humanity througho'
- the world. The language wa
such as to show a cultivate
IN mind, and was worthy OF II
of gentleman and deservedly con
lmanded the closest attention.