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

II a 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
3 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 8.
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 90 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
OF 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.
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
caused by fireworks and the only alarm
answered was turned in by small boy
IN North Minneapolis as prank Chief
d. II. Canterbury grants no vacations
during the months of July and August.
aud every fireman was ready for stren-
uous duty Sunday evening.
Police and hospital officials are sur
prlsed at the small list of accidents
before the Fourth and today. Last
year there were nearly a dozen acei.
dents, due to frecrackers before the
Dig day. This year but five were re-
ported. -Four of these occurred last
night and one June %.
-. Everybody Celebrates.
Minneapolis was Fourth of july
headquarters for the entire northwest
To-Day. The observance of Independence
Day was more general thruout the CITY
than usual and rivaled the celebrations
OF me village days OF st. Anthony and
early Minneapolis. The pace estab-
ilsned today is likely to be the marker
judged. .,-
Everybody who could do so took part
IN the celebration. The small boys and
the still larger youths who rolled out of
bed at dawn to begin the celebration
relo!ced to see the sun, full faced and
smiling, rise in all his glory with rich,
promise OF bright, clear day. He hid
MS race Tor time early in the fore
noon, but scared nobody. After plan.
nlng for days and weeks for outings.
with the picnic baskets already packed
and the kids ready and waiting. with
the best girl already invited and the
lays program mapped out, with plans
OF other sorts already made. nobody
allowed cloudy sky and q few drops
Of rain to interfere.
r.. Noise Began Early.
The noisy celebration began earIv.
Small sklrmish 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 ears
last night and camped for the night In,
the Excelsior commons and on othey
picnic grounds about the lakes.
With the morning cars came the
crowds of early birds, mostly fishermen.
but by 6 and clock the family busi.
ness was on full blast and eyery car
played to full house. The ten-minnta
service established by the streetcar
company for the day was none too fire.
quent, an dtho every available car was
waiting at transfer points. The rail-
roads on both sides Of the lake did q
record business also. The st, Louia
road ran full trains all day to the south
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 oyerfiow-
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 u
grove in North Minneapolis, where 25.-
900 persons from the Catholic Churches
and societies Of the city gathered Tor
monster picnic. ST. Paul Catholics
gathered at the state fair grounds Tor
similar celebration. The thousand
other celebrations were not less success
full Churchese, socisties, :. lodges.
neighborhood cliques. families and ofLs
ers made the most Of the day.
Excelsior, at Lake Minnetonka, gavo
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