Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1907-07-05
A SOUTH AMERICAN
FOURTH OF JULY

Some years ago. said the fireworks
han, II had to make a journey to Quito.
the capital OF Ecuador, to superintend a
big fireworks display that was being given
there by the government in celebration OF
the anniversary of the freeing Of the coun-
try from the Spanish yoke by Bolivar.
well, / got to Guayaquil, the principal
seaport of Ecuador, and started over the
mountain trail to Quito, which was several
days journal inland, with a mule team.
l had two American assistants with me
and three muleteers. We rode on mule
back, and our baggage was carried on six
other mules. The country was disturbed
at that time by one of the revolutions so
common in Latin America, and we were
warned at Guayaquil that we might be
held up along the trail by the rebels. But
all went well for two days.
ON the afternoon of the third day as
we wound round a corner OF the narrow
mountain path we met a party of bare-
footed, ragamufin soldiers, who surround
ed us In a moment and ordered us to halt.
AS the order was given at the point OF
the rifle we promptly obeyed.
The boss brigand,, a big, burly villain,
who smoked a fat black cigar and wore
a long gilt sheathed sword, but was other
wise as ragged and disreputable as the
rest OF the gang, told us through our
guides that he was an officer of the ever
glorious and constitutional provisional
government, by which he meant the revo-
lutionists. He added that he was empowl
cred to annex. for the good OF the causes
all mules and merchandise that passed
along that road.
They unloaded the pack animals and
opened the boxes OF fireworks, which
caused them much surprise. They wera
all country peasants-half-b breed Indians!
who had only seen such things once OF
| twice before when thav hapnanaJ fn xiotA
town at the time Of a fiesta, and had cers
tainly never touched them. The revolul
zionist general admired the rockets very
much and handled them as lovingly as any
American kid does on the Fourth Of July.
Il told him they were intended to cele.
brate the Independence of his country and
appealed to his patriotism to let me go on
to Quito so that the display might come
Off on schedule time. But he didn't sea
IL In that light.
THE government at Quito, he declared.
had trampled on the liberties of the couna
try and therefore had no right to send up
fireworks to celebrate the glorious age OF
Bolivar 1t was he, upon whom the mani
tie of Bolivar had fallen, who would send
them up. and thus celebrate the great vica
tories he was going to win when he startA
ed In to do things to the government. !
with that he struck a match and tried
70 light one of the rockets by the wrong
enu. i trleu 10 explain 10 MIN nat nc
was going to get hurt, but his followers
thrust me aside roughly, and / didn't
try to save him again. The rocket sud.
denly went off with a roar.
I'm a moment there was a terrific ex.
plosion. The whole lot ignited at once,
bombs and rockets darling off In all di.
rections among the crowd standing
around.
You can bet those revolutionists were
scared. Some Of them fell down on tho
ground and called upon their patron saints
Tor help; other bolted down the mountain
trail like frightened hares and didn't show
up again for half an hour.
1T Is a miracle we were not all killed.
but with the exception Of the general no
body was badly hurt.
Il know how to dress burns as we'll AZ
any doctor, Of course, and I soon fixed
him up as comfortable as possible. His
followers formed a camp near the train
and l stayed with them three days. attend
ing to the chiefs injuries. At the end Oh
that time he was we'll on the way to re-
covery and very grateful to me. i went
on to Quito and gave the display at this
time appointed. but all the fireworks had
to be locally manufactured Charles B
Darlington In Washington Star.