Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-07-10
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
AIma's Celebration a Complete
Success..-Great Credit Due
the Various Committees.
10000 PEOPLE COME TO ALMA
SPORTS Galore Every One Good Ma
tured and an Ideal Fourth
Of July ENJOYED.

Commencing at sunrise last Thursday,
people from all over Gratiot county made
their way into Alma, until at noon the
city was crowded, and one of the most
entertaining and successful celebrations
the county had ever seen was under way.
II is estimated that 10, 600 people swarmed
the streets by noon.
The day was just what was needed to
secure a Fourth of July celebration. The
sun shone during the morning and there
was not a cloud in the sky. There was
not even any suggestion of rain until the
evening when the greater part of the
crowd was on its way home,
The fremen were out early i'll the even
ing of the night before preparing the
streets for the next day, 50 that when the
carriages commenced to pour into town
they saw a city decorated with long gar
lands extended across Superior street from
end to end. The merchants were also in
line and their decorations greatly helped
the fremen in their work.
During the forenoon the streets were
filed with people hurrying from one
attraction to another. The attractions
varied from rope-walkiug and bounding,
trick bicycle exhibitions, slides for lie
and tented shows, to the parade, which
was by far the best that Alma has ever
succeeded in getting together. Three
bands, stationed at different parts of the
line, PLAYED in succession, and made con-
tinual music. The different industries Of
Alma also came to the front with deco
rated floats. The Central Michigan Pro
duce Company's float deserves especial
mention. The employees on the wagon
making butter as samples of their pro
duct which they threw ont into the
crowd Clowns end rube characters were
in evidence, while the parade took ON "a
circus-day appearance. The two ball
teams were in line to draw their crowd
for the dav The automobiles, of which
Alma has her share, were very artistic
ally decorated in bunting and this part
OF the parade made a hit with the people
The fire teams from Alma and ST. Louis
were in their places, and the beautiful
teams delighted the lovers of fine ap-
pearing horses The line Of parade was
just right, so that none of the vast crowd
Of people had to miss any part OF the
show.
The ball game in the forenoon was
started later than il should have been,
thus confusing the people as to its time,
but number Of the fans went up in the
hot sun and rooted for the Alma boys.
II was difficult to feed the crowd prop
erly, but no one was forced to go hungry,
and by so the crowd was satisfied and
again out on the street in search of pleas
ure. The high dive and water sports at
the State street bridge were witnessed
by fully 5000 people. The dive was
from a ladder erected on the bridge, and
the diver struck the water perfectly,
exciting the admiration of the vast con-
course of people who lined the banks of
the river in a solid mass one-half mile
long.
The Alma band gave their concert on
the stand erected OH The curb of the
Wright House lawn in the evening. The
rain commenced to get busy by this time
and the crowd had to find shelter. Ii
was not heavy or of long duration, how
ever.
The committee in charge of the day
deserves praise for the way everything
was carried out The crowd was orderly
good-natured and easily managed.