Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-05
THOUSANDS PARADE ALONG
AN AVENUE OF BRILLIANCE
Throng Moves in Light Of Torches
That "Rival the Sum-


Lot had been sent upward last night
with it's whizzing trail Of brilliance. and
the last set piece had dwindled to an
insignificant blur of fire. and the hum
dreds of automobiles which had stood
about the ellipse began to depart with
honking horns and shuddering engines,
small army of young men began to
light up the red-fire torches that lined
Pennsylvania avenue from John Mar
shall place to the State, War and Navy
Department building. And the vast
Office buildings. side streets, open
squares and the great open space
around the monument poured into Penn
sylvania avenue and simply bathed In
the brilliant red glare of the illumina-
ton.
1t seemed as though all Washington
marched down Pennsylvania avenue and
then marched back again. At $50
o'clock the broad street was no more
crowded than on an ordinary evening.
but ten minutes after the torches were
lit from curb to curb it was living,
pushing, jOstling stream of humanity:
1t was a crowd that was out for good
time-and 1t had 1t.
Unlike the expectant crowd Of an cleo
ton night. there was none of the under
current of excitement that breaks out In
small riots and occasionally bloody bat
ties 1t was, comparatively speaking. an
ing of firecrackers and the rapid moving
deta chments of small boys, who swooped
from place to place In search OF more
noise. 1t was a crowd in which every one
was friendly to his neighbor and was Will
ing to put up with whatever happened.
Girls Much in Evidence.
And the girls, These were in white
and red and green and pink and blue;
with hats and without them; in twOs and
threes and groups. some proudly escort
ing young men with an air OF happy own
ership: some carrying little sticks of col
ored fire, which burned and f1uttered and
threw sparks. with great danger of burn
ing holes in waists and skirts, but nobody
seemed to care, for what is a burn be-
tween friends? Others locked arms and
pushed hard to get through the crowd,
and not one failed to enjoy herself to the
La minute.
Under the glare of the burning torches
the program said "rivaled in brilliance
the burning orb of the midday sun. y
shOne alike on rich and poor last night.
and for once the rich. perhaps. did not
get the best of it. for those who thought
an automobile a carriage would be just
the thing in which to see the sights. found
themselves stalled in a crowd that would
not open a pathway for anything other
than a hospital ambulance.
From across the river came whole Wag-
onloads of country people who had to see
the sights. Fully dozen of these straw
ride parties joined in the fun and had the
best time possible. Persons whose ideas
of dignity did not permit them to enthuse
too greatly over the great occasion jour-
neyed downtown just to see what II was
all about. and. coming. remained just long
enough to catch the intoxication of the
happy throng and were held fast in the
eddy as it moved from block to block.
Each square seemed to have its own at
traction. 1t might be a halted runaway.
with a badly frightened horse and a pair
of splintered shafts, or a little private
fireworks celebration of some Jealous
citizen who could not resist adding his
share to the general melee. torch
which refused to burn was mecca toward
which thousands would approach with
until some one more daring than the rest
would shin the pole and. at the risk OF
burning his hand off. strive to light it
again.
Everybody Has Good Time.
From half-past o'clock to II o'clock
they paraded, singing shouting, shooting
crackers, burning sticks of colored fire
and taking 1t all in. having a good time
and not caring straw whether or not
they tired themselves out in the attempt
Not until the last torch burned out did
the crowd start for home. and even then
it was very reluctant. Finally when the
streets began to take on a normal aspect
and weary mothers put tired children to
bed and declared that they were fortu-
nate in having but one Independence day
a year. the crackers stopped swapping and
the torches on the avenue were only
blackened stumpS.
And far off to the west a disguised.
disgruntled, hurt and insulted moon sank
slowly behind a bank of clouds and
smoke. hurt because a city had chosen
the light of merely artificial and mo-
mentary splendor and disgruntled because
of all it's friends not one had given it
thought in the midst of newer suns
and moons And after midnight, when
even the big firecrackers that are al
ways reserved for the last had been fired,
and the real stars once more had a
chance to shine without competition from
rockets and Roman candles. a tired,
happy city slept after a real holiday.