The Springfield herald., 1909-07-09
THE FOURTH
IN SPRINGFIELD
Independence Day Fittingly o.
served on Monday by Folks from
Springfield and Vicinity.

| oRii-SA AlClS <lilS v iSiiity-
! July fifth, the day set apart
for the commemoration of Inae-
pendence day, was ushered in in
Springfield with a quiet and still
day, an ideal one for a celebra-
ton. The sun came out quite
warm but on the whole the Wea-
ther was commensurate for such
an occasion. At an early hour
carriages began arriving ladined
with country folks, their famil.
! les and well filed lunch baskets,
to greet their old time friends
and neighbors and renew old ac-
quaintances on an occasion oi
merrymaking. at ten O'Clock a
large crowd had assembled in the
spacious grove On Bear creek,
which place had been selected
for the days jubilation, and that
quiet wooded retreat was soon
relegated from it's state of tran.
guilty into a scene Of convivial-
ity--all was merriment and laugh
ter intermingled with the boom
ing of the frecracker.
The Springfield band, attired
in their neat new Uniforms, ar
rived on the scene shortly before
the luncheon period, and dis
coursed musical program con-
sisting of lively and patriotic mu-
sic, which stimulated the audit
ors to a high degree of enthusi-
asm. Immediately following the
musical program, the m a n y
guests repaired with their diff
ferent parties to cozy and shady
hooks to partake of their sumpt.
uous delicacies.
Immediately after the picnic,
the grand parade took place, and
which proved to be the feature
of the day. The participants at.
tired in comic costume, both or
foot and mounted, and led by the
Cat creek band, encircled the
picnic grounds a number of times
to the extreme delight of the
spectators.
The relay race also proved
quite interesting. The contes-
tants we're Floyd Chenoweth,
Clevo Stalnaker, Truman Cheno'
weth and VIM. McClintock, rep
resenting the winning side, while
H. O. Green. Elmer Gordan, Ray
Brown and Emit Tanner com
posed the team that came ii
shortly in the rear. The distance
covered was about 400 yards, but
Doc Emerson, who timed then
by the sun, is Of the opinion
that they covered less than halt
of one mile in over thirty-twt
seconds.
The base ball game which was
to have taken place between
Villas and Springfield, was called
off, owing to the non-arrival o1
the Villas team. The Springfield
bunch, in uniform, were also hot
in evidence.
The wild&est feature of the
prograffi proved quite interesting
and entertaining and the eques'
trians who took part, proved
themselves no novice in the art
of riding vicious horses. The
horses were not as hnruly as was
hoped for by some of the more
adventurous onlookers, but this
was attributed, perhaps; to the
excessive heat, preventing the
horses from loosening up to any
excitable degree. But taken as
a whole the program was quite
successful.
Dan Cain was the first to mount
revolving steed, but after his
horse had made several graceful
glides through the atmosphere,
accompanied by turn or two,
resembling an old fashioned waltz,
the horse gave up in dispair,
overcome with heat prostration
and discouragement. Emit Tan,
ner, apparently, rode a more
vicious animal, which bucked
more frequently and with more
violence, and in vain endeavol
to dismount it's rider, took fol
the woods. The horses fore
sight was keen. Emit clung tc