The National tribune., 1910-07-14
JULY FOURTH.
Safe and Sane, But Does Not Interest
the Kids in characterization at
Bally HEcElroy is Different.

Fourth of July in the District of Co
lumbia was very safe and very sane
The poor little kid who fired OLA
package of scent baby torpedoes was
yanked up before the ePolice Court
but his ipaternal ancestor who 'dived
down into his pocket to the sum of
an .'sX'' or SO buying toy balloons and
| sky rockets, which the kid must not fire
at night but his father did, went Scott
| free. OF course, no damage was done
to anybody but the feelings of the kid,
and all he knows about the Fourth OF
July is that there was some red, white
and blue flying from the windows Of
some OF the District homes and mighty
few on the business houses, and that
his father said that 1t was the Fourth
of July. If that kid grows up with
that kind of Fourth of July sentiment
surrounding him, he is going to be a
mighty patriotic man, isn't he?
After all. old John Adams knew what
he was talking about when writing to
his devoted and sensible wife Abigail
the day following the Declaration of
independence. He said: 1T is my be-
lief that this day in the future will he
recognized by the firing of guns, the
shooting of cannon, accompanied ny
the songs and shouts of the people"
One could not accuse old John Adams
of being much given to enthusiasm of
the ODen-1nOulneO variety, eltneF.
There We're a number of suburban
celebrations, this being made neces-
sary because the District Commissioners
would not permit any kind of fireworks
to be fired in the city: so there were
fireworks of every description at the
celebrations in the outlying districts.
One of the most enjoyable of the out
Of town celebrations was that given at
Rally McElroy, the home of John Nc
Elroy, Past Senior Vice Commander-in-
Chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public. This is the fifth year that there
has been a celebration at Bally Nc
Elroy The name applies to about a
half thousand acres in Fairfax Coun-
ty, Va. lying in the neck of land bor-
dered by the Occoquan River for a
couple of miles, and with a glimpse
of the Potomac thru the woodland
where the Occoquan empties into 1t
after its tumble over the rocks known
as Occoquan Fails. The McEIroy acres
take the name "Baiiy' from the old
Irish term which designateS so many
towns and country places on old
Ireland's sod, it being stated that over
120 of these have names commencing
with "Bally," which is variously trans
lated to mean town, place and hamlet.
Each year the attendance at the Fourth
of July celebrations at Bally McElroy of
members of patriotic societies and the
people in the surrounding districts is
larger. A special car carried down the
guests from Washington This year.
Historic Possessions.
AS the McElroy possessions cover
very historic ground, the invitations
each year have pictures illustrating
this, and the first page of the invita-
ticn was devoted 10 cut illustrating
the driving of the British out of the
ID ~, T,,Ir- IN in
vitation read in part as follows:
"A Day of Patriotic MemOries-Ho!
for BalIy McElroy, the American
Eagles Eyrie."
"a Prophecy of America.
'Methinks I see in my mind a noble
and puissant Nation rousing herself
like strong man after sleep, and shak-
ing her invincible locks; methinks /
see her as an eagle mewing her mighty
youth, and kindling her undaZZled eyes
at the full midday beam.'-Milton.
'1t is where the billowy highlands
between Mt Vernon and Bally Nc
EIroy roll in everchanging fascination
that the rousing of this noble and
puissant Nation was strongly manifest;
represent virile strength, the stately
pines changeless constancy under Win
ter's blasts and Summers heats, the
fragrant hickory's unbreakable stam-
ina, that heroes We're bred for the
times which tried mems souls; there,
where every majestic tree breathed
stalwart manhood and every sweet
faced flower inspired elevated and noble
thoughts, americanism became the
high-swelling psalm Of life.
ION those granite cliffs, under the
patriotic watchfUlnesS of George Wash
ington and Patrick Henry, the glorious
Bird of Freedom moulted his pin feath-
ers of dependence and fedged himself
in storm defying independence.
Come down with us to Bally Nc
Elroy, on the Occoquan, July 4, 1910,
and help celebrate not only the Nations
Natal Day, but one of the great events
which helped loosen the tyrant's clutch
upon the infant Nation.
an July, 1776-134 years ago-Lord
Dunmore, the last royal Governor of
Virginia, furious to make the patriots
feel the weight OF his royal masters
authority, sailed up the Occoquan
River in front of Bally McElroy and
burned the fiourishing town of Deco
guam Falls, with its busy mills. 1t is
said that he intended advancing on
Mt. Vernon frop the rear and captur-
ing Lady" Washington. But the gal
liant farmers of Prince William County
rushed to the bluffs of Bally McElroy
and opened such deadly fire with
their flint-lock rifles on Dunmore's
fleet that he was forced to scamper
down the river as fast as sails and
oars would carry him, losing large
number of his men before he could get
out of range. This ended Lord Dun
more's career of tyranny in the Col
onies.
You are cordially-even earnestly
invited to come with your family and
join the comrades of the Department
of Potomac, G. A. r., in celebrating the
anniversary of this signal success CT
the Revolutionary War and honor the
brave men who administered chastise-
ment to the minions of the despot.
Come, and bring your baskets for a
glad outing on the scenes of a great
historical event.
"Knowest thou the hills where the
bright laurel blooms;
Where the rose-laden air yields its
choicest perfumes;
Where crystal-clear creeks Ger enam-
eled rocks flow;
Where winds ever soft from the blue
- heavens blow? &c.,
Thither, o thither, comrades, with me
Hie to rejoice in the land of the free.
Yours for the Flag, John McElroy."
Long, Interesting Program.
The program, which was n very
lengthy one occupied a good part of
the morning after the arrival of the
guests at the farm after their walk thru
the woods, They were greeted on their