The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1911-07-13
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brate it must be admitted that the practice
has undergone some changes with the passing
of the years. In the days of our grandfathers
the booming of the big guns kept up pretty
much all day-indeed in these days the
patriotic citizens Of the new republic liked
such din so well that they fired off cannon not
merely on the Fourth, but on Thanksgiving
and Christmas and New Years as well. And
on independence Day if the booming did not
literally keep up all day at least there was
prolonged salute at sunrise, another at noon,
a third at sunset and final laundering along
with the skyrockets and Roman candles in the
evening.
In this more decorous generation we have
to be content, most of us, with one salute of
this sort on the Fourth At U. S. navy yards
and military posts and other governmental
reservations the salute is fired at noon, but in
the average town or city where the civilians
must do the flring-especially If these self
same civilians are to participate In picnic
or a parade-the regulation salute Is sent echo
ing over the countryside soon after the break
of day. OF course If there Is to be cere-
monial flag raising during the day, or monu-
ment is to be unveiled some highup public
official is to be given reception, there may be
a salute as a sort of accompaniment for the
function, but for the most part nowadays the
average American community has to get along
on the Fourth with one formal salute.
Another change that has come with the
passing of the years is in the matter OF the ar
rangements for the firing of the salutes. The
average individual who listens to the reverber-
alton of the distant guns never gives thought
to this part of it, but obviously somebody has
to attend to this part of the celebration. IN
the old days almost anybody who volunteered
for the task-and who, mayhap was willing
TO contribute for the powder-was considered
competent to act as artilleryman for the occa-
sion Similarly almost anything that would
answer the purpose of a cannon was accepted
as a vehicle of noise making. How often I'M
der such circumstances was a worn old field
piece dragged forth to do such duty and load
ed nigh to the muzzle by enthusiasts who
thought far more of the din than of the dan
ger that lay in an overcharge Of ammunition.
Sometimes hollow log or even length OF
pipe was made to serve as substitute.
The natural sequel of such happy go-lucky
scheme of firing Fourth of July salutes came
In a constantly increasing record of accidents
which finally bestirred public sentiment on
the subject Manifestly large share of the
mishaps of this kind, the chronicle of which
filed the newspapers on the day Following
the Fourth, were due either to inexperience in
handling the guns or to the kindred cause
of lack of knowledge in measuring powder
charges Well, the upshot of the agitation
was that there found favor scheme for hav-
ing all Fourth of July salutes fired by pro
fessionals," as it were-that is by men who
make business of setting of large caliber
guns and who do it every day Of their lives,
or at least quite frequently, instead of mere
~ once year.
Thus it has come about that in most COM
mupities where their services are available
the official Fourth of July salutes are now
fred by enlisted men of the United States
,-vou NAVY or marine corps or members or
the National Guard or Naval Militia OF the
several states. Accidents have not been elm
mated but they have been greatly reduced
and the salutes are more accurate-that is,
a salute fred by such gun crew will consist
Of just the proper number of discharges OF
uniform volume and with the proper intervals
between instead of the hodge-podge that was
formerly delivered in many instances when
salute was likely to be prolonged until the