Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1911-07-11

lnuepenoence, Is with us again on It's
annual roundl And in every direc-
ton in this beautiful little western
city can be seen tokens Of apprecis-
ton Of what it costs 10 gain and
maintain what was won for US by
Patriots Of old. nearly acentury and
half ago; and has passed from gener-
alton &C. teneration down through
the age& and Is now ours to love and
enjoy "Old Glory" with her ac-
compsnying embIems Of American
liberty are floating out in the. al,
most constant Oklahoma breeze,
while nearly all business is at q
stand-still and Ends people are
gathering at Lakewood Park where
the day will be spent in various
amusements, chief Of which will be
tripping the light fantastic. in the
large pavilion. by the younger act.
together with many who are not so
very young. .h.e rfF
The drawing card to that pleasant
resort today. however. is. the am
nounced ascension of local Aviator
in his BipIane. Wings. (not Angels
wings.) are all that has been relied
upon to ride on the air around Enid,
up to this time. so just how high
and how far the daring fellow will
try to go is what we are all guessing
about.
BY the way. to me the fourth day
of July. is not altogether of a
cheering nature. Fifty-seyen years
ago today my good father was called
from the walks Of men, freed from
the cares and responsibilities Incl
dent to this life. leaving my sorrow
full mother and a large family of
children, relatives and friends with
sad faces and bowed heads on &C.
count of his taking away.
Then at one bound my thoughts
leap to q period seven years later,
just fifty years ago today. when was
pulled off" at the old fair grounds
stunt" such as one is not apt to
forget in the years allotted to man
in this life. The late Hon. Burrel
Ritter was the orator Of the day,
and Capt. Symmetry was in charge
G1be Cannon Squad, that manipu'
lased the field piece that belonged to
Hopkinsville and was used on al
such occasions! However the flames
and noise that 1t belched forth
proved to be only a foretaste tc
many of US Of what was coming In
reality and not merely celebrating
Inddfndence day. 1t was q day
ever to be remembered by this ole
boy.
The late Major w. v. Croft, Their
commander of the State Militia. in
the county at the head Of the Scates
Mill Home Guards. with his tatterec
but favorite banner. carried by my
then bosom friend and associate
Louis Bowling, rode into the city ir
double file and was met on the
Seventh street road west. by the
late John B. Gowan. on his fine
charger, who greeted the company
with the yell "Hurrah for Scate''
Mill"
Many of your readers will recall
this stirring incident. 1t was thu
first of much note leading on t
what terminated in one of thu
greatest struggles for supremac!
between factions in Nation, tina
the world has ever seen.
Three years later, and just forty
seven years ago today. | spent oil
the sklrmish line in front of Atlanta
where pulled the trigger that sen
more than two hundred leaden mis-
siles into the camps of the enemy;
detachment of our army was encir
cling the city. and to keep the enem
from drawing some of their force
from in front of us to oppose tn
detachment that was marchin
around the city. we were ordered I
keep up constant firing all day an
until late hour at night. So
obedience to that order, we sper
our time in loading and shooting.
Many. many, anniversaries hay
come and gone since that memorabl