Connecticut western news., 1912-07-11
NO. 3
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH No General Celebration About Town but a Big Time
 at NeStelI'S.

The celebration of the Glorious Fourth in Canaan was in marked contrast to the celebration of last year, It was very safe and comparatively sane. It was not for lack of patriotic spirit, however. that there were no such crowds about the year before, for the patriotic spirit took them abroad. to other communities whose public spirit had provided them with ways and means and opportunity for letting off their surplus of patriotic energy, enjoying various spectacular and exciting events, and spending their money where it would do somebody else some good. Canaanites who remained at home, unanimous in their ex- pressions of disappointment that no organized effort at public celebration had been undertaken here, and that the splendid pattern set last year by the Business Men s Association had not been followed up with a demonstration of some sort, either with or without the initiative of the Association, There was very little noise through out the day and the streets presented generally a Sunday appearance. Con. siderable fire. cracker shooting was done on the night of the Sd, which irritated the nerves of the sensitive dweIlers about the center of the village, but no damage was done in this scattering out burst of patriotic exuberanoe. Farnum made fortune from the sale of fire works and in the evening there were numerous prlvate displays about town, of rockets, Roman candles, sparklers and big and little crackers, J. Henry Roraback, on Granite avenue had, as usual, display that would have made oreditable municipal celebration for & pretentious town, which was enjoyed by practically all the Canaanites left in the bailiwick.
 The exodus began in the morning, when the trolley cars carried large num- bers to Great Burlington, where an elaborate Independence day program was on, with industrial and fraternaI parades, horse races and divers other attractions during the day and fireworks in the evening.
 A number went to East Canaan where a baseball tournament of two games with Winsted was played, both of which were won by the local team-6.3 and 5-3. The Cansan Citizens Band fur. nished music for the tournament and did itself proud.
 The greased pig race at Clem. Kegler's attracted a lot of people and furnished lot of sport. The pig was caught by Charlie Coons after an exciting chase.
 The nearest thing to public observ- ance, and what was in fact the most appropriate and timely celebration of the day, and imbued with the genuine patriotic spirit, was the gathering at Mir. and Mrs. Nestell's, of the Wangum Camp Fire Girls and the Boy Scouts and other invited guests to a total of 80 persons. This pleasant affair took place in the afternoon, the scouts and girls hiking in body to the scene, where they arrived at about o'clock Other guests came by team. auto, and on foot.
 The party at first seated themselves in the shade of the trees bordering the road, and were given a little talk by Mrs. Nestell concerning the significance of the day and were asked questions re- garding the events leading up to the signing of the Declaration of Independ- ence, after which that immortal docu- ment was read by Mir. Walter Gale, of New York. The entire assemblage then