Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-07-04
INDEPENDENCE DAY
a.
Our Celebrations of the Fourth
Of July.
In striking Cohtrsct with These OF
Enrly Davu When the Boys Made
Joyous Notes.-The Pretty
Lafayette Scene.

The Rev Dr.. Parker writes for the
Hartford Co1irant very delightful
Fourth Of July essay as follows:
To an old fellow of many memories Ct
thrilling Independence feys, through ell
Of witch he has passed with no more scr!-
Gus injury than slight Impairment Of
hearing. the modern habits of celebrating
Fourth Of July seem In striking contrast
with those that obtained In former years.
Quleter. more decorous. nafer. perhaps.
the ways and means OF to-day, but. to
tho younger minds at least, somewhat in
sipid and unsatisfactory. To the boys Of
yore. especially in tho country towns and
villages, there WAN tho unspeakable Joy,
missed by them OF these times. Of sally
ing forth long before dawn. arned with
an Old horse pistol or an ancient musket
and provided with an externportzed end
extremely cavrdcious cannon wherewith
TO shoot up the town and mate tho elders
wake and sit MP Tho consciousness Of
creating 8 general disturbance OF the
whole community was a delightful one
TO banjo the guards OF sohooThouses and
the sacred and peculiar bells oil cine,ng in
Wild ana noiey discordance. afforded In
describable PLEASURE. The element Of peril
gave spies 20 nxl this pleasure Dan
ger7 What boz wsth spark Of the spirit
Of patriotism in his young bosom was I'M
willing to encounter some danger IN ce}e-.
batting hds country's Independence. or to
make son~ sacrifice. II necessary, upon
ais country's sacred ALTAR
There were othar and kindred Joys Of
tlpat day. ainax and contests, fantastic
professions. booths and nrountebanks, I'M
limited spruce BEEN. molasses candy. and
q species Of tough but toothsome ginger
bread the nike Of which Ia no more ssen or
known-that need not be described. Oh,
for sheet OF that old ginGerore cad! In
comparison with which all the cake Of CO.
day is-to quote OLD Deacon Seth Terry 3
words-"a vllatnous compound" In the
forine: times Fourth OF July was cele-
DRAFTED Now it Is observed. Which Is
better l am Incompetent to decide PEG.
pie now depreca4e noise on Fourth OF
July, especially explosive noise. They
wish to sleep IS usual. on that glorious
morning. They AJAX. impatently what
sense or significance there Is In mere
noise. Why. then. the noise Of oannons'
salute. on great State occasions. when a
president. or an admiral. or a foreign
fleet comes or goes? Is It mere noise
Does it mean nothing?
| One recalls that the ancient people of
God exhorted and encouraged one an
other. in the interests and enthusiasm OF
religion, to make a joyful noise unto the
Lord!"
Let the sea roar. let the foods clap
their hands, let the hills he joyful! With
trumpets and cornet make joyful noise
before the Iordi''
One can easily imagine the criticism OF
some old q,net-lovtng curmudgeon on oil
that sort Of tffing-as IF the good Lord
would be far better pleased with less or
no noise OF thAs sort, And vet the old
Psalmist was right. All joyful celebra-
tons. secular or religious, In view OF past
or prospective blessings. seem to require
| for their success a good deal of various
noise. Without that they are tame and
fiat A great Amen, or Hurrah. or Halle
lujah Is just SO much noise in the air
hut infinitely more than mere noise, as a
flag il more than a piece of colored cloth
Wherefore our celebrations or observ-
ances of Fourth of July Will never be
quite satisfactory in lack of noise. A
quiet Fourth of July is open to suspicion
Now the human voice is a feeble and in
adequate instrument. The cornet and
trumpet. the fife and drum, Gideon's band
If no other Is at hand. and. II possible, a
noise as of seas roaring and foods hand
clapping are in order.
OF course the clangor of bells helps out
for a while. IN the morning. but that be-
comes monotonous Nothing as yet dis
covered seems so fifty to accentuate and
so PERFECTLY to punctuate the sentiments
OF youthful patriotism on Independence
day as the sharp and loud detOnauons OF
gunpowder The inexpensive and viva
cous firecracker seems Indispensable. The
child wishes 10 fire his OF her own salute
TO Liberty. and tne frecracker is the
chih's cannon. Bonfires and fireworks al
evening aT9 pleasing and a suitable sor'
OF thing for tho Gays decline. but as fol
ar expression OF the spirit Of '76 in the
heart OF YOUTH. ttcy arc not to b com
pared Wits thu moaning sxplosives They
lack the reu1a.so noise.
Having no.. incurred unmAasuro6
though unmerSad reprobaion from my
beloved brethren and fellow citizens fol
the ahssv, Inoa&aodox remarks. beg tt
make an escape by diversion. Before me
as I WRITE are printed programs OF
Fourth Of July celebrations In Hartford
for five years betwesn 1870 and 1878. l dt
not meen that they are official or author
lied publications Or that any such cele
brations as they ANNOUNCES and describe
ever occurred In our city. 1t docs no
now appear who conceived, devised, pre-
pared printed and circulated these lont
and elaborate paperu. grotesQue in illus
trauon. burleque In STYLE and pepper,
with what was doubtless considered funn,
IL not witty at that time. But nothing
grows staler with time than tho wit of {
ttnle-except sermons. and the fun o.
These papers has sadly faded. Thumb
MARKS on them al. Indicate a common
origin. They are coarse and crude enough
and Yet have certain Interest and value
q: indicating an outRrown sentiment and
lost Fourth OF July art that once hat
play here. They crtticise and caricatur'
persons, piaceH and proceedings In Hart
ford. They uncover scre spots and shad,
doiags. The professions they announc'
are made up OF most amusing and amaz
Ing impropriettes The long program 70
1870 Ia adorned with the picture of a PHI
with nag stuck in his backbone. iron
which he seems no suffer no discomfort
| IT begins with an aby,,i ~, hla Statamaut n