The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-05
HOTTEST FOURTH
IN MANY YEARS
YESTERDAY
Was QuieteSt Celebration Ever
Held in Bennington
DEVOID OF ACCIDENTS
Enjoyable Celebration Arranged BY
Girls Civic League Was Crafty
ing Success.

The day we celebrate" was de-
cidedly safe, sane, sanitary in Ben
nington In former years the Fourth
of July has been ushered in by the
ringing of bells, the firing of cannon
and the burning of all movable and
inflammable property. The celebra-
ton this year showed a distinct re-
action against the wild careers of
former years. The day was filled by
an interesting program that had more
of the features that have made the
day owe closely approaching terror
ism
The prade in the morning formed
at thecOrner OF South and Union
streets and started at $50. The pa
rade was headed by the equestrians
who were competing for the prize in
that class. They were followed by
Chief-Marshall William E. Hawks,
who was well accoutered as a plains
man. The next in line was the Ben
nington city band, In the automo-
biles following were Village Presi-
dent d. \. Ward, T. II. Holden who
acted as judge in the competitions
and the committee from the board of
trustees who with the Girls Civic
League were in charge of the affairs
Of the day. The Bennington Fire De
partment were a feature of the
parade and were followed by the
decorated automobiles which with
the decorated pony carts divided
honors evenly. Next in order came
the bicyclists, the decorated doll car
riages and express wagons and the
Playground Infantry
The parade proceeded down North
to Gage street over Stafford street and
down Main to the place of starting
where it disbanded. The cavalcade
was quite the best of its kind seen in
Bennington in recent years and was
greeted with applause and admiration
all along the line of march
The program OF the afternoon was
taken up largely with the official
opening of the playground. The cere
mony was simple being the arising
OF the playground flag by Village
President d. A. Ward. The remand
err of the afternoon was taken up by
a hoop tournament which consisted
OF hoop races, obstacle race and all
manner of competitions centering
around the wooden circles.
In the evening the program consist
ed OF patriotic exercises at Morgan
Park which began at 7.30. Judge Il
II. Holden announced the prize win
ners of the parade competitions. The
automobile blue ribbon went TO Mrs
j. 5. Holden, the carriage ribbon ia
Mrs. Chandler. and the equestrian
ribbon to Miss Margaret Moore. Miss
Fersis Holden won the pony-cart
prize, a whip, while the bicycle prize
tennis racket was awarded TO Miss
Alice Mills. The express card prize
a baseball suit, was won by Robert
Hart and the doll carriage prize a
set of coral beads, was awarded Ia
Miss Viola Kingsley
Following the reading of the Decla
ration of Independence by I. ]. Healy
Village President Ward introduced A
W. Narney who delivered a short ad
dress on the topic, THE Patriotism
OF the 2Oth Century" He spoke Oh
the utility of mere sentimentality
and citing the practical turn of tn,
present century, pointed out fields foI
| The working out of a true patriotism
in actual works. The program was
concluded by a moving picture pro
gram of a patriotic nature and mass
singing. II. NJ. Richie was in charge
oil the music which was furnished BY
a local orchestra.