Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-07-05
THE DAv WE CELEBRATED,

Few towns Celebrated" this year.
Fewer will celebrate next year There
has come a decided change Of mind
generally as to the better method Of
Celebrating the Fourth" Nowadays
we incline to the view that a quiet
Fourth is the best Fourth. Families
take to the WOODS, the country clubs,
the parks. avoiding the noise and dan
ger and dirt which that part Of the
population that creates them considers
necessary to enjoyment of the holiday
and proper recognition of the occasion
the day celebrates.
It is decided change from the hull
lAbaloo of a few years ago when the
cracker had attained its greatest
growth and inventive genius had
reached the elimination of how to jar
q street with dynamite with the least
danger to the dynamitard 1t is an ex-
rellent idea also. The casualty column
Oorroborates 1t. 1t 1t we'll that it is so.
The carnival Of noise, accident and
damage that reigned was the old fash
toned Fourth, gone mad and running
amuck
An old fashioned Fourth wasn't SO
bad. The anvil rarely burst for the rea-
son that the blacksmith bossed the job
OF firing, and would need it next day.
The firecrackers were the little red af
fairs. not dynamite bombs. Now and
then somebody played the fool with
powder and got hurt but the newspa-
per next day didn't look like a report
Of the casualties in Picketts charge.
Somebody who had been In the war"
Superintended the firing Of the salute
ct sun rise sometime between midnight
and morning. The small boy piled out
and fired few crackers from his
precious store and the little girls
cracked innocuous torpedoes on the
board walks. A gentle popping ripple
Of crackers with an occasional boom
1zshered in the natal day of the repub-
JIG.
At nine the calithumpians rode down
the street. fearsome sight to childish
ayes. Over at the edge Of town under
Some trees the platform had been
Drected where 1t doomed bravely in
now lumber and smelled of the mills.
About It grouped the Stands" where
lemonade wAs dispensed from tubs
arctic with big chunks Of ice On the
platform was gathered the politicians
and the civil war soldiers which were
pal Of schools usually read the declar-
alton and usually read it badly. Cen
4, Aral Somebody made the speech. 1t
begun with creation. skipped down to
the civil war in America, followed the
dag from Bull Run to Appomattox,
and branched off into republican
campaign speech. Congressman and
Judge followed him. The air rung with
z eloquence. And then we had the picnic
dinner. That is the families had din
nef under the trees. There was another
0lass who scorned picnic dinners on
the Fourth Of July.
Tom. Dick and Harry and their best
0irls who had looked down a million
corn rows and over innumerable dish
SWashings toward this Fourth" des-
pissed picnic dinners. Tom, ct al, had
hired q top buggy from the livery barn
{ months in advance. He had groomed
Cap and Badly weeks for this occa-
65on. He had purchased ivory rings
Tor the harness and a whip begirt with
6tlver bands and he and Mary had
Il 1eArted at daylight for the celebration
II glory and with giggling. That day
3 Hey ate at the big hotel. They had side
N 94shes. Took ice cream and pie at the
II 1nish. Sat in the parlor upstairs along
with Dick and Hattie and Harry and
v Nag. They walked the street hand in
4and. They saw the side show. Tom
s Nao prepared to spend a whole five
j dollar bill and make this magnificent
6cAsion. He did It. And when the
u Networks had flashed their last and
i ~ spectacle Of 1.-THE Father Of His
"a e 1lstt55 had burned away. leaving hu!
81; y; j111o1g11tly wires and scorched wood
WAofe but an instant before the line
v aents Of the first president had
estoeed in fire. they got the team Out