Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1914-07-06
BIC CELEBRATION To
Be HELD NEXT 18th
City Will Commemorate Nations
Birth Together With Compile
ton of River Improvement
MUNICIPAL SERVICES STIRRING
Thousands Gather About Flagpole
at Front and Market
Streets

In many, many ways was it forcibly
impressed upon Harrisburg folks Sat
urday that cerainly and truly 1.-The
flag is still there" the Huertistas and
other doubling folks to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
All day Old Glory swung over the
city from the municipal staff at Front
and Market streets. Beneath 1t some
rs, 000-odd people celebrated in a
number OF ways.
The raising of the colors was at
tended with all the ceremony hat OBJ
tains under similar circumstances on
a warship or at a military post, with
parades and speeches and things in
addition. In the evening there was the
sunset gun, as the flag slid down from
the peak. a bugler sounded retreat"
and again the band swung Into the
star Spangled Banner"
So much for the municipal cele-
bration.
In dozens OF other ways Harrisburg
folks observed Independence Day.
Many left town for the weekend at
cottage or camp or watering or noun
tain resort; water sports on the creeks
around Harrisburg drew hundreds Of
canoeists; many put in a quiet day on
the Susquehanna; thousands picnicked
at Boiling Springs, Mt. Holly, Hershey,
and Summcrdale and PaXtang, where
there was dancing most all day; the
towns around Harrisburg, which cele-
brated the day in an o~ld-fashioned
way, drew many, many carloads: the
fortunate folks with autos toured the
country round. Reservoir Park, with
its band concert in the evening, and
the River Front parks with the bands
n1nViDp in tho morning 6rnU thnn-
sands and emphasized the importance
of municipal band concerts; incident
ally scores of folks spent much of the
day on the tennis courts at Island and
Reservoir; and, of course, the national
birthday was the big day for the ma
tional game. The victories for the
home team on the Island Saturday
set the pace.
Next Year the Big Noise
But, while it was the concensus of
opinion that Harrisburg had celebrat-
ed we'll the safe and sane" Fourth,
most all Harrisburg looked just one
year ahead and had a picture in its
minds eye of another big day when
the river would be colorful with skim
ming craft, bands in the parks, bunt-
ing along island, bridges and water
front-and thousands of people bank
ed along Harrisburg's completed
front steps"
THAT should he a double celebra-
ton next year and a mighty big one"
was the concensus of opinion, be
cause we'll observe big events-Uncle
Sans birthday and the completion of
the river wall and the dam"
Independence Day, 1914. has been
history these forty-eight hours or so.
but 1t might he well to tell something
of tho pnuninfno1 nnI af fhA ,aIoL,.
ton.
Mr.. Nead's talk at the municipal
end of the celebration was full of the
snap and fire of the real independence
Day speech. Here 1t is in part:
You who have received the 'bap-
tism of fire. know full well what les
sons this day and these patriotic dem
onstrations teach to all, and especially
teach understandingly to us who are
facing the westering sun and behind
whom the shadows are growing very
long. We are warned to be 'on guard
for there are numberless pirate crafts
lowering around the good old Ship
of State, each flying it's spacious en-
sign of progressive reform Will we
permit these pirates with their con-
trolling motives of commercialism and
selfshness to scuttle the ancient and
noble ship?
And for you. young men,-and L
speak unto you because we are strong
what lessons does the day bring?
ITO my mind the warming to you
is as clear as the sunlight. Be not
misled by the alluring promises of
the commercial spirit of the day, and
fail not to respect and obey consti-
tuted authority; authority constituted
by our forefathers with a sublime I'M
selfshness of motive. and constrained
by the very spirit of prophecy itself"