The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-07-09
PALATKA'S FOURTH
WASASURE HUMMER"
Great Crowds Gathered from
all Parts of the County
And Enjoyed the Days Celebration
Not Note of Discord Marred the
Days Pleasures.

The young men responsible for Pa
latka's Fourth Of July celebration can
be congratulated.
Their program of sports was car
ried out without hitch; the people
were here in greater numbers than
ever before on a similar occasion;
they were kept busy and appeared TO
enjoy every thing except the heat;
had opportunity to "feed their
faces" with the best of well-cooked
food; had just enough rain to make
the day even more interesting, and
got through it all without the Ieast
show of row. 1t was the happiest,
best natured crowd imaginable. Tie
police had nothing to do. There was
not a single drunk in all the thous-
ands of visitors, or throng of home
people who crowded the streets and
rushed to the various points where
the sports were being pulled off.
1t was a hot day-swelteringly hot
with drift of fieecy clowds hover
ing here and there and giving little
hope of relief. There was brief
shower at $3.50, but not enough to
count. 1t was $50 before the rain
came, and then it came in abundance
for a full half-hour, giving US cool
evening.
Palatka's Military Band did great
work by way of entertainment dur
ing the day. The band gave concerts
at various points about the down
town districts and always had crowd
1t is band that all Palatkans are
proud of and they were glad to note
the pleasure its music gave to the
visitors.
The program of sports went on
time; in fact everything was so true
to schedule that the orator of the
day, starting a few moments after
schedule, was interrupted.
Hon. E. Noble Calhoun of st. Au-
gustine, one of Florida's most elo-
quent orators, was to deliver the ad-
dress at 10 o'clock. 1t was 10:11
when he was introduced. The plan
was for Is minute address, and at
1915 the fire alarm was to be sound
ed for fire drill. Col. Calhoun had
only grabbed the American Eagle
firmly by the tail and had begun TO
swing the bird Of freedom nicely be-
fore the crowd when the fire alarm
sounded. Well-any eagle that at
tempts to butt against Palatka's fire
signals at this day will have to re-
tire. 1t may compete with a saw
mill, or a series of boat whistles in
the harbor, but never our fire alarm.
Of course Col. Calhoun's address had
to be left unsaid. But don't You
think for a moment that the new
State attorney got ratified; not him,
he has been in Palatka before-fact
lived here all his life till he was lured
to St. Augustine and married the
prettiest lady in the town and became
so fully contented that he rarely
comes here now. He "jes' Iaffs"
when any one speaks to him about
that interrupted grafton.
Restaurants, ice cream and soft
drink stands, ETC., did a rushing bus
mess all day; the clerks and walters
were worn out long before the end
of the day.
The ladies of the Baptist church
had a big dinner in the vacant store
next to Miss Lucas millinery en-
rorium; the ladies of the Catholic
had dinner in the
Shelley building further up the
street.
The ladies at both these places sold
cut with a rush; as soon as they
opened the crowds began pouring III
and as fast as the tables were clear
ed another crowd was waiting for a
place. The ladies sold out long be-
fore the hour they had figured on re-
tiring, but the hungry were still com
ing to them, begging for napkin OF
any old thing to appease their hun
ger. Of course the ladies of both
were happy; they fig
ured they had made heap of money
for the church; but did they? How
can you sell dinner worth IS cents
for 25 cents and make money? Sim
pie thing? The ladies donated the
food and the work.
There were two baseball games
one in the morning and one in the af-
ternoon. Both were Palatka-H Hast
lUSS CUuIGSIS, anu were ClOSSly COu-
tested games, filled with interest for
the great throng of spectators. Pa
latka won both games.
The day closed with a grand ball
at the Putnam House with music by
the full band. This was a great and
occasion, especially for the
young people, who went home soon
after the midnight hour well pleased
with the day.
The following is the list of prizes
awarded for the various contests so
far as The News could obtain them:
Motor boat race. D. Bruce in
Tom Squires' motor, 1st; A. NJ. Probst
and Reed motors judges undetermin-
ed as to which is entitled to 2nd.
Rowing race-Hickenlooper-Sleep
LIST; Phillips and Walton, 2nd.
Horse races-(D G. NJ. SilcoX,
LIST; Gus North, End. (2) Thomas
Wright, 1st; Julius Neubeck, 2nd. 81
SilcoX, 1st. Free for all-Gus North,
LIST; Tom Wright, End.
Foot Race-10O yards, H. w. Cham
berlin, 1st; Tom Tilghman, 2nd.
Hurdle race-Q) Tom Tilghman;
(2l Kulowsky, 1st; Mercer Davis,
End.
George welch Stelts won the
CREASED pole contest and Bell and
i L a