Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-07-06
Ehrntng Gtrat

Harrisburg was not always az quiet
in its observance of the Fourth of July
as 1t has been in the last half-dozen
years and there are many who can re-
call when independence Day was the
occasion for all the unearthly rackets
that anyone could make. But even
the celebrations of twenty years ago I
seem to have been tame compared to
some of real long ago. And 1t might
be added that. judging from old news
papers, two things entered into the
celebration which are not the rule
now. These we're the firing of cannon
and the holding of banquets. And
there were toasts drunk with the
proper and usual accompaniment, ac-
cording to our ancestors. The Oracle
OF Dauphin recounts in issues OF this
very day in 1875 how the day was
ushered in by the firing of cannon by
Captain John kean's artillery company
and the big feature was q banquet
where toasts were drunk amid the
firing OF volleys by the infantry COM
pany OF Captain Fisher with noisy as
sistance from the artillerymen. The
next year the same rule was observed,
according to this old-ttme chronicle of
Harrisburg events, emphasis being laid
on the firing of salute, the banquet and
the toasts. Apparently very few events
were celebrated without the military
| and the toast and old records show
| that considerable sums, for those days,
were expended for gunpowder, Madeira
and punch. One account of a Fourth
| of July celebration says that II was
| held on what is now Island Park and
was addressed by a number of promi-
| nent men. In the same paper the
editor notes that the ladies of the town
relnhrafa6 N hni In a 1o
on the Hill, probably out about what
! Is now Fourteenth and Walnut streets,
which was a noted picnic resort. The
ladies appear to have witnessed the
parades but betook themselves to their
own enjoyment when the strenuous
part of the day began.
Back of the presentation of the flag
| of Ex-Governor Andrew G.. Curtin to
the Bellefonte post of the G. A. R. by
his family the other day is an interest
| ing story of how the Curtin flag came
| to return to the ownership of the
war governor 1t seems that when
Governor Curtin's term ended he re-
moved most of his goods from the
South Second street house, which was
for number of years afterward the
home of the late C. A. Spicer. and
sold the rest. In some way the fine
| flag which was always flown from the
| Executive Mansion on high days and
holidays was sold along with the rest
The flag came into the possession of
| Henry A. Kelker, who, upon meeting
Governor Curtin some years after
mentioned the fact. The war governor
| remarked that he had always regretted
the fact that the flag had been dis
posed of at the sale and very CRATE
| fully accepted 1t when Mr.. Kelker
offered 1t to him. The flag was flown
many times after that from the Curtin
L h Il !,
1t is said to have covered his casket.
| Secretary of the Commonwealth
Cyrus e. Woods has been asked if he
! will not kindly find a lad of sixteen
who left New York two years ago to
work on farm in Pennsylvania. The
request is made by John Manly, who
J lives in Flushing, and gives the in
| formation that his brothers name is
Francis and that he is about sixteen.
I There is human note in the lettess
because 1t mentions the death of the
lads mother and says that the writer
would be very thankful" for any in
| formation, as we have been away
from each other a long time" Unfor-
tunately, the State has no means of
locating people. although the secre-
tary would be mighty glad to help II
be could.
In spite of the fact that the police
had ban on f1recrackers, there were
a good many of the loud report kind
fired in all parts of the city yester-
day, even Market Square having a
couple which were shot off by young
men who were in trolley cars. In one
of the uptown streets a regular fusillade
was fired at intervals and finally po-
ltcemen succeeded in stopping it by the
simple eXpedient of taking away a big
tin dishpan which was being used as
an assistant noise maker.
|
Hoffman's Woods "came back" yes
terday as an acknowledged favorite
picnic ground, the basket picnic of
the Trainmen's Band attracting many
people to the shade of it's old trees
Many of those who went to the woods
had lived for years within few blocks
OF the tract and did not know of its
beauty spots. With a little care the
woods could be made as popular as of
yore, when it used to have half a dozen
picnics a week and was a stamping
ground for the club giving festivals to
buy uniforms.
One has only to glance at the regis
ters of the city's hotels for the last few
days to get line on the popularity of
Harrisburg as a stopping place for
automobile parties. One hotel housed
a dozen Sunday night and before leav-
! ing the city they all went to the
Capitol.