The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-07-05
18th" CELEBRATION
WAS CURTAILED
There Was Scarcely Let-up in the
Denching from Morning Till Night
Arab Patrol Picnic Mostly
Band Concert.

just plain, ornery weather OF the kind
that has made most people feel that this
bad summer OF 1915 is followed by a
iinx was the most absorbing feature oi
Barre's Fourth of July observance. Alb
sorbng, because il riined hard enough to
absorb evcryone's plans for holiday in
the open absorbing because there was
moisture and enough 10 engulf every
thing that would have been useful in a
| celebration of the old. ashioned sort
From dewy dawn until the approach oi
dusk il raincd. rained, rained There
were infrequent intervals when the skies
seemed 10 be taking a breathing spell,
but the intervals were garbed in those
drab clouds that portended nothing but
more rain and so the heavens continued
To oXude emit, dispense and dssipate no
body knows how much water. Nobody
cares-now.
Beginning hours before the restrictions
on the sale of fireworks were off, the
noise OF "the night before" continued
without interruption until the well known
first streaks of dawn in the east. Horns
footed and frecrackers were discharged
sporadically before the mystic hour of
midnight arrived. Many people were
abroad and by some the excessive show
ing of patriotic exuberance was likened
TO the good old times when father was a
boy. Bonfrcs were started in several
sections of the city, but there Were those
duly clothed with authority who saw to
il that the youngsters in charge OF the
fires were kept within bounds. Chief
Sinclair had an extra detail of police as
signed TO strategic beats and order pre-
vailed throughout. Celebrstors were not
disposed to be boisterous and the night
doings, on the whole, were quite as or
derly as the very mild and moist OBJ
servance that began with daylight.
Public and family pcnickers, setting
out early for outing grounds near the
city or far enough away to necessitate
motor transportation were the first to
sense the real disappointment of those
who had their plans all framed for the
day. Here in the city most of the stay
at homes were looking forward with Gag
err anticipation to the Shriners' picnic at
Granite City park In midtorenoon the
Montpelier Military band assembled at
the park and gave a concert. II was
-cncOuled 10 ne tne HrSt OF series ol
events designed to make the outing not
able in edletter day in the annals of
Mount Sinai temple but promoters of
he affair and patrons alike were doomed |
to disappointment in big packages Com
C ba aseball in the form of a diamond con
Test between the fats of Barre and Mont |
)elier. tug OF war, foot races and final |
y the opening of the Vermont state |
eague in Barre with the Italian Athletic
'lub and Montpelier as the contenders, |
we're among the entries for the day.
Alas and alsck, those loyal spirits who |
oregathered on the grounds were to wit
less almost none Of these. Conce ssion. !
tires were on the field with ice cream
ones and soft drinks. They thrived not
4 all. II was too dank and humid for
pch picnic accessories and for the most
'art the crowd OF 200 people resigned
themselves.
In the evening there were rather strik
ng pyrotechnic displays, which is an
ther way of saying that many young
ters and grown-ups joined in setting off
There was little evidence of
disposition to exceed the bounds of
eason in celebrating and so a Fourth
hat was too waterlogged to be anything
ut safe and sane came to an end.