The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1920-07-01

bratiOn of Independence day The enthusiasm OF
our people for their country and flag can usually
be measured by the beat Of the national pulse
typical celebration of the day is that OF 1850 IN
Buffalo. n. Y. which is described at some length
in the Buffalo Journal. That newspaper says;
"The return of our national jubilee was cele-
brated in this village with more than ordinary
spendour and the day duly honoured, not In
the breach but the observance "
The procession formed at the EagIe-a famous
tavern located on Main street between Court and
Eagle strickland consisted of veterans of the
Revolution citizens and strangers escorted by the
Washington and Frontier guard and the cadets of
the Western Literary and Scientific academy. "the
whole enlivened by musick from the Buffalo band
The grafton pronounced by Sheldon Smith,
ESQ., at the Baptist church and religious services
were conducted by Rev. Mr.. Shelton of st. Pauls
From the church the procession marched to the
Buffalo House in Seneca street and there Eek
cellent dinner partaken Of" DR.. Powell was
landlord of the house at that time and the papers
recorded something worthy of special mention
that there were no liquors on the table. But the
good lesson this statement intended to convey
loses its moral in the very next line of the
tive: after the cloth was removed wine was
served with the toasts, which were drank with the
utmost regularity. 1t is hardly necessary to draw
on the imagination to any extent to picture the
final state of many in that noble company of 100
who drank the wine with the utmost regularity"
But that before the days of temperance soci-
cites and adulterated liquors.
The marshal of the day Colonel, afterward
General, Sylvester Mathews, q veteran OF the war
of 1912 a hero of the Battle of Chippewa.
Apart from these proceedings was discourse by
Rev. Mr.. Eaton of the Presbyterian church on civil
and religious liberty. The festivities closed &C
cording to time hOnored custom with a bali in the
evening. No mention is made of any fireworks
The celebrations of several succeeding years
seem to have been much like this one according
to the Journals files. In 1S49, however-pre-
sumably because of the Mexican war-the celebra-
ton was regarded by the Journal as noteworthy
The Sixty-f1fth regiment made its first appear
ance on this occasion. At O'Clock in the morning
a detachment marched TO the Fillmore House and
fired some small arms in honor Of the vice presI-
dent. The line of march included Revolutionary
soldiers. Think how old they must have been
sixty-eIght years after the surrender Of Yorktown
and seventy-two years after the battle Of Lexing-
ton! There also soldiers Of the War of 1872
in the line officers and soldiers of the army and of
the Mexican war. The Friendly Sons of St Pat
rick the Sons of Erin and the German Young
Mems association sure sign that the city was
beginning to take cosmopolitan form-were In
the line of march. The exercises were held at
Johnson's park, the orator of the day being H. K.
Smith. Vice president Fillmore attended the ex-
ercises and was Justify cheered-
The Sons Of Temperance had charge of the
celebration In 1850, which was held "at the grove
near the workhOuse." John B. Cough the leading
Temperance" speaker of the day, was orator.
With the breaking out of the Civil Buffalo
broke loose its celebration of 1851. The parade