Norwich bulletin., 1921-07-08
ODD INCIDENTS IN AMERICAN
 HISTORY
EBRATTNG THE WASHINGTON
CENTENARY.

The Washington centenary, celebrated throughout the United States on Feb. z3, 1892, was a signal honor to the eminent Father of His Country, and was the most elaborate celebration of it's kind ever held in this country. AS Philadelphia was the Cradle of Liberty, naturally this city gave full vent to it's enthusiasm. There was a procession close to four miles in length which took as many hours to pass the reviewing stand. It was estimated that there were more than 10000 people in the procession and more than 100, 900 people on the streets as spectators.
 The Cincinnati society and Revolution ary officers had the position of honor, while the civic section was most elab- crate. During the procession the matters made hat out and out on the street. which was intended to be presented to General Lafayette, and one for Charles Carroll of Carrollton. The mariners pre- scented one of the most interesting objects in the procession, in the shape of full
 rigged ship called the Washington. The Washington cast anchor whenever the procession halted, and hove anchor when
 it started. There was also 8 notable
 military and naval display.
 In Boston, according to the newspapers of that time, the whole population devot-
 ed itself to the occasion, with business everywhere suspended. Boston had two processions. One of them, starting at 12 o'clock, consisted of the governor, several companies of light infantry, various civic organizations, including the president and other officers of Harvard university, and
 the representatives of learned and hu- mane societies. This aggregation made
 detour of the city, winding up at the Old South meeting house where the for nal religious services took place. In this parade were also the Independent Boston Fusileers, who performed secret duty on
 the occasion of the visit of Washington to that city in 17S9. Another procession
 was more civic in it's aspect. and ended
 dred persons partook.
 At the national capital the celebration was more marked than at any inaugura- tion up to that time. The National h.
 telligencer of Feb. q announced that, to
 enable its employees to celebrate the cen tenary ''of the birth of the nations most | distinguished son. this office will be closed tomorrow, and no paper will be issued 1 therefrom the following day.
 There was lapse of one day in which the Washington public was without the news of the world, but their minds were stocked up for the interval by the print 1 ing in advance of the Washington Fare well Address, then generally alluded to as l the ''valedictory," with an editorial ex- pIaining that while the people generally 1 were perfectly familiar with it, there
 might be some newcomers or young per 1 sons not so well acquainted with it as l they should be.
 1 One hundred guns at sunrise on Feb. l 22 opened the Washington celebration. Divine services were held in the capitol 1 at II o'clock and pursuant to the order 1 of congress, one of its chaplains deliver i ing "an appropriate and eloquent ser ! mon" This was followed by a dinner at l Barnards hotel. at which Daniel Web i ster, the presiding officer, spoke for more l than an hour, an address of such mo- 1 ment as to be printed in full in an issue of the Intelligencer a week later. Two 1 public balls were given in the evening l and to them foreign ministers and other l eminent men of the capital were invited. l At Baltimore great civic and military procession was formed immediately after ] the reading of the address. Charles Car 1 roll of Carrollton, the surviving signer of | the Declaration of Independence, was
 stationed at the door of the second story
 of his dwelling, surrounded by his family, l and there the citizens passed him with | uncovered heads. amid strains of music and the waving of banners. The cor
 poration of the city also gave a dinner. 1 At Annapolis and at Alexandria and other towns Feb. 22 proved one of the 1 great holidays of the first half of the 1 century.
 l At the time a movement was on foot
 to bring the remains of Washington to
 be buried at the capital. but this was objected to by John A. Washington, the owner of the Mt. Vernon estate. There
 was much heated comment in the public ! prints of that time as to whether Wash
 ington belonged to his own state or to the
 nation, a controversy in which several 1 legislatures as well as congress partici-
 pated At all events the remains were not disturbed.
 ] fTomcrrow Pennsylvania Nearly Be- came Capital State.)