Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1921-07-05
THE FOURTH OF JULY

Ex-Sery1ce men or. YORK county,
their relatives and friends to the num-
ber Of several thousand attended the
first reunion of York county service
men held in Yorkville yesterday on the
occasion of the celebration Of 145th
anniversary of American Indepen-
dence. The .staid old. county seat was
simply turned over to the ex-seryice
mem and the '.American:L Lfgion for the
day and the soldiers conducted them
selves in a manner that reflected credit
upon themselves and the county. Be-
cause of the fact that the crowd was
widely scattered throughout the day
it was almost impossible to estimate
the number of people present with any
degree" Of accuracy: Estimates ran
from 6,000.to 10000, and keeping in
mind the fact that practically the en-
tire population Of the. town of York
willie was on the streets n>inSling with
the crowd practically all day, the lat
ter estimate is perhaps more nearly
correct. It was the opinion Of old in
habitants that it was the largest
crowd that Yorkville had ever enter
tanned.
Not only was every section of York
county Represented but there We -
scores Of visitors from counties sur
rounding. Many Gastonia people were
in the crowd; there were number Of
Charlotte, Shelby, Kings Mountain
and other places. Several hundred
people came over from Rock Hill.
Numerous citizens of Fort Nill came
over with the military company Of
that town which under command of
Lieut.. Arthur c. Lytle,-took part in
the exercises of the day. The Rock
Hill National Guard under COM
mand of Capt. James C. Dozier and
Lieut.. Gordon Collier. was also present,
the; two companies of soldiers taking:
part In the parade and enjoying them
selves generally throughout the day.
Formal exercises Of the day began
shortly after 10 o'clock with an auto
mobile parade. Headed by Sheriff
Fred Quinn and Chief of Police R. Ed
ward Steele on horseback, the long
line of gaily decorated automobiles
crept slowly up Kings Mountain
street to the Church Home Orphanage.
There "a turn, was made and: the par
ade headed down Kings Mountain
street and thence down South Con.
gress to the end Of the asphalt paving
where it doubled back to the corner
Of. South Congress and East Jeffer-
Hbn streets from whence the line Of
Sfiarch followed East Jefferson to the
YorkYille Graded school where the
speakers of the morning were heard by
several hundred people.
Following the marshals in the par
ade was an automobile bearing Mayor
and Mrs. E. A. Hall, Lieut.. Col. Il. B.
Spratt, and the commander of Mech
Stewart Post of the American Legion.
In the next car were Hons. i. S. Brice
and H. E. Neil, DR.. r. A. T'ratton and
Rev. ]. L. Oates, .. D.. members Of
Local Exemption Board no. ., for
York county.
Then came line Of gally decorated
automobiles of individuals and bus
the direction Of James NJ. Campbell
was sandwiched in between the cars,
the band riding in the big automobile
truck of Paul N. Moore. The Rock
Hill National Guard company had a
place among the automobiles while
the Fort Mill company which arrived
a little late, brought up the rear.
Numbers of bedecked automobiles
were not in the parade but their driy-
ers were content to drive their cats
the main parade. The par
ade was directed by Mr. j Fl. Carroll
under whose guidance everything went
along smoothly and without a bobble.
Arriving. att the speakers stand at.
the ,,Yorkvilfe' Graded school grounds
the exercises" Were opened. with an in
by Rev. DR.. j. L. Oates.
The. commander Of, Mech Stewart
Post American Legion, presiding, in
troduced to the audience Mayor E. a.
Hall who delivered an address Of well
come. He: spoke :as follows:
= Halls Address.
Veterans Of the Late World war,
Ladies and Gentlemen
1t gives me pleasure as mayor of
the town Of York and as citizen of
the town to see you here today and to
extend to you. the official glad hand
Of welcome. The mayor, the members
Of the town council and every citizen
Of the town Of York DEEM 1t an honor
to greet you and to entertain you in
such manner rs we may be able to do.
It is my hope that each and every one
Of you shall thoroughly enjoy the day
YOU will spend in the county seat. AS
he advertisements have stated: 1.-The !
own is in the hands of the American
Legion for the day.
The people of York now realize and |
nave realized ever since; that April |
lay in 1917 when the United States |
If AHefica entered >the World war in
he hope of making the World Safe for
oemocracN. that it, was you soldiers
Who did -it-it was you stalwart and
jrave young men from every section J
If York county and from every sec
ion Of every other county. in the. Uni
ed States that stemmed ;the; tide of
Iun invasion and put the ::Kaiser
where he ought to be.
There. is nothing too great for MS to
10 for you.
/ am requested to say that if any
member of Mech Stewart Post Of the
american Legion can be of service to
ny eX-service men or his friends here
oday, all that soldier or his friends
as to do is to say the word.
l will also say that if the mayor or
ny citizen of the town Of York can
o anything for any of YOU we are
ours to command
There are people in this great
udience today who are here for the
rst time. We trust that they will
Ike our town and our people and that
ley will come again. We want you.
fe need you and I assure you that
ell extend the same glad hand that
'e are extending today whether you
pmg hWW .$Foprth Of: July or, aaSf I
If slisfsf6re SysSs ny ihiig friends; is masor