The Republican., 1922-06-29

Truly a day OF reckoning was the
day that followed the old Fourth of
July. Usually If it did not rain the
weather was gray, as if the clouds of
gunpOwder smoke still hOvered over
the earth, and while the older folk
were reading of fires and casualties
the younger ones unobtrusively got
away from the house to meet on street.
corners and in empty lots, there to live
over again the glOries of the day be-
fore, which would not be repeated un-
til another year had passed.
1t is the generation who were boys
in 1870 or thereabouts that is apt to
linger as long on the memories of
9Th of July as on those of the ma
tiOnal day; perhaps their memories of
the former are more poignant. Ere
they began to relate the exciting events
of the Fourth of their bOyhOod they
usually preface by recalling how
Charley deliberately shot a blank car
fridge in his hand; how Willie lost an
eye and Eddie a finger; but, having
counted up the cost, they laugh out
aloud and eXclaim:
'It was worth it, by JOve! Fourth
of July then was the real thing, and
anybody who was a boy then will
never forget it. The poor kiddles of
today have no way of realizing what
real excitement is. What's the glori-
Gus Fourth to them? Merely a hOli-
day, like any other"
Advocate the "Sane and Safe"
But in the next breath they hedge
on their transports, remarking in So
Der afterthought:
Il guess the present way of Observ-
ing the Fourth, the sane and safe way,
is the best after all. We paid dearly
in fires and accidents, and more than
occasionally in lives for our fun Oh,
yes we're wiser nOw !"
Certainly we are wiser. Most of
the generation who avidly drank the
delights of a national celebration I'M
curbed and unprohibited are fathers,
even grandfathers today. And to them
naturally "sane and safe" is pleasant
juXtapositiOn of words. They have
reached the time of life which ap-
proves Of safety first"
But listen to the old-timer whose
boast is that he was "born and
brought up in city" When he remi-
nisces out of earshOt of his grandson
the sane and safe and prosaic gets lit
tie sympathy He revels in the devil
try he cut on that day of days, the
Fourth, when every leading string was
loOsed.
Stored His Fireworks.
For a couple of months beforehand
l, who had been a spendthrift at Dirty
Johns as we boys called the near
est confectloner, changed into very
mser. / saved every cent, and as
soon as had nickel, off l went and
bought a package of fire-crackers. That
was the price of the ordinary sized
cracker and In those days the giant
size was just coming in. ! slowed
my purchase in large shoe box which
| kept under the bed and added to my
store as the generosity of my elders
allowed.
by Ihe fourIn usually mad at
least two score lunches and few
torpedo packages, although even then
l desplsed the latter as being only good
for girls. Mayhap a catherine wheel
or Roman candle, or, joy of joys, a
rocket or two got into my store by
good luck. And as the hoard grew
apace so grew my impatience It
seemed as If the Fourth of July would
never come.
at came at last, and scarcely had
the alarm clock of Phoebus Apollo
walked that god of day before | sal
lied forth to make what noise | could
with the means at hand. Early as /
49, ID 3 --.4->--------~>-