The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1928-07-05

=
t The automobile has taken its place
5 even if it isn't always paid for, and
now one can hardly tell democrat
r from a plutoerat or a social queen from
1 a milkmaid. It is true that there are
: still few real city folks and few
: real country iakes but both crops are
: fast going to seed. But that's an
/ ether story.
The modern press agent IS not so
. far superior to the towering genii that
: made up the publicity committee to
advertise the attractions to be found
At the celebrations in those days. The
program as advertised would include
100 guns at sunrise, sham battle at
9 a. NJ, grand street parade at 10,
ball games, balloon aseensions, potato
races, sack races, creased pig races,
leading the Declaration of Independ-
enee, address by prominent orator,
barbecue at noon, grand fireworks
display in the evening, platform
dances and at least three or four
bands playing constantly all day. Of
course, half the program was never
carried out. But, after all, there was
some pleasure in months anticipa-
ton. Barnum learned the art of sue
eessful advertising by taking his cue
from the cd Fourth of July poster.
Let those. who are city born and |
bred smile if they choose at the
simple delight Of the country folk at
the attraction they found at the real !
cd Fourth Of July celebration. To |
hose who have experienced such de-
tights in their unsophistieated youth I
The memory of them are always tinged
with beautiful golden hue; and
though they may laugh row at the
cheap and gaQdy etching that hangs
n memory's picture gallery, it is the
kind of laughter that brings tears.
They may-but that is DEPRESSING.
At the grounds you put up your
team, as best you could, with the
hundreds Of others scattered about
and joined the folks from your part
70 see the sights. All the takers that
ever lived, it seems now, were there.
What did it matter if you bought
bass for gold or pictures that would
fade that day? The trinkets and
cheap momentoes had some other
value besides that measured in mere
money What if the tugs of war. the
races and the ball games were sew
aeal years behind the rules? They
we're the browning glory of a glorious
lay.
The grounds were a varigated piano.
'ama OF flags and bunting Little girls
we're a happy combination of tight
shoes and starehy dresses and new :
1e-ribboned summer hats and bows
md 'kerchiefs. The little boys we're |
in waists with flowing col
ars, windsor ties and knee pants and
9 ne credit of that age be it said !
hat their elders dressed severely and
soberly when measured by present
standards A man approaching you
on the street didn't resemble an auto
mobile with a broken fender as they
10 today when arrayed in a pair of
fashionable wide pants. And the
women, grotesque as it may now
,ound, had on dresses that reached al
nest Of their ankles and some claim
nat they even used to have under
wear on.
Seated in little groups under the
shady trees at noon the farmer folks
lunchad and gossiped of the days
events and Of the growing crops. .
From under the seat of the spring
wagon was brought washtub or
d hpan covered with a red table !
cloth. You sec, mother had prepared
dinner for the occasion and that wash
tub held enough fried chicken and
cakes and pies and jellies and jams
to feed an army. Everybody seemed
TO know everyone else and conversa-
lions were sympathetic and neighbor-
ly. Some of the corn had been "laid
by and the hay and oats crops were
almost ready for the harvest. The
women folks discussed their garden
and poultry crops, while they waited
table" Everyone for the time being
forgot the drudgery of farm life in
The enjoyment of that dinner out of
doors. When you look back it seems
The best ever, doesn't it? For, after
all, it was the few hours of gayety
out of weeks of toll that lent the
meal-time its real charm.
The young folks stayed for the fire
works and the platform dance. No
Waxed floors in those days; no fine
just a fiddler or two and
an organ. No new-fangled fancy
tances or steps. No jazz music or
black bottom or charleston or hen
'hivers or chicken wiggles; nothing
ike that. 1t was waltzes and two
steps and schottiches and reels. Come
% think of it, too it wasn't necessary
70 enact laws to define morality and
nodesty and decency, either in those
'enighted days. Young people had a
good, clean sober TING in good,
lean sober day, and yet, with all the
happiness and all the crudeness and
III the unsofistication of those van
t,.al