Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1929-06-27

the fact remains that America Is still long way
from safe and sane Fourth, concerning, which
we have been hearing so much In recent years.
Did you know tnat more people have been killed
celebrating American Independence than were In
acquiring 1t?
Did you know that Fourth OF July celebrations
in tile last four years have taken heavier toll OF
American lives than did thirteen Of the most i'm
portant battles of the in which our indepen
dence was won2
Perhaps you did not but here is the bitter his
tory of Independence Day celebrations which an
nuay takes the lives of both children and grown
ups-mostly uhdren-blinds them, mains them,
or nlicts upon them dreadful burns. In 1870
total fnf $50 deaths resulted from Fourth Of
July celebrations In 1926, 10 died; In 1927, 30
went to their deaths while celebrating our ma
tons birthday and last year the Independence
Day toll of death 200
Official records Of the Revolution show that 7
Americans were killed at the battle OF Lexing-
ton; 40 at Concord 81 at Princeton; L at Cow
pens % at the siege Of Charleston; l45 at Bunker
Hill; II ut TT Moultrie; r at Monmouth; 81 at
stone Ferry; % at Stony Point: 30 a Benning
ton. 80 at Saratoga and at Trenton That is a
total Of 554 Americans who gave their lives In
winning American liberty. From 1925 to 1923 some
$50 Americans gave their lives, useIcssly, In "cele
brating" the winning Of that liberty.
Take Two Fourth or July celeDflll0nS AT faiiuoHi
and the records show that during of them,
% were killed and 437 were injured For the other
the casualty list read 135 dead and SO Injured.
The total for these two celebrations Is l5o killed
and SIT injured Add to this the casualty list for
any Fourth Of July celebration since 1900 (about
the time when this "safe and sane Fourth agi-
fation started) and the total will be greater than
the losses suffered by the Continental army when
1T was defeated Mt the battle Of Germantown or
during the siege OF Yorktown which ended sue
cessfully the American struggle for liberty. The
suferngs Of the Continentals during the terrible
winter at Valley Forge have become traditional.
Yet since 1926 more Americans have lost their
lives during Fourth of July celebrations than were
lost among the soldiery who shiyered In the cold
on those bleak Pennsylvania hsldes.
Estimates based on government records show
that there were 4,044 killed and G0ii wounded
during the six years of the Revolution when there
was scarcely day In which there was not fight
Ing of some character going on somewhere In the
land In comparison with that record, look at the
figures compiled by the American Medical MS
ISOLATION and the American Museum OF Safety
In regard to Fourth Of July celebration casual
ties During the last 80 years-and that means
30 Independence days-there 4,29O Amer
leans killed la fireworks accidents and 10000 In
1ured How lucky Il wns for our nation tina
George Washingtons Continental army merei
tad TO fight for American independence In tha
army had Ind to celebrate the winning OF inde
pendence, according 10 our modern methods,
would have been wiped OUT Of existence In yer
short time Indeed
Nov these nEnres gnntad ahnYe are for nr.
works accidents alone and DO not include "a