Evening star., 1942-06-28

Bomford, who was made chief Of
ordnance, U. s. A., In 1882. Because Of
his position in the Army, 1t is said he
was able TO get all the rockets that he
wanted"
Without Formal Observance
BY 1885, there seems to have been
general tagging Of enthusiasm on
Americas great patriotic day-except
for the small boy who certainly made ~
much din as ever-and this year, In par
ticular 1t must have been quite notice
able. for The Star Of July called At.
tention to the apparent indifference In
the following editorial,
Save such notice as was taken Of the
day by the Oldest Inhabitants Asso-
citation, the Fourth of July passed by
this year without formal observance, 50
far as the City of Washington was con-
cerned. The celebration of the event
was practically turned over to the small
boy and girl of the period. who made
SuCll OCllOllSll dLlOlIS SQ1Idplc W lllC w.
casion as firecrackers and minor pyro-
technic displays would afford, and there
was a notable absence of the Stars and
Stripes from the numerous fagstaffs
scattered throughout the city.
Many more or less important events in
American history took place on July 4,
such as the birth of Calvin Coolidge;
and on the same Gay that Providence
was taking away from us Jefferson and
Adams, He was giving to us writer OF
verse and melody never to be forgotten,
for the songs OF Stephen c. Foster will
undoubtedly outlive more than 95 per cent
of all the songs written since he passed
into the Great Beyond.
Nellie Was a Lady" he wrote in
1849; My Old Kentucky Home" 1850;
'Marsa in de Cold, Cold Ground" 1852;
Hard Times Come Again No More" and
"Old Black Joe" 1850 "Old Folks at
Home" or "Swanee River" as it is often
referred to, was his best seller, and up to
so years ago 100000 copies had been sold.
Gentle Annie" was another of Fos-
ter's more popular songs as were my
olu hCIluChS I1OtllC, oIu LUZ 1IdS,
Come Where My Love Lies Dreaming"
Beautiful Dreamer" and others.
The cornerstone of the Washington
Monument was laid July 4, 184S, with
Robert Winthrop as orator. The notable
guests present included: President James
K. Polk and Cabinet, Abraham Lincoln,
then a member of Congress: Mrs. Alex
ander Hamilton. then 81 years old: Mrs.
Dolly Payne Madison and George Wash
ington Parke Gusts, adopted son Of
George Washington and builder of
Arlington House. Two years after the
laying of the cornerstone of the Monu-
ment President Zachary Taylor was
stricken with illness after delivering an
address at the Monument on July 4, and
died five days later.
On July 4, 1928, Charles Carroll Of
Carrollton. last survivor of the signers
Of the Declaration Of Independence, laid
the first stone of the Baltimore e. Ohio
Railroad and after doing so, said: II
consider this among the most important
acts Of my life, second only to my sign
ing the Declaration of independence,
even if it be second to that" Mr.. Car
roll was then 81 years old.
The breaking of ground for the
Chesapeake 6s Ohio Canal by President
John Quincy Adams. on the same date
as the act performed by Charles Carroll,
is certainly an historic event so far as
the people of the District of Columbia
are concerned. and ever so many other
pendence Day. when everybody, praise
God, should at least unfurl Old Glory to
the breeze!