The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1947-07-03
Lemn About
Soil
Conservation
on the
Field Day
July 22
Up and
DOUn
the Street

It seems a shame that STU
pidity and carelessness on the
part Of a few are causing so
many kids of this generation
to miss out on all the fun OF
fireworks.
Well do we remember our
own youthful experiences. We'd
start saving and cadglng al!
the spare change We could find
around the first of June. The
soft drink and ice cream pur-
veyors lost our business and we
Stunned the dime stores with
their glittering temptations
like the plague. Along about
July 2, when we decided we
had Wormed every possible cent
from our older friends and
relatives, we'd take it, usually
tied in a hankie of Dads to
the store we had decided had
the best stock of fireworks.
And then how we would pick
and housekeeping the merits
of two ten-cent Roman candles
against one 2O-cent one,
choosing firecrackers in all
sizes and shapes-and the red
fire, the pinWheels, the sky
rocket:-yes and even colored
sparklers.
Sometimes We varied the pro-
cedure, and instead of hoard
ing the money, made a pur-
chase each time We got some
change. One year we kept a
long suit box under our bed,
and added to our supply of eX-
ploSiveS from time Ito time,
gloating over our hoarde with
each addition.
We always woke up at five
on the great day and fired the
opening reports of the cam
paign by throwing a couple of
penny torpedoes on the side
walk. The whole neighborhood
was always popping away at a
great rate, long before break
fast. The sticks of punk
Emouldered all day long. We'd
vary the procedure by taking
the ladyfingers apart and fir
ing them one by one, if our
supply of other noise makers
didn't seem sufficient to last
the day.
Then there were the Snakes.
Whatever happened to them
anyway? They should be safe
enough, even for our safe and
sane FOurthS of today,
1t always seemed that it
just would never get dark.
We'd scan the skies for the
first poisoning of color that
meant a skyrocket or roman
candle, and then we'd get our
own display organized. Well
never forget one particularly
gorgeous pinwheel that spun
its fires in four colors before
it finally died away.
We learned the dangers of
fireworks young, and were
taught how to handle them in
our earliest years. The laws Of
caution were rigidly enforced
any carelessness or recklessness
and we lost our fireworks. It
never happened, but we always
knew it would, and we were
careful. Until we were in high
school, we always had super
vision when we shot the more
dangerous displays. We had no
accidents. The only unpleasant
thing we can remember was
the smell of powder that how
cred around us for days after
wards, an odor that. was the
headiest perfume before the
Fourth, but always an unwel-
come reminder afterwards that
we must wait another whole
year.
We accepted the shortage of
recent years right along with
the other war shortages, but
now we find ourselves feeling
just a little let down about a
Fourth without fireworks. We
know how many accidents
careless handling of those ex-
plosive little items has. caused,
but we can't help a nostalgia
for the good old days, and a
wish that maybe some day ou1
kids can have just one grand
and glorious Fourth like the
ones we used to have.
Our end of town looks better
and better. We think the new
parking lot is a vast improve
ment over the weed-growll,
swampy piece of ground we
I@-J ..o1y4 J~~. e.. 1,- 1890
time. It will help make more
room on Center avenue for
shoppers, when the business
men make use of it, too. All in
all it strikes us as a most bri-
liant idea.
We don't see how Bobby Ker-
rick does it. If we'd had the
same experience, we couldn't
have even played baseball (not