Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 150, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 June 1911 — Page 2

FIRING FOURTH OF JULY SALUTES

dinto HE early morning salute on th<> Fourth of July is to the celebraT tion of our greatest national holigp, gtt&e dft F much what the gorgeous Sff£ffe morning parade, or better yet. the “grand entree” and pageant A of all nations, ie to a long-awaited AAk\T circus—that is in the eyes of the yYf average small boy. It is at once the herald and foretaste of the i vlnrlAf. in «mu And what man whatever his years or present-day responsibilities, - can wholly forget the keen anticipation with which he awaited that early morning sum mans, if. Indeed, he was not down on “the commons” or the vacant field at the edge of town to see with his own eyes the barking of the tamed dog of war. From time out of mind the firing of salutes with cannon has been one of the approved methods of celebrating the Fourth of July and it to likely that it will continue to he the fashion to the end of the chapter, no matter what other changes may be made in ithe approved ‘form of commemorating our festival of independence. The discharge of big guns on the July holiday is simply an elaboration from the noise-making standpoint of young America’s practice of exploding firecrackers, and since , the average red-blooded citizen Is merely a small boy grown tall, there is widespread •sympathy with, If not cooperation in, this noisy acknowledgment of the glorious Fourth. Whereas cannonading seems to be a fixed feature of the program of the day we cele- • ■ WISI I - -*- vv

brate, it must bo admitted that the practice has undergone some changes with the passing of the years. In the days of our grandfathers the booming of the big guns kept up pretty much all day—indeed in these days the patriotic citizens of the new republic liked such din so well that they fired off cannon not merely on too Fourth, hut on Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Tear’s as well. And on Independence Day if toe booming did not literally keep up all day at least there was a prolonged salute at sunrise, another at noon, a third at sunset and a final thundering along with toe skyrockets and Roman candles in the evening. In this more decorous generation we have fto be content, most of us, with one salute of this sort on toe Fourth. At U. S. navy yards ■and military poets and other governmental reservations the salute Is fired at noma, but in too average town or city where the civilians must do the firing—especially if these selfsame civilians are to participate in a picnic or a parade—toe regulation salute is sent echoing over toe countryside soon after the break of day. Of course, if there is to be s ceremonial flag raising during the day, or a monument Is to be unveiled or some high-up public official is to he given s reception, there may be a salute as s sort of accompaniment for the function, but for the most part nowadays the average American community has to get along on toe Fourth with one formal salute. Another change that has come with the passing of the years is in the matter of the arrangements for the firing of the salutes. The average individual who listens to the reverberation of the distant guns never gives a thought to this part of it, but obviously somebody has to attend to this part of the celebration, in the old days almost anybody who volunteered for toe task—and who, mayhap, was willing to contribute for the powder—was considered competent to act as artilleryman for the occasion. Similarly almost anything that would answer the purpose of a cannon was accepted as a vehicle of noise making. How often under such circumstances was a worn old field piece dragged forth to do such duty and loaded nigh to the mnssle by enthusiasts who thought far more of the din than of the danger that lay in an overcharge of ammunition. Sometimes a hollow log or even a length of pipe was made to serve as a substitute. The natural sequel of such a happy-go-lucky scheme of firing Fourth of July salutes came In a constantly increasing record of accidents which finally bestirred public sentiment on too subject Manifestly a large share of the mlahaps of this kind, the chronicle of which fitted the newspapers on the day following the Fourth, were due either to inexperience in handling the guns or to the kindred cause at lack of knowledge in measuring powder charges. Well, the upshot of the agitation Was that there found favor a scheme for having ail Fourth of July salutes fired by “professionals.” as It were —that la by men who jSmake a business of setting off large caliber guns and who do it every day of their Uvea, or at least quite frequently, instead of merely once a year. Thus tt has come about that in most communities where their services are available the official Fourth of July salutes are now army, navy or marine corps or members of the National Guard or Naval Militia of the several elates. Accidents have not been ellm

gunners greu tired or the powder was exhausted and when the volume of each peal of artificial thunder varied according to the guesswork of toe amateurs in measuring out the powder. In one way, though, it is a pity that there had to be any change in the method of firing

the Fourth of July salutes for noise making was genuine fun for toe men who did it years ago, whereas it is no more nor less than a detail of the day's work for Uncle Sam’s gunners. Indeed it may surprise some of our readers to learn that there are artillerymen in our regular army and men-o’-war’s-men on our naval vessels who thoroughly detest the roar of the big guns. It is not that they are afraid or are lacking in experience, for some of these men have been in the service for years and have repeatedly faced- death in a variety of forms and yet many a veteran never gets over his dislike of the din fct close range. But then the enthusiastic crowds that on the Fourth of July hear the echoing salutes In the distance have no Idea of the shocks administered to the men behind the gun when a “shooting iron” of any size lets go. The strain of waiting for each report and bracing himself to withstand it is also a severe tax on the nervous system of the gunner, to say nothing of the unpleasant experience that follows the discharge when the gunner Is struck In the face as though ®by a sharp gust of wind and sustains a jarring, particularly of the spine, which may force him to have a memento all the remainder of the day in the form of a severe headache. Of course guns of the largest size are never employed in the

The best-known of all the American heroines of battle is Molly Pitcher, the story of whose adventures, especially on the battlefield at Monmouth, Is one of the most picturesque Incidents of the revolutionary war. The early life of Molly is somewhat vague. She is supposed to have been bom at Carlisle, Pa., October IS. 1744. Her right name waa Mary Ludwig, and while the soldiers were only familiar her first name, calling her Molly, they soon applied the second, because wherever they saw Molly they also saw the pitcher with which she carried water to the sick and wounded in the camps. Several writers say Molly came to this country from Germany with her parents, who were among the Palatines. The first information we have of her is tost she was employed as s maid in the family of General Irvine at Carlisle. and on July 84, 1769, was married to John Hays, a barber. Her husband was com- . missioned a gunner In Proctor's First Pennsylvania artillery. Continental line, December 1, ms, and Molly followed him to the field. This waa a common thing for the wives of private soldiers to do, their time being passed in much 1 Dluck**ai!d also the following year in

MOLLY PITCHER, HEROINE

BY WALDON FAWCETT

firing of salutes. On United States warships, where guns of every caliber are at hand, from which to pick and choose the saluting is usually done with three-pounders and on shore light artillery or field pieces of about the same dimensions are utilized. A salute should consist of a specific number of discharges having a certain significance, and one or another of these regulation salutes are fired when the noise-making is in the, hands of regular or volunteer Boldiery, but independent gun crews recruited for the Fourth continue to claim extensive license in this respect. There are several different salutes as prescribed in Uncle Sam’s books of regulations that may be adopted for the Fourth of July greeting. Perhaps the most extensively used of all is the American salute of one gun for every state in the Union. By allowing an interval of a minute and a half between discharges this salute can be strung out for more than an hour and at half-minute Intervals, which Is slow enough to suit most persons, it enables an Interval of booming that exceeds twenty minutes. Another salute that is useti on this holiday and that is appropriate to the occasion is the old Federal salute of thirteen guns—one for each of the thirteen original This salute is no longer used to any great extent on other ceremonial occasions, but It comes

the important battle of Monmouth, N. J. In the latter battle her husband, a gunner, had fallen, when she sprang to his place and fired the cannon. Molly had been carrying water to the soldiers from a spring, toe mercury being at’ 96 degrees in the shade. As no one was able to take his place when he became Incapacitated, it is said she dropped her pail, seised the rammer, and vowed that she would avenge his 'death. She proved an excellent substitute, her courage exciting toe admiration of all, and on the following morning, In her soiled garments, General Greene presented her to Washington, who praised her, gallantry and commissioned her a sergeant. * It is related she received many presents from toe French officers and that she would sometimes pass along the French lines, cocked hat in hand, and would get it almost filled with coins. She is said to have served in the ftrmy nearly eight years -in aIL Bhe was placed on tho list of half-pay officers and for many years after the Revolution lived Ut the Carlisle barracks. cooking and washing for toe soldiers. The bouse in which she spent her later ye«ura in Carlisle was demolished in recent years. She died January 11, 1823, at the age of seventy-nine, and waa burled with military

by the fact that the number twenty-one is formed by the addition of the figures 1,7, 7,6, comprising the numerals in Uncle Sam’s birthday year. Every saluting vessel in the Uhited States navy will thunder out a salute to Independence day no matter whether she be at anchor In a foreign port, tied up in one of our navy yards or cruising out of sight of land In the open sea. The national salute is the one used Just as it is on Memorial day and on Washington’s birthday. The salute of minute guns is prescribed under certain conditions in the navy, but the regulation interval between guns in all salutes including the national salute of twenty-one guns is five seconds. During the firing of the salute all the officers and men stand at attention. It is customary for foreign warships anchored in American harbors to fire a salute in compliment to the United States on the Fourth and the same courtesy is usually shown by foreign forts and warships when Yankee naval craft are spending the eventful holiday in alien waters. Whenever any foreign authorities or ships firs our national salute, the firing is no sooner concluded than an officer from the American ship In port makes an official call upon the foreign officials and extends thanks.

honors, but her grave remained unmarked until 1876, when Peter Spahr of Carlisle con- > ceived the idea of erecting a monument A monument oh the battlefield of Monmouth further commemorates Molly Pitcher, a baa relief representing her In the act of ramming a cannon. She also figures in George Washington Parke Cuatla’ painting "The Field of Monmouth.” So familiar had the heroine of Monmouth become that the name "Molly Pitcher” was applied by the continental soldiers, in their hot and weary march through .V' New Jersey, to any woman who brought them water to drink. "Molly” la credited with having remarked at a banquet at which there were British soldiers, when she was called upon to toast irfag George: “When Washington leads his soldiers into battle, God help King George!” COULDN'T STAND EXPOSURE. The meihbtr of the legislature, of whom soifae graft stories bad been circulator, was about to build a house. “You will want a southern exposure, 1 suppose r* asked the architect * "No. sir!” said the man. “If you can’t build this bouse without any exposure. Hi get another architect"

in pat on Independence day. Extensive use is also made on the Fourth of the standard national salute pf twenty-one guns. Ordinarily this number of guns is also accepted as the international salute and it is also the special salute of the president of the United States, fired whenever the chief magistrate visits a fort or ' steps aboard a naval vessel. ’ The salute is popular on the Fourth because it seems to be just about the proper and its use on this holiday is justified

VERSE WORTH READING

r :! " Tale of Two Men. A young man sighed. "Alas, alack. There la no chance tor me; . * Good fortune Is not on my track— Just why In this same nit I’ve ijfck. Or why It should befall That some folk have so much good luck While I have none at all*" But as he pondered with a frown. 1 aaw he did it—sitting down. Another said, "I’m doing fine. And worry's far away. For there Is something In my line To do on any day. J I have the best of luck, you bet, ' And In the Worldly race , fk I find no reason to forget I’ve won a first class place!** But as he told bis story, oh, I had to listen—on the go! ; ’ ' oj . ; ';i i;. \. ... . >. I turned away and pondered there On what the two men said, I knew that one was In despair And one with pleasure sped; X knew the same world held the two. Good luck to both seemed bright; But while one met and kept luck true. The other missed It quite. And so I said, "I do not doubt. He meets his luck who' hunts It outl*

Futile Haste.

Three times a week ahe writes to me And I must ever send replies, Because she would be pained, you see. If I proceeded otherwise; She seems to have much time to waste, O’er many sheets she spreads har scrawl, And always wind up: "Tours In haste," Although she Is not mine, at all. She writes to me concerning .those Whom I have never met nor seen. As, If Indeed, she might suppose My Interest in them was keen: Oft has her crusty father chased Me from his fair ancestral hall; Yet her last words are: “Yours In haste," Though she may ne’er be mine, at all. Itneverserves to make me glad To hear about her cousin Jane; - * But yesterday, she wrote, her dad Was stricken with the gout again; I wish she might have cared to waste ,; ” A hundred sheets, and filled them all. Ere she had written: “Yours in haste,* And hurried to obey his call. ( —Chicago Record-Herald.

Burglars.

He’d always .boasted what he’d do With burglars in the house. His wife is just a timid thing, Scared even by a mouse. But he is big and strong and brave Up to a trick or two. And if the burglars ever came He’d show you what to do! Well, about two the other night They heard a startling noise. It waked them both from soundest sleek And stirred their equipoise She pulled the bedclothes ’round bar i head— Her heart beat a tattoo— And waited for her husband brave To show her what to do. And he? When first he heard the noise His knees began to shake. And then he snored a bit to show That he was not awake. % At last she took the candle And went searching through the flat. Burglars? Oh, no; no burglars there. The noise? It was the cat!

The Under Word.

So much of me Is dead—Oh, Why -not sill. The years are cast upon me as a pall; The hairs are turned to ashes on my ■ - head;. - My footsteps are through ashes everywhere—So much of me is dead! (“But not the living, fiery spark of thy despair.’*) So much of me is dead! Those who once called me dear are past my call: Into the boundless Night they all are fled. I lived In them, and they in me by right— So much of me is dead! (“But not thy Memory’s steady alabastrine light.) So much of me Is dead—Oh, why not all! Hourly, from mine own self away I fall. Hope and Desire and Wifi already shed. And Knowledge fading as a candle spent— So much of me is dead! (“But not some kindling Knowledge of the imminent.’*) —Edith M. Thomas In Harper’s Basar.

Woman’s Weapon.

Coarse man, adapting means to ends. Employs assault and battery— To woman, kindly Nature lends That gentler weapon, flattery. Tw&s "woman's way” to coax a man Until he knew none could resist him. And then, subservient to her plan. With ease around her finger twist him. But when, at last, mankind "caught on," Fair woman knew his limitation— So now she makes her flattery don The subtler mask of imitation. Like man she smokes, like man she drinks For votes. Just like a man’s, she reaches; Like man she rides; like man, methtoks; She’ll very soon be wearing breeobes! But yet. for all her changing styles. The same sweet spirit breathes within her. Despite— nay rather for—her wiles We deem him lucky who can win her.

Night.

Oh. calm, sweet Night, with the wistful , eyes, Let me sink to rest On your quiet breast, •'£? - : W When the light of the long day dies. For then to me from the skies afar Dream forms com* down. O’er the dim hills brown. In the track of a radiant star. And through the shadows dream-faces gleam. . V , : Or grave or gay. And the jostling day. With its burden' of care Is merged in a dream. * And the light comes out over land and sea. . -j With the rose, red dawn. When the stars are gone. But a face and my dream remain with • me.

Riddle.

n, , - Mr First, dear one, la the last but one la this beautiful world of ours. Mr Ne*t, dear one, la the First, but one In this selfsame world of ours. Mr Last, dear one, and my last bat one Are not In this world at all. But a-flr* * the verses I pen to the Who hold me la their thralL And mr Whole, dear one. la the tool That makes It a world at aO. un,