Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 July 1890 — Most Successfully Celebrated [ARTICLE]

Most Successfully Celebrated

The Fourth of July in Rensselaer. Another surpassingly successful : Fourth of July celebration is to be recorded to the credit of Rensselaer. The weather was entirely lovely and the attendance very large ;-how large we shall not undertake to say. As compared with that of last year, some good judges estimate the crowd as twice as large, while others, perhaps equally as good judges, think that not more than half as many were present as were a year ago,—which statements only illustrate the fact that human judgment is still imperfect, aud liable to err, oven in this eighteen hundred and ninety-first year of grace and of the Independence of the United .States the hundred and fifteenth. For our part, suffice ft to sav, there was an immense attendance and all was good behavior and good nature. In regard to the entertainment furnished, the promises of the committees were carried out in good faith, and in every important particular. . v. ~ , ■■■

The parade at 10:30 was very fine, the principal features being a Targe band of young Indians, from St. Joseph’s Normal School, a big wagon load of very comical Negro minstrels, delegations from the townships and a “Wild West” display, consisting of a large number of young men on horseback, in the costumes of cow-boys and wild Indians. They and the Negro minstrels were gotten up regardless of trouble and expense and deserve great credit for their success. The exercises at the speakers’ stand were brief, as not all the speakers advertised were present, but otherwise .entirely satisfactory. Judge Hammbrkl presided with his usual grace and dignity; Rev. R. 51. Sim-" mons made a prayer; the Declaration I was read by C. W. Posfill, and very excellent, and instructive addresses were made by Profs. F. W- Iteubelt and H. L. Wilson. Music, vocal and instrumental, agreebly interspersed the exercises.

The races and other sports, in the afternoon, were- very spirited and exceedingly interesting. As usual in athletic contests, the young Indians got away with most of the honors. The hundred yards s print race, in which there were 0 starters, 4. Whites and 2 Indians, was won by the young chief, Oshkosh, in 11 1 sec’s. Prize 15. In the next race the contestants had to pass through a headless barrel, midway of the cojursc. It was won by Joo Daybird, of the Indian school. Five starters, all white but Joe.

The barrel race was next. The participants had to wear a headless barrel, during the race. Four white boys and two Indians started. The two later, ons Gibeucncsse and Joe Daybird, tied the first heat; but in in the second, Daybird got a bad fall and his competitor took the race. In the three-legged race, four pairs started, two of which were Whites and two Indians. Gne of the later Joe Daybird and Roderick Jiarion, took the race.

In the shoe race for boys under 12, the contestants had to start barefoot and half way of the distance, fish their shoes out of a tub with the others, put them on, lace them up, and then complete the race. Bertie Rhoades, son of Marsh Rhoades, took the prize. The potatoe race bad nine starters, and was won by Oshkosh. The game of base ball between the Whites and ludinns was hotly contested. The Indians played the best ball, but their failure to understand certain parts of the rules, lost 4hem the game. The score was 22 to 21. Purse $lO. of which $7.50 went to the winners mid $2.50 to the losers. The display of fire-works at night was truly magnificent, although it lost much of its attractiveness by ‘.he slowness in fireing off, the people growing exceeding weary during the long waits between pieces. The extent of this weariness may be judged from the fact that nine tenths of the people* went away before the last and finest piece was fired, i The two drums and a fife offered \ as a prize to the largest township delj egation, was carried off by Union tp., | which showed up with a compact delegation of 15 or 20 vehicles and considerable body of boreemcn.