Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 89, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 July 1904 — THE VILLAGE FOURTH. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE VILLAGE FOURTH.

Pe»criptlon of a Western Celebration by One Who Was There. The roughly arranged stand was decorated with red, white and blue, and one woman who kindly lent her 4ew plant, under a glass globe, to decorate the small table at one side. The leading men of the village were interested in the affair and had seats on the platform. The village choir sat at one side, and at the other was the orator of the day. The latter, as the only man dignified with the habiliment of a Prince Albert coat, and with his smooth hair, short upper lip and long prominent chin, it was quite easy to decide, was the “speaker." The brass hand, secured from a neighboring town, In uniforms of green and gilt, sat in the pagoda, which is the center of every well ordered park, and opened the exercises with a patriotic air. There were men with bald heads and (women with wigs. A traveling dentist had his car drawn up at one side of toe park and was lavish in the use of handbills announcing his trade. If every one .at the park who needed to get or leave teeth w r lth him had applied he would have coined money. The costumes were as varied as the people themselves. While the band played there strolled across the park to the seats a party of five—two wornon, two men and a baby. The men had shed their coats. The women were 4reesed alike in blue plaid calico skirts, (white and gray lawn waists, with bright orange ribbon sashes tied in snug little bows at the back. Their kata wore white straw, liberally trimased with red and yellow tarlatan and

masses of pink and red roses. The distinguishing feature of one was three tiny pink feathers, while the other had three white feathers. One woman was fat and the other lean. One man was young and the other’s age might be anywhere from thirty to fifty, for his face was covered with a beard of the Kansas variety. The poor little baby was handed about by all four, and Just which two were the parents of the child could not be determined. If the baby had a memory its recollection of that day would be varied, for it had all sorts of experiences. The typical village choir supplied the music—the soprano high and thin, tho alto timid and meek, the tenor fond of his own voice and the bass with a big voice and correspondingly big figure. The anthem done, the squire of the village introduced the speaker, who, with hair brushed smoothly back and his coat buttoned to bis throat and one hand thrust between the buttons and the other behind him in true oratorical style, advanced to the front of the platform and was rewarded with a breathless silence. Fourth of July oratory flashed and burned and sizzled, and when with great Impressiveness he said he would “rather be right than be king”—waiting for the full sentence to be fully appreciated, he concluded—“of Spain,” the little joke received its full meed of applause, and each comrade turned and bowed to the other.—Exchange.

After.