Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 39, Number 88, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1907 — FINE FOURTH HUGE CROWD [ARTICLE]

FINE FOURTH HUGE CROWD

And the Finest Program Ever Produced in 1 Single Day in Rensselaer.

It was certaily a glorious Fourth. There were not so many people here as there were last year, but there were enough for a big bration and it was was a good natnred, mirth-making crowd, and the busy program that began with the band concert in the morning at 9 o’clock and lasted with very little interruption until 10’clock at night, seemed to please everyone with the varied attractions that the committee had provided. The program as printed was carried out, with one or two changes that in no manner detracted from the amusements. The Deßangh band arrived on the early morning train and opened the day’s program with a concert at nine o’clock and there were already a good many people in town to hear it The industrial parade was polled off right on schedule time, 10 o’clock, by which time there were many hundreds or people lining the streets traveled by the parade. The Industrial Parade was a very successful feature, and organized at a great expense of labor and money. A multitude of vehicles and floats took part, some of them handsome and some humorous, but all attractive and interesting. Their features were so many and various that to describe them all in detail would not he prac.icable at this time. The parade as made up consisted of the following elements: The mayor and fire chief in a buggy. Deßaugh’s twentieth Century Baud. The Rensselaer Fire Department, with hose and hook and ladder wagons. Float, vehicle or other exhibits: Little Gem Bakery. Scott Brothers’ Harness and Vehicle store. Little Indian Cigar Store. Moody & Roth’s meat market. Chicago Bargain Store, Department store. Fendig’s City drug store. Duvall aod Lundy’s clothiDg and furnishing store. Geo. E. Murray Co., Department store. Porter & Kresler’s diy goods store. A. L. Branch feed and implement store. D. M. Borland vehicle and secondhand stoie C. A. Roberta’ vehicle and implement store. Rowels & Parker’* dry goods and clothing store. B. K. Zimmerman merchant tailor Bhop. Fred Phillips music store. Parker’s photograph gallery. At 11 o’clock Father George Heldman, of the St. Joseph’s College Indian school, was introduced by Judge Hanley, and he deliverd what is said by mauy to have been the best oration Aver delivered on a patriotic subject in Rensselaer. Coupling £with a review of our nation’s progress the setting forth many reasons for individual patriotism, he interspersed his remarks with considerable

hnmor that kept the large andienoe in the best of spirits. At 1 o’clock the Leighs, Lester and Grace, from an elevated stage gave a performance entitled, “The Mnkical Maid and the Joggling Tramp.” At 1:30 the fire depart mentgave an exhibition run and followed this with a water fight, three members of the fire company on one side and three Citizens on

■£o ; other side. They took the heavy three-inch hose and with the water turned on full tilt went at each Qther like champion water Sprites. It was a game scrap and immensely amusing to the large number of spectators. r Comical Clawson, the trick bicycle rider, gave a unique performance on the street at 2:15 and at 3:00 the DeMateos, from the elevated stage, gave their performance. It consisted of a series of escapes from pad locks and of a sensational mail-bag mystery. = The Monticello base ball team failed to put in an appearance, altbo Chalmers showed np all right, imd considerable uneasiness was felt that the failure of Monticello to put iu an appearance would cause the canceling of the base ball event but it was learned that a great many former famous athletes of our former famous foot ball and base ball teams had assembled here for the Fourth and it was hastily decided to gather these together and pledge them to play the game for undyiDg red and black. It was a remarkable ball team, and composed of young men who had famous records at foot ball and base ball at home and in college. The team as it played was as follows: Elmer Wilcox, catcher, graduate (Qf this year’s Rensselaer high school, resides in FranceSville, Harry Swartzel, Rensselaer, pitcher, old base ball player, and always in harness,

Howard Myers, of Brook, Ist baseman, former star half back of the great Rensselaer foot ball team, and a base ball player that never loses his batting eye, Joe Reynolds, of Delphi, 2nd base, former foot ball and base ball player, having helped to spread the glory of Rensselaer over the world in these respects, now a newspaper man and a comer in the strife for success, Frank McCarthy, Rensselaer, short stop, gradual eof 1907 class Indiana University, member of university base ball and foot ball teams, and a dinger at both, Bert Rhoades, Pullman, 111., 3rd base, former quarter back Rensselaer toot ball team, and fine base ball player, now manager of a tele phone company, ai.d exposed to matrimony, Jay Sayler, of Lamar, Colo., former foot ball and base ball player under the red and black, later Captain of the Chicago Dental Col lege foot bail team, and end man in the greatest of all foot ball games ever played in Rensselaer, viz. with South Bend, a dentist at Lamar, and handsome,

Moses Wood, of Battle Ground, center field, has played many foot ball games against Rensselaer and knew he was in fast Company and played a fine game, brother of Henry Wood, Bert Marshall, last bnt not least, of Highland Park Military Academy, right field, former base ball and foot ball player and all around athlete, and qnarter back of the best football team Wisconsin University ever bad, now athletic director and business agent of a great military academy, and a yonng man of great promise, George H. Healey, Rensselaer, Umpire, escaped with his life, played foot ball in the S B. fracas, he has been some both east and west, and likes the Rensselaer atmosphere, plays second fiddle on th 4 Rensselaer Republican with • \

prospects of promotion, a decidedly natural born umpire, Augustus Phillips, New York, chief rooter, Bensselaer alumni, class of’9l, a loyal heart for the place of his birth, leading man in a theatrical company that is making a hit on Broadway, And others, ad inhnitum. “Now what do you think of this?’’ Chalmers had a close shave, score 4to 3. A well-pleased crowd, and a fine ball game. Sharp fielding, accurate throwing, and enough batting to make it excising. The feature of the game was an unassisted double play by Joe Reynolds the man in the navy overalls. He juggled a line dive—it went tip, tip, tip on the ends of his fingers, each time getting nearer the" ground, and then he speared it, and covered second iiase. Joe is an

a wful j oker. —; — —; During this lime the races, a feature outside the management of the fourth committees, was beirg pulled off as a private venture at the stock farm. Some six or seven hundred people saw the races and report a good time and good sport. And also during the progress of the ball game, the smaller sports were being pulled off on and aronnd the court bouse square. The winner of the small events were given orders for the prizes, which were donated by merchants and no record of the winners seems to have been kept. At 5 o’clock the Victors, lady and gentleman, gave an exhibition in bag punching and boxing. The woman was a very clever boxer and landed some right handers on the point of her adversary’s jaw that made Bpany a feminine spectator wish she possessed the science.

At 7 o’clock there was another band concert, and more trick bicycle riding. Following this the Leighs again appeared on the elevated stage. Then came the fire snow performance aud a fine and perfectly managed show it was. The freaks who were supposed lo perform in the theatre were introduced by Manager Grant and a rube band, composed of several of Rensselaer’s old-time musicians, furnished music. Then the theatre caught fire and the members of the company scaled the walls on Pompaiian ladders and rescued the freaks by means of daring slides down ropes. Then came the fire engine and hose cart behind the splendid fire horses and two streams of water were played upon adjoining buildings to prevent them catching fire. It was a great show and Fire Chief Mont gomery deserves great credit for the way it was executed. Then came more performances by the elevated stage performers aud more music, aud the big day was at a close.