Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, June 30, 1901, Image 15
Fourth of July Celebrations Reach Many New Lands 4 Copyright, lwi, by il. Ullson Gardner.) STRANGE people In remote ami widely separated places will wit 11088 tho eulebratlon of Inde pendence day uu tUo Urst Fourth or July of the twentieth century Tho message which rang out from tli old Liberty bell above tho little red brick hail in Philadelphia 125 yours ago has Unwind swift and far In theso last throj ycals, until now It has extended half way atound the world. It will be repeated and elidursid at this anniversary by Americans living on Ameri can soli which Is eternally bound In Arctic Ice. It will be read to Americans whose homo Is WD mill s south of tho equator While tlu rockets and Roman candles arc closing the ilny In Maine tho morning sun ulll bo lighting tho folds of the Stars an 1 Stripes In tho western confines of U13 re public. On the shores of tho China so.i tho cannon of our navy will llro the salute to tho union and little blown Americans will doubtless hear the roar with terrcr lleelng to tho woods of I'alawnn. Illack, brown, ted. yellow and white ure tho skins of the people of the United Stntes. They live ns far north as human bolngs may exist and they live naked under tho equator's fierce suns. Wherever the Hag has gone the national holiday will be celebrated In some fashion and tho work will begin of Instructing our new subjects In Its meaning. I'urtlii'Ni Fourth of July. As nearly as can be predicted tho most remote celebration of the Fourth oil Ameri can soil will be at Palawan. This is the most western station In the Philippine archipelago, at which It Is expected at the Nuv department that a ship will be found on that day. It Is safe to say that tbe natives of Palawan have no clear Idea of the origin or Import of the American feast, and the bellowing of the saluting cannon will doubtless be the first notlco to the majority of the people of tho island that they are due for a little celebrating. The moil northerly celebration will un questionably bo at Point Harrow, Alaska, where Commander Harry Knox will have at rived with the Concord. This Is 72 degrees north latitude and tnly about a thousand miles from the pole. The government maintains a signal station there, and at rare Intervals sends one of Its Mtnunchcst seagoing tugs to pay It a brief visit. The country is snow and icebound and It 13 with dllllculty that life can be maintained. On tho Fourth of July tin1 sun will be circling a short distance above tile horizon, but tho crew of tho Concord will not bo troubled with tho heat. Tho man who hoists tho Hag will be wrapped to tho eyes In heavy furs, and If tho cabin boy decides to set oft any firecrackers he will havo to wear warm mittens. Tho special dinner served out to tho men In honor of tho doy will consist largely of hot soups and canned vegetables and will bo con sumed In the company of redhot stoves. In llic South Sea IhIiiikIh, Whllo this is taking place thero will be another celobrntlon still on American soil of a very different character. In the Island of Tutulla, In tho Samoan group, MINDINORO, ONE OF THK NEW FOUHTH OF JULY TOWNS. there will bo a repetition of tho celebration held April 1", when tho American flag was formally raUod there. Tutulla Is fifteen degrees south of tho equator and is the routhornmost American possession. Cap tain U. F. Tilly, who Is governor, bellevis in teaching tho natives to reverence Ameri can customs and Institutions. In addition to dressing ship and Hrlng twenty-one guns fiom the American man-of-war In the har tor of Pago Pago Captain Tilly will give shore leave to his men and Invito the Samoans to Join In tho games, feasts and general jubilation. Thoro will bo boat rnccs, bobbing for apples In tubs of water, catching tho greased pig, hurdle and run ning races, swimming and general ath letics. The most eastern celebration will be in tho Island of Porto Klco. Tho Fourth will dawn hero Just twelvo hours ahead of the day In the bland of Luzon. Tho twentieth parallel of latitude, which passes through Porlo Hlco, runs Just one degreo north of tho island of Luzon and the distance be tween tho two points Is 180 degrees, or half tho circumference of tho earth. In many towns of Porto Hlco there nro former residents of tho United Stutos and the day will not pass unnoticed even in the ro moto sections. From tho palace of the governor general In San Juan will float tho Stars and Stripes and wherever there Is a postolllce or a public school house the colors will bo displayed and tho natives will be apprised by fireworks and shooting that the day Is ono to bo remembered. I'.mIiiIiIInIiciI Cimtoiu Here. Ill tho city of Manila tho Fourth has twico been celebrated. Naval ofllccrs who were with Dewey's fleet remember well tho first celebration. It enmo two months after the fntuous victory nt that critical tlmn when the ships of Germany, Eng land and the other European powers were crowding one another In tho bay and when It seemed even to tho coolest Americans that a clash with Germany was Inevitable. That night the English men-of-war drossed ship with thousands of electric lights, and, drawing away from the other vessels, took their place close to tho American fleet. The other nations hnd not paid any particular attention to the notice which It is the custom to send to other ships In a huibor Inforining them that the day Is a national holiday, and the special attention of the British was accepted as nn assurance that if trouble came they would be with us. Since that evening, therefore, the Ameiican olllcers anil men who were present and who realized tho full meaning of the Inci dent have cherished a warmer feeling for "our llritlsh cousins." Tho celebration of Independence day In Manila a year ago was marked by pilot ing In tho local theaters anil halls, patriotic speeches In English, Spanish and tho Tagal language, band concerts, bunting and other festivities. It Is planned this year to train a chorus of native children to sing the "Star Spangled Uaiiner," "The Ued, Whlto and Illuo" and other national songs. Tho Declaration of Independence will bo read In tho schools In dlffeient tongues nnd nn tho Lunetn the salute lo tho union will ho fired. An Idea of tho preparations for cele brating In other ways tuny bo had from tho following extrncts prlntod In the ...i. ...In 'liiiiis a ).ar ago. Il shows a w i llig spllll, but eiifcbcmx a xciiMiess in in use ot Liiglish. ilils popular hotel Is haudsomcl) and tusteluuy dccuiulcd, lanterns, ll.igu m.u glutting luuliw teiiiij, being much in e. demo. A prolusu dinner has been prepnicu and no expense spaicd to make the da) a tlinuugli success in ccry way, and wslluis will be sure ot tludlng a fuiicluu t'.'J mcui 111 tho coolest dining room in toius. i u iwo Uo)s at the bar arc fully prcp.ucd lo do Just ico tu all visitors, i'ticy havo pie pared a uuw punch which Is warranted to send a man tioiuu sober niter an untold number uf glasses. As for M'Klug, If he has fully borne out our prophecy that he would bo a success In every way and an who bau tested his ability ami courlos) aio pretty sure, if circumstances permit, to turn up during tho day and drink to lib glories." Tho Princeton will bo stationed at the Island of Cebu on July I, and Its cannon will remind the natives that they are till zeiis of a freo republic. The War depart incut expects to have one of the "tin cluds" not fur from tho courts of the sultan uf Stilti, nud tho olllcers will Inform bis inujcsty that the day Is a holiday for all Americans, and that they would appreciate tho favor If ho would tly tho Hag on his palace and harem. Where I he .MlllllfcMlo HIooiiin. In tho distant and lonesome island ot Guam there will bo plenty of celebration. Following tho example of Captain Lcnry, his successor, Captain Scutou Schroeder, will issue .1 few ringing manifestoes, ihe natives will be told that the day nutria tho birth of the nation of which they arc now u part, and that It Is their duty and privilege to set oil firecrackers, shoot pis tols, bum pluwhccls and have as good a time as possible, all the while remembering why they do it and being eaielul not In burn their llngeis. The natives ulll be supplied with translations of the Declara tion of Independence and will bu urged lo participate In games uud festivities. In Cuba there uro 0,000 American soldiers who will do u little celebrating, oven though tho Cubans do not regard the day us an occasion for unmitigated Joyuusuess. Pino Island, south of Cuba, Is not conceded to the Cubans, uud may bu regarded as part of tho United States. There Is a mill tury reservation there where tho day will bo celebrated much as It Is in tho United States. In addition to tho naval stations thero aro plenty of former residents of tho states who have gone to tho Islands to live Also, there are plenty of crackers In the Chinese shops, not to mention pliiwhcols, "nigger-chasers," skyrockets and torpe does. Tho lonesomest spot in Uncle Sam'i broadening domains Is Wuku Island. 11 sticks up In the Paclllc about half way between Hawaii and tho Philip pine archipelago. It has not oven tho com pany of other Islands. The United Stntes acquired It and made It a naval station, nnd hero In the middle of the Paclllc the union will be saluted and the Hag will II y, 2,000 miles from tho nearest of Its starred nnd striped fellows. II. OILSON GARDNER. When Old Glory First Floated Over Kansas Soil In EXT Thursday, July I, tho state of Kansas will cause tho foundations of a monument to be laid to com memorate a deed that was done tt... innir. lnmr auo. That deed uuw Mm haullnir down of tho Spanish (lag upon Kansas soil and tho hoisting ot tho Stars and Stripes In Its placo and tho enforcing of American sovereignty In Kan sas. Tho place where this notablo his torical act was performed was upon a swift little stream, known ns White Rock creek, that winds and rattles and tumbles through a wild ravine in what Is uow Republic county, Kun-ns. some sixteen miles south east of Superior. Neb. Tho time wns Sep tember 2!i. 1S0G. The man, Colonel Zebu Ion Montgomery Pike. Two winters ago a Kansas woman made ii trip over Into .llM,ourl to visit sumo rela tives. While there she met an old timer u man who had trailed over Kansas In tho lays when the Indians wero the sole In habitants. They talked of old times. When the woman told him where her husband's larin lay the old fellow remarked: "That must be about where Zeb Plko raised tho Hag." Upon returning homo she told her husband of the conversation. They began nn historical research that resulted In proof of the old man's statement and that It was upon one corner of their fnrm that Plko raised the ling. This man nnd his wife, Mr. nnd Mrs. George Johnson, there upon presented tho facts to tho State His torical society nnd ngreed to give a deed to eleven ncres of ground for a stnte park, provided tho state would erect a Bultnble monument and keep tho park In good con dition. The legislature, then In seFlon, accepted tho deed for tho society and ap propriated $3,000, one-third of It to bs used in erecting n monument, the rest In Hurrniindlng tho park with nn Iron fonce and keeping tho park clean for two years. Rut who was Plko, and what wus ho doing up In northern Kansas In tho opening years of the last century? Whit Wiih .eliiilou I'lkof Three years after tho Hessians wero soundly thrashed by tho Americans at Tren ton, N. J., a weo bit of a boy was boin near that placo and his pious parents bur dened tho poor Infant with the blbllcnl name ot Kchulon. Coming Into the world "In tho midst of war's alarms," and hear ing n name that would make anyone light. It Is not to bo wondered that young Pike took to the regular army when old enough llko a fish to water. Ills father was an nfllcer of the regulars before him, In April, 1803, a real estate deal wn innilu in Paris, That deal has since gone under tho title of tho "Louisiana purchase." Napoleon had concluded that n little cash lit hand was worth much unknown land especially when his claim on tho land was somewhat dubious, John J. lugnlls once figured that our forefathers got about 100 acres for 1 cent when they made that deal In dirt and ns tho price principal, Interest nnd expenses wob somothlng llko $23,500, 000, It may bo Inferred that several acres wero secured. The next thing wns to exploro and as sert tho authority of tho United States In this territory. What little authority thorr was was Spanish, Tho Inhabitants of the Interior did not know that Spain hail ceded tho land nnd them nlong with It to France nnd Hint France In turn had sold them to tho United Stntes. General James Wilkin son, a revolutionary ofllcor with a reconl of Intrigue that, ns Noblo I'rotls Intimated, makes mighty Interesting reading, was In commnnd at St. Louis In tho spring of 1805. Tho old general had a liking for young Plko and In August of that yoar ho sent tit in to exploro tho Bourco of tho Mis sissippi river. Although only 2G years of ago nnd with n deporably small force In command, ho made tho trip, returning to St. Louis In April, 180C. Instead ot be ing allowed to rest General Wilkinson Im mediately ordered him to make a tour of Kansas, making friendly visits to tho vari ous tribes that Inhabited tho laud and es pecially to Investigate thu "Pawnco re public," which was known to exist upon the upper Republican river. Otfrluiill llle SMI ll III riln. Tho trip was uneventful until about the 17th of September. It was then that he discovered tho Smoky Hill river. On Sep tember 23 he crossed what he believed to bo thu Solomon. It was while in this val ley that Plko discovered something that woke him up- Ihe now trail of a company of Spanish cavalry. The governor of New Spain had heard of the expedition being sent nut from St. Louis and bad concluded that a demonstration In force from his side of tho question would not ho nut of order. Ilouniliiry lines In those days were very vague concerns. Arconllngly ho sent from Santa Fo a troop of 300, under Lieu tenant Mnlgnres, Into tho same territory to be visited by Pike. Malgures had .icorcoly concluded his visit to the Pawnees, hoisted tho flag of Spain over them and gotten away befoio Plko appeared. Pike's parly was pitiful by comparison of numbers. It consisted of two lloutennnts, ono surgeon, ono sergeant, two corporals, sixteen pri vates and ono Interpreter, a total, with tho commander, of twenty-four. On September 20 they approached tho Pawnoo village, but, finding the trlbo engaged In tho day long ceremony of welcoming a hand of Osagea, thoy withdrew to the Republican river and camped until tho next day. Upon entering tho village tho noxt morning thoy noted tho Spanish colors Hying. Plko, with that nervo that Is never lacking In thu American, lot tho chiefs of tho Pawnees know what his sentiments wero on tho Hng question. Ho told thorn that tho Spanish Hug would have to come down and tho American Hag go up. Tho chiefs looked at Plko's force and Intimated that they would think It over. IIIiiiTciI I'nn ueex. Monday, September 211, Plko called all the Pawnees together In council. Wo havo no stenographic report of tho speech that hu made, but ho, In his diary, says that thoy "listened to my discourse In sllonco," from which wo mny Infer that ho was tho fore runner of tho raco of Kalians spellblndurs. Ho reiterated his demand that tho Spanish flag como down. Tho Impressive hcoiio that followed Is best described In Plko's own language, quoted from tho dlnry: "After the chiefs had replied to the various parts of my discourse, but weie silent as to the Hag, I again reiterated my demand for tho flag, adding 'that It was Impossible for the nation to have two fathers; that they must either bu the children of the Spaniards or acknowledge their American father.' After u silence of sumo tlmo nn old man lose, went to the door, took down tho Spanish Hag, brought It and Jail It nt my feol. He then received tho American flag and elevated It on tho atnff which hnd lately borno the standard of his Catholic majesty. This gave great satisfaction to the Osnges and Kims, both of whom decidedly avow themselves to bo under American protection. Perceiving that every face In the council was clouded with sorrow, as If some great national calamity were about to befall them, I took up the contested colors and told them that as they had shown themselves dutiful chil dren In acknowledging their grent Amer ican fatl'or, I did not wish to embarrass them with tho Spaniards, nnd that, for fear the Spaniards might return there In forco I returned them their flag, but with the Injunction that It should nover bo hoisted again. At this thero was n great shout of applause, nnd the charge was particularly attended to," It may bo remarked In passing that, al though tho Pawnees wero so decent upon tills occasion, they gave Plko a touch of tho strenuous life before ho got through with them. They became Insolent uud thievish and he had lo overawe them. And so it wns that tho folds of Old Glory llrst Moated In authority upon the Kansas breeze In the most beautiful spot In the Republican valley, ami Its shadow first darkened tho "walls of corn" planted, not by the prosperous farmers of that grand commonwealth, but by tho rqunws of an Inferior race. After tho WnrU of I'll.c. It Is not a part of this story lo tell how Pike, on leaving tho Pawnco village, went south to the Arkansas river, and thenre to Colorado, where hu used his mil Italy knowledge In ascertaining tho alti tude of tho peak which now bears his name; how, when passing through tho Rid river district, ho was captured by the Spaniards and taken, an honored prlsont r. lo Old Mexico, and how, with the snnio old grit, ho died facing the llritlsh foe at Snckett's Harbor, N. V., In 1813. The monument, which Is to honor this man's pluck, will ho commenced July t. The Masons have eharpo of tho coromony of laying the cornerstone. Tho program In cludes addresses by Hon. J. C. Prise, presi dent of the Pawnee Republic Historical society: Hon. William E. Stanloy, gov ernor of Knnsns; Hon. Henry F. Mason of Garden City, Mrs. Margaret Hill McCarler of Topokn and others. On September 29, 1001, Just ninety. live years from tho day when Plko rnlsed the flag, tho' monument will be unveiled, Theie will be ti great gathering on that day gronter even than that which In oxpeeted next Thursday. All tho troops nt Fori Riley are ordered on a practice march In Soptembor to tho Pawnee park, to assist In tho ceremonies r e STINK