Nebraska Newspapers

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I
A GENTLEMAN OF
76.
B cut a bonnl figure
In boDDle buff and
blue;
A goodly sight bit
buckle bright.
And primly pow
dered queue!
A more courageous
quester
Ne'er served Sultan
nor Shah
Than he. my brave
ancestor.
My great - great -grandpapa!
And then In his ela
tion Did Bay forefather gay
Speak out the word he'd long deferred
For fear she'd say him "nay;
And when he aaw bow tender
Within her eyes the light.
He cried "In your surrender
i read We win the fight!"
And when the freedom paean
Swept, surge-like, through the dell
A mighty clang whose echoes rang
From Philadelphlan bells
Loud from a stern old steeple.
He hurled the proud hurrah.
The Joy peal to the people.
My great-great-grandpapa.
He held the brutal Briton
A "thing" beneath his scorn;
A Tory he conceived to be (
The basest caitiff born;
And not a neighbor wondered
He looked upon them so;
Forsooth, that was one hundred
And twenty years ago!
How true that happy presage!
In faith, how leal and true
Thy whole long life of love and strife.
Thou saint In buff and bine!
Beyond all touch of travail.
With great-great-grandmamma.
Now flooding time, slips by In rhyme
For great-great-grandpapa!
New York Herald. ,
GRIGGSVILLE'S
CANNON.
RIGGSVILLE was
very sorry, indeed,
but it didn't see bow
it was going to have
a Fourth of July eel
ebration. Not that
GrUtssville wasn't
a. anxious to set off
frfwra fleers and
have a balloon as-
tension, with tire-
jvvrlr in the even
ing. Qiite the con
trary, for the Fourth
of July- "m the part
had always been the
greater Jay of tbe yea. Gnggsville bad
thought it a over, remembering that
crops were bad. that th time, were hard
and rh taxes were Wh. and had con
to the cotxton that it wool need, all
tbe motvey H cdstfd'fot for Winter fuel and
buckwheat floi and bacon.
A of the older folk agreed with due de
oaton, not without mny mournful shake
f the h-d. but the boys of Gnggsville
were much displeased. :
"It's who I caU a burning shame,"
Biffed Jack Morris when be heard the
newa.
"Ttm," chimed in Buddy Wilton, "Al
ten'e Mills and Norcroas and Simpson's
'jandisg and nearly every town in the
county ia going to have a celebration, and
now Orlggwville has backed out."
"Course aH of our game are off," re
marked Dick Lansing, disconsolately; "no
team wili come here to play unless there
is someHhing going on." .
Dick was the manager of the Griggs
Titte Baseball Club and be felt the dis
appointment deeply.
For a moment aH the boys were silent,
aa if the weight of the affliction was too
great for expression. i'reseutfy w iu
Spencer blurted out:
"Let's have a celebration anyway. 1 ve
got a few dollars I'll put into it and we
can get enough more among the boys to
make something of a show at least and
we'H leave the old folks out of it, too."
"That's all very well," returned Dick,
"but it's easier said than done," and there
ths matter drpied.
The next day when the boys met at the
baU .field Will came rushing up the street,
evidently much excited.' As soon as he
was within hearing he shouted:
"I've ot it, fellows, I've got it"
"Weil, out with it, old una; don't keep
ns to suspense," repHed Dick, who didn't
thinsT much of WiM's many plans. For
WW asvd only lived in Griggsville a short
time and Dick was a little jealous of his
popularity.
As soon as WW recovered bis breath be
un forded Ma sememes. It was to go down
to 8u)M tiger's Hoke and find the cannon
awl muskets that were supposed to lie bid
den in Ma depths. During the war the
part of Missouri in which Griggsvtlle is
located bad been overran by roving bands
cf marauders, belonging to both the Con
federate and Union armies, ami it was on
one f these raids that the Southerners
had pounced down upon a quantity of
-tort ad aaaanwttiOB) Md at GrtggsvUie
and. sin nUle to gst entrreiy sway
swtth (bear piooder, they bad dropped it
late gatHncer's Hots. AH akis had been
a known tct ta bora of OrifgariHe,
wboso tatkati md atodxra often totd of
Am xi'l dav of aW raid, aad norntsd out
Oo V? -f vrrirwa h Iteir bomea. And
tier' tnow to. a3 ahoat SuHinfsr's
Cats, ' It wM tU Ob M bad orar fownd
I itaissj caL.mmf hkaa oao of rbs
'if
aaJCaat avtsttn tm coonty km
. tiwal fwt" bnt vsr
i
j
.-If -fl Tata
surprising tiat Ruddy Wilson shrugged
t.8 shoulders and laughed when Will
made the suggestion.
"None of that for me," he said.
"Oh, well, you needn't go along unless
you want to," responded Will, impatient
ly. "AU this talk about Sullinger's Hole
being haunted is foolishness." Will was
very much excited, and several of the
boys at once grew interested.
"I'd help," said Dick Lansing, "if I was
sure there was any way of doing it."
"All right, Dick, we'll show 'em," put in
Will, whose eyes fairly glowed wih ex
citement. "We'll have the old guns all up
here by the Foarth and it will be a cele
bration worth seeing." When Dick went
over, all of the doubters except Huddy
went with hiui.'
That night and the next evening they
draggM or roHed a number of big dry
logs and poles down to the edge of
the pool. These they cut off into equal
lengths and fastened together in the form
of a huge raft that would support a dosen
or more boys. As early on the afternoon
of the third day as possible the seven slid
quietiy out of the tout and down the hill
to the pool. They carried with them ropes
and a crowbar or two and a number of
long poles cut in the woods, besides ham
mers and nails and other implements. On
reaching the shore of the pool they mount
ed the raft and pushed it out. Once out
on the pool they poled themselves along
until rhey were about twenty feet from
the shore.
One of h ropes with a big iron hook
on the end was let down in the water and
dragged back and forth. As long as there
was light they poled about the edges of
the pond with their drags, but with the
exception of snags and weeds and mud
they could find nothing at all.
After two more discouraging afternoons
of work "Lank" Everson said he wasn't
going to waste any more of his time.
Three of the boys agreed with him. but
Will Spencer was able to persuade Dick
and Jack to make one more trial.
The next night Will was handling the
HUNDRED WILLING HANDS
drag rope. Suddenly it began to puH, and,
assisted by Jack, he drew it carefully iu.
At the end was a mass of snags.
"What's thatr shouted Dick, aodderly.
Will pulled the rope nearer aad Jack
lifted cut a long, narrow object. It was
a gun barrel, rusted beyond recognition.
Forgetting that he was on a raft. Will
threw up hds cap and shouted at the top
of his voice:
"We've found 'em! We've found 'em!"
But although they dragged an boor they
could bring up nothing else.
"I don t see bow we can ever get the
things up even if tbey are there," said
Dick.
"Dive," answered WiH, quietly.
The other two boys looked at him with
horror. But when they parted for the
night Will bad expressed his firm inten
tion of diving to the bottom to see if he
could find the cannon. And the next day
all seven of the boys came back very much
excited. The finding of the gun barrel
had reassured them. Carefully tbey poled
out so as not to make the water muddy,
and then WiH stripped snd stood poised
for a moment on tbe edge of the raft.
Dick had insisted that be He a rope around
bin. The word was given, and, wita a
look at tbe Moe sky above, Witl splashed
bead-first into tbe rVuIHnger's Uote. Tbey
aaw his w44t body so down aad down
throagb the water aad then fade oat of
signt. No one atovsd nor ottered a aooed;
every muade waa strained aad every eye
waa fixed on rbe water. It waa a critical
tnomeot. What would WW find t Would
Le be sacked down to bis death as Bullin-
bad been?
Bat tbe rope bad ceased to spra through
f Dick's baada. Tben R poiled agU amd s
doseo feat away fsoai tba boat a wet
nnd otrt of Om water. WW
1
f"Wttw
f; 1 lowsd nr
saWllttsffMQ sUM MMinM
a Csr'Oe raft,'Cru
i
(ring something along In his band. When
he crawled out he laid an old, worn, rust
ed musket on the logs. AM the boys were
wild with excitement. Efcek maimed on
stripping and making a dVvs, and tie, too,
brought up a musket. Tli? Will went
down with one end of a small rope in his
mouth. .This he ran through toe fork of
the cannon. A larger rop was dragged
down and before dark the boy were on
shore ready to begin putting in their prise.
But it would not stir. It was too deep in
the mud.
The next afternoon they cjime down
with Tom Fiahnir's old white-faced team,
fastened it to the rope, and with one
strong pnU the cannon came loose and
then it was no trouble to pull the battered
and rusted and wholly worthless old piece
of artillery out of the water.
Somehow, m spite of aH the boys could
do, -the news spread about tike wildfire,
and every one in town came out to see
what Soirtager's Hole had gi von op to tike
light of day. A hundred wittnc bands
dragged the old cannon to ths Cop of tie
bluff, and on Fourth of July morning it
was loaded with powder--but tbsvt is get
ting ahead of the story.. For wiion Griggs
vflle heard what the boys liad done Will
Spencer became the hero of tBe hour, and
the money for a great celebration ia
quickly subscribed. And on the morning
of 'the great day (Jriggsvilie was out in
her bet with flags waving and firecrack
ers popping and anvils booming. The
news of the great find had spread, and
men and women and children came from
all over the county to help (Jriggsvilie
celebrate and to see Will Spencer. And
Dick Lansing's bail team won two games.
About the old cannon? When it was
DRAGGED
CAHNOS.1
fired H spKt from end to end, tnrt Griggs
viile still keeps it aa a proud trophy. And
she is probably celebrating around it to
day, for Will Spencer made the dive
which brought him Tame ail over Mis
souri many pears ago. Cnicago Record.
The Modem Fomrtb of Jsily.
The Fourth of July has a different
meaning with each generation. In the
earlier rears of our' Country it woo an
emotional day. The f opting of 'exulta
tion at liberty wronebod from a tyrant,
and of ootnpasoioa for nationalities 'still
"under the oppressor's heel," and of pride
in American prowess were the impulses
which made tbe day heroic. ' In Xhom
swelling 'doya patriotism was religion and
the Fourth of July was a festival of piety
- rough and riotous, yet essentially real.
In these days the Fourth baa another
significant. We do not go extensively to
hear orations. We do not take affection
ate interest in having our emotion kin
dled as did our forbears. But we do think.
This is the period of tboughtfulness; Our
people "are beginning to 'mil lee -that pat;
riotism 1 a matter of details; that it if
shown by attention to'some specialty in
public affairs. The arm-swinging aad
wild-eyed orator who talked generalities
baa pa id. To-day we are mterested la
tbe earnest men wbo oaa tea ah us eota
what regarding the public son-partisan
problems which require the activity of dt
icena. Education, municipal qoaetJoaa,
the imtnigrMt, the suffrage, ehorrb and
state. pubHe order aad public lmptvive
ment these are some of fhe topics iota
which patriotism to-day la partfcvJarlaei,
Illustrated American.
A rireoraok or Ctary.
HedM ft to aport;
rSt'alnM bj Mibaw;
.TM sin mrm tm tftt,
THE OLD
CHEER FOR THE FLAG.
On ths Fourth of July long ago.
That honored and fortunate day.
Our ancestors boldly said "No!"
To the stranger's Imperious sway.
And undaunted by hardship and pain.
Those sturdy old heroes declared
Independence tbey H would maintain,.
And bravely for battle prepared.
And long shall our chronicles tell
On that glorious page of the past,
How our fathers fought nobly and well
And our fetters were broken at last.
So now on the Fourth of July
Let children, and elder folk, too.
To that old voice of freedom reply.
With a cheer for the Bed, White and Blue
Youth's Companion.
UNCLE JOSHWAY'S
'SCURSION.
"Whew! Dat boy's ho sprujous. to
day! Des look at Mm, Blazy Ann! Peart
an' brickly es a young colt an' "friski
fidw'n a rabbit, dat's jes" wont be is!"
said Aunt Anarky, aa she skillfully shuck
ed off the sun-corched outer leaves of
the tough blue colards she was prepar
ing for dinner. Tbe "boy" indicated was
Uncle Josh way, who approached in high
glee, singing at the top of his voice:
"Come, chill un, git on de train.
Come, chaiun, git on de train.
Come, chiHun, git on de train,
Fur Zlon's rockm on!"
"Gressious, Josh way, how come yon
walkin' so spry an' singin' so loud to
day? You mnsser got sawter 'salted
over singin 'bout dat gosyil train, didn't
you T
"Weil," admitted Uncle Josh way, half
sheepishly, "I mouter been singin' de 'Go
pil Train' hymn unbeknownst, but dot
wan't de train I wus thinkm' 'bout Jes
den. I'm goW off on a 'ocursiom Saddy
an was tuinkin ot oe wevepoe tram,
an' I reckon dat's how come me to be
singin' 'bout trains.'
"En' what 'scussion you talkin' 'bout?
I hain't beared tell o' no 'scussion.'
"Ef you ain't dat don't meek it not be
so,' was Joahway's lucid reply.
"Anarky, I wusht you'd cook mupi
lot o' nice vittles 'ginst Saddy some
meat an'-cakes aa' pies. It's a Foath
July "scursion I'm gwlne on."
"Foath July? Whatcher talkin 'bout,
boy? Don't you know Foarh July's come
an' went long ago? Don't you 'member
de bi; bobbyeue et Warnut Crick when
de Foath July was? G'long, Joobway,
you'se meckin' game o' me! You know
it's 'twixt Settember V Noctober now."
"Res' of do folks don't call it a Foarh
July 'ocursion nex' Saddy, but I does lea'
kase it sounds good. You know I never
had no July dfc year, Anarky; dido't go
to de pickernicker ner to de bobbyeue,
nuther. So d'aint no thin' to bender me
callm' dls year 'scdrsion a Foath July
scursion, btdy? I'm gwlne to ride Cawn
stalk to Huston an' take de train."
The first trembiioc uncertain grayoess
of Saturday's dawn found Uncle Josh way
mounting Cawnstalk, while Blaay Abo,
(jaVteHs-of-Uberty-Hke, held aloft ': a
flaming pine torch to light him to th gate.
Aunt Anarky handed him the saddle baga,
stuffed with eatables enough for a week.
Then with a vigorous kick with each heel
into Cawnatalk'a sides, be rode off into
the darkness, atnglDg: ( . ; -
"I hears de train a-rustin', .. .
It's comin roun' de kyurve,
I hear de kyar-whee) a-novitt .
An' strainin' ev'ry nuv!"
Cawnstalk's unwilling feet entered Hus
ton two hours before the time appointed
for the excursion rtrsin- to leave.-and on
nearing tbv 'eVpo. Vbere' a f retrbt' train,
was stesining . ajnX cakin, ,hjs , long
wavy ears stoodxeroct . m muuan terror.
1 ncleJosfys-ax Kfjy? ,mr shiWhed
''Vft '
in watching trVlu'a tnovement to ao
tico Oawoetajk's danger signal ' unUI on
the point or flyvn over the bead of that
humorous animal. . '
' lie rose, vshoofoff 'tbe dtief Jand catch
ing tbe now laiob-Hle Cawnatalk, tied
Urn to ati"aematbdaikHr poef, to stand
all day in hungry modstation, while hts
tnoeter eraveted aad feasted.
' Heacbing tbe depot platform Uncle
Joshway waa surprised to see but a few
people ooliectsd. "Pears lack a asigkry
rlha 'aforston," said he to one of tbe usual
louagsrs.
. "Bxcaroioo? What you talkaag about,
old nana? Did you eota la for tbe eol
orai exrasaloaf'
"Yaa, at, I no' did. Daft trbat I
fiiaasi far.'
'Tbe yoa'ra t day loo tea. ; Tba as-
cursktn excurted yesterday, but, uncle,
you can have a nice little excursion by
yourself, if you like."
"Well," answered Uncle Joshway, re
flectively, "I might teck a dollah's wuth."
"A ilollar'H carry you to Monroe and
leave you four cents over.'
"All right, mister; I 'low Monroe's a
nice pious place fur me to spen' de day
rn' Then Uncle Josh way took off his
coat, ripped open the pocket . containing
his purse, and took out a big shining sil
ver dollar. This was handed, with lin
gering fondness to the lounger, who soon
gave him a ticket and four eowx'r cents.
"What's uVm things?" anked our trav
eler, eying the dark coppers with disgust
and contempt. "What you call uVm
things?" he repeated.
"Why, ents; copper cents."
"Den, mister de agent's cheated you.
Gimme bark my dollar. I can't take no
sWi ole black "nigger money e dis. Neeu
ter think dey kin 'pose on nie an' give
dat's wbct I calls mowt!'
me ole Mack no 'count lure stuff fur
money i' kase I'm a colored pnsson.
Druther miss trav'lin frever'n to "tots
roun' money made out'n ole' tin kittles!"
This description of the .. way Uncle
Josh way "went on" is no sss-gvriuion.
The "way down South" country knowa' no
coppers, and their introduction at various
depota for change a few years ago was
an innovation bitterly resented. ' J
By the loanger's good-naf ured" 'interest
Uncle Josh way's ticket was dtaposed of
to a Monroe-bound man, and Me ntece'of'
stored. Then, picking up his cHsT trad.
saddle bags, he left in high ifsdaV, Tak
ing oare, however, not' to go 'borne 'until
after the return of the suppooeVxor!on
train, lie gave a dazsling acWnint'of his
trip, and Aunt Anarky will i!-ver. know
he spent his Foath July rambling arddnd
Huston abusing "dem ole "Swevepote rail
road Wka." "' ' '
Fourth of Jaly Advice. '
,.Bo sure to get up at 4 o'clock, so that
fyo can have all your firecrackers ex
ploded before breakfast. Later in the
day perhaps yon can get your little sister
to loan you some of hers.
Don't bother about scraping out the fire
in your punk. Just stick It into the pocket
where your firecrackers are when you get
through with it
When you light a fuse and It won't go
atoop over and blow it well. If jroo lose
your eyebrows they'll grow on again in a
year or -two.
Alwsys sit on the old barrel under
wnicb vwu put the lighted cannon cracker.
If the bead caves tn snd yon go through
you may luee both legs, but the probabil
ity ia that you wfll lose only one,.
By all means drink sixteen glasses of
lemonade and est as many dishes of ice
cream as you can. It doesn't matter at all
if you are groaning and tossitig on nbe
kHWge in tbe back parlor while the other
boys are watching tbe firework.
Alwsyo bold a roman candle souare.y
by tbe end. . In this way,' If it should
happen to blow out ' bark ward you can
have a eosaplet cetebrattoa up your coat
Lay your H gated punk carefully on tba
steps. You imar wast to com back after
awba aad aH aassa oa k.
OfeU abouM wear Hgbt ootom'fraebi,
for If tbey atb fir tbey wlH nab ail
tb laer dsapiay.
, If firecrackers don't make eaougb noise,
get a Nttt powder and put It la a boi la
tb iround. Than ateop doaa over it aad
Matt it witb matct. It woo't blow yoa
mm (baa a rod, aad pstbapa yod will
aaf oa 7 laft ta aa iHtft vrlog ; tbe
Mat af 7 Mta.
OF YANKEE DOODLE.
NCE on a time
Johnny Bull
Flew In a raging
fury,
And swore that Jona
than should have
No trials, sir, ' by
Jury;
That no elections
should be held
Across the briny
waters.
"And now," said he,
' i ll us ths tea
Of all his sons and
daughters."
Then down be sat la
state.
And blustered like a Grandee,
And in derision made a tune
failed "Yankee Doodle Dandy.
Yankee Doodle, these are facts,
Yankee Doodle Dandy
"My son of wax. your tea I'll tax, i
Yankee Doodle Dandy!
John seut the tea from o'er the sea.
With heavy duties rated.
But wln-r-er Hyson or Itohea
I never trd It stated.
Then Jnm.'.iinn to pout began; ,
He lnl! a strung embargo
"I'll ill Ink r.o .ia, by Jove!" 8o bs
Threw overlxn-rd the cargo.
Then Johnny Mit a regiment
Big words and looks to bandy.
Whose menial band, when near the land
Played "Yankee Doodle Dandy."
Yankee Doodle, keep It up,
Yankee Doodle Dandy.
"I'll poison with a tax your cup,
Y'ankee Doodle Dandy!
A long war then they had. In which
John was at last defeated.
And "Yankee Doodle" was the march
To which his troops retreated. .
Cute Jonathan, to see them fly.
Could sot restrain bla laughter,
'That tune." said b. "suits to a T,
-111 sing It eve.after."
Old Johnny's face, to bis disgrace.
Was flushed with beer and brandy.
E'en while he swore to sing no more.
Tbe "Yankee Doodle Dandr " , ,
' ' ' ' '.
Yankee Poodle, bo! hai'he! -'
Yankee Ooodle-'taandy-r.-..- .
We kept the tune, but not the tea,
4 Yankee Doodle Dsndyl-'f
I've totd you now ths origin 1 ,
Of this roost lovely ditty. " ''
Which Jobnoy Dull dislike as dull
And stupid -what s pity I
With "Hall, Columbia' It Is sung.
In chorus full and hearty: .
On land or main we breatbt ths strain
John made for bla tea party.
No matter how we rhyme the words.
Their music speaks them handy.
And where's the fair can't alng tba sir
Of "Yankee Doodle Dandy?"
. Yank Doodls. Arm and true.
Yanks Doodle Dandy.
Yank Doodl Doodl Doo,
Ysaks Doodl Dandy 1
A Biprclei Fourth
"Celebration" aad "Obeerrance,"
Tbe Bone of the American Kevolutioa
addressed the town clerks ku Mssachu
setts, asking that they ondeavor to brinai
about a fitting and universal observance
of the Fourth of July. "What!"' every
boy will exclaim, "do we not now observe
that day? Does not '" all our spending
money go for firecracker and rocket and1
lemonade?" - - ...
. Yea, you do keep the day wttb as muctf
ookse Webster suggested, in tbe "sop-j
iiosed speexi of John . Adams." But doi
you observe ll? . The Fourth of July1
was at first, observed as the anoirersary
of the day when the throwing off of tba
"British yoke"' began. But the natioa
is now a hundred and twenty. years otd.
We have outgrown our faar and our ha
tred of Great Britain. Now It is time ta
cease regarding the Fourth aa "Iadepaa
dew Day" merely, to forget all tb ug
geetiona of England that the anniversary
brings to mind,, and to treat It as the na
tion's Urtbday, m tbe broadest sense.
ITiat mean that it should call up be
fore us all tbe glories of America, not
imply the beroiant of '76 and '61, but tba
cntKHwat of .tbe, ail of tbe greet West,
the Uiumpbs of Industry and invention,
(he rectories of edtjestion, art and cuKurs,
(be spread of reiigioa , These things can
not be adequately oMnmenturatsd by bura
big gunpowder. We db not go o far aa
eveu to suggest that tbe firecracker be
abnllabed.
Yet while we ring the beta, and fire tbe
cannon and flaunt tbe flag, lei no all re
member that toe day ia a solemn aa a ell
aa a joyous occasion, and obasrvs a wal
aa celebrate it Let o aui It a day al
ontaBeaMwatrog ,glonoaa
burly
UMa la paaof
Miff tad sOTy
ad ka War, try i
... , vnc;
4-
K' i