FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS IN MARATHON AND SCOTT

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, July 11, 1890.

TOWN REPORTS.

MARATHON.

   The Fourth of July celebration was a complete success, and the day all that heart could desire. Large crowds came to town and took in the pleasures of the day with a keen relish. At midnight it seemed as if the confines of another world had emptied its borders to annoy and vex the sleeping inhabitants of this [village.] Unearthly noises, mixed with the clang of bells and the roar of the small boys delight—fire crackers large and small—made noise enough to awaken the dead. A huge bonfire was blazing near "Robbers Row" and fantastic forms whirled about it gesticulating wildly and making night hideous with unearthly moans.

   The street parade began and stopped at intervals, while tin pans, horns and all musical paraphernalia of a choice and select orchestra, saluted the ear. The famous orchestra of Theodore Thomas was nowhere in comparison to this select and valuable addition of Marathon talent. Anon the strains would rise in captivating thrills of coarsest melody, and then fall away with a cadenza that was, to say the least, excruciatingly striking. Had this orchestra been properly trained their debut would have undoubtedly been saluted with immense applause in the shape of addled eggs, slippery dish water and reformed lager "bier." Renown for them was not built upon the record of the past. The future carried enough applause from the night-gowned and night-capped audiences beneath whose windows they passed in the full sweep of their glory. Could they have heard the exclamations with which they were greeted, earth would have seemed exceedingly fairer than their wildest dreams of musical glory.

   At the first break of dawn the roar of the cannon awoke the echoes of the valley, and the strains of martial music was heard between each discharge. About 9:30 the parade formed on Broome and Brink streets, the Marathon Cornet Band first marching to the tannery escorting the employes of that factory to Brink street. The order of the parade was as follows:

DIVISION ONE.

   Marshall and Aide. Virgil Brass Band. Float  containing 13 Young Ladies Representing the Original States. President and Chaplain. Orator and Reader. Vice-Presidents. Hiram Clark Post G. A. R., as Escort. Veterans in Carriages.

DIVISION TWO.

   Assistant Marshal. Chief Engineer and Assistant. Eagle Engine Company. A. H. Barber Hose Co.

DIVISION THREE.

   Assistant Marshal. Marathon Cornet Band. Employes of Marathon Tannery. Other Organizations.

DIVISION FOUR.

   Assistant Marshal. Citizens in Carriages. Citizens on foot.

   The line of march was as follows: Main street to Tannery, Tannery to Warren, Warren to Water, Water to Front, Front to South, South to Academy, Academy to Main, Main to Village Park where the exercises were given as follows:

   1. Music, Virgil Band.

   2. Prayer, Rev. S. Ordway.

   3. Song, "America."

   4. Opening Remarks by President of the Day, Jas. H. Tripp.

   5. Reading of Declaration of Independence, H. E. Wilson, Esq.

   6. Song, "Red, White and Blue."

   7. Oration, Hon. Wm. A. Beach, of Syracuse.

   8. Music, Marathon Cornet Band.

   9. Benediction.

  

   The oration of Hon. Wm. A. Beach, was exceptionally fine and interested the audience greatly. After dinner came the fusilier parade, field sports, and races, all of which passed off pleasantly. The fusilier speech delivered by Will Smith was the gem of the occasion and laughable in the extreme. Among the features of the parade was a steam fire engine with the following placard: "This machine is warranted to throw 300 gallons per minute and not a Whit-more." Illustrative of the opposition made when the corporation was after a steamer. Only one feature occurred to mar the occasion, and that was the meagreness of the fireworks which had been promised to excel anything ever seen in Marathon. Many people were disgusted with this portion of the programme as they were not near as good as those that were witnessed a few years previous.

   The A. H. Barber Hose Co. cleared off of their dance and booth a little over $50.

   One of the largest crowds Marathon has seen for a long time was in town.

   Only two accidents occurred and those not serious. A little girl was thrown out of a wagon in front of the store of G. L. Swift through the carelessness of a man who left his horse unhitched in the street. She struck on her head and shoulders in the road, but received no serious injury. The other case was during the entertainment while the fireworks were in process. A team became frightened at a rocket and jumped into the crowd but no one was injured. Several ladies came near fainting away. The Presbyterian and Baptist societies endeavored to reap a little benefit from the day by the sale of ice cream, coffee, etc. The Marathon Cornet Band gave a delightful concert in the evening and they never played better. A great many Cortland people were in town.

Puck Magazine cartoon Fourth of July 1902.

SCOTT.

   The 4th of July [was] celebrated at Scott. The day was fine, no rain, no dust, and not oppressively warm. The people began to pour in from every direction at an early hour and they continued to swarm in until there were estimated to be from 4 to 15,000. At about 11 o'clock Judge Barber tried to call the vast assemblage to order from the front stoop of the second story of the Fuller Hotel. After a few moments the exercises were started by the blowing of horns by the Scott band. Next was the reading of the Declaration of Independence by the village blacksmith, followed by another toot from the band. Next was a discourse got off by the silver-tongued orator of Scott, Mr. Essay Childs, who, while speaking, was supported on the right by John B., once the leader of the Democracy of Scott, and on the left by the "Brilliant Attorney" of this town. We heard no criticism of the speech by the comparatively few who heard it, for although the speaker spoke in his usual strength of voice, yet it is doubtful if over 3,000 people were within hearing distance, but the speaker suggested that if any one wished to preserve the speech they might bottle it up by the new process, to be uncorked for the benefit, we suppose, of all now living and also of generations yet unborn. The speech was followed by another blast from the horn company.

   Next came the foot race. Four entries were made, viz.; Elmer Share, Char. S. Clark and Henry Brown. In the first heat, Share won the race; then Brown took his clothes off except his shoes and the upper part of his shirt. He won the next two heats easily. Share came in second and Clark third. Next was music by the dinner bells of Fuller's hotel and the M. E. Aid Society. Meanwhile preparations were going on for a foot race. Four rows of 50 potatoes each were dropped 8 ft. distant from each other. Four contestants fell into line ready for the struggle, viz: Isaac Darling, Charles S. Clark and Henry Brown. The rule was for each to pick up one at a time and carry them to the basket which was 3 feet from one end. The race was a close one between Isaac Darling and Charles S. Clark, Darling coming in just ahead. Brown was 3d, having given out and stopped.

   The next thing in line was the horse race through Main street. Six entries were made. Lots were cast to see which three should run together. The first race was Chauncey Landphier's horse, ridden by his son; John Vincent's horse, by Lyman Barnum; the 3d horse, owned by Dorathy, backing out. Landphier won 1st and 3d heats, Vincent winning 2d heat, the Landpheir horse dodging into the lot. Second set, Reuben Butt's horse by Willie Blunder; George Green's ridden by Jerry Donohue, and Geo. Maxson ridden by Chas. Stoker and John Brown. The Butts' horse won two straight heats, Green's horse coming 2d. On the first heat the Maxson horse dodged on to the sidewalk and ran a woman into the sugarbush. 
   An effort was then made to get up a trot. Three horses were brought on by Walter Briggs, Charles Henry and Henry Brown. We don't think they trotted fast enough to get up a heat although it was quite a warm day.

   The drums began to beat and the horns began to blow as a signal for the fusiliers to gather to their hiding place to disfigure themselves and start their train through the street. It consisted of a traction engine—the old band wagon, old mowing machines, boats on wagons, grist mills, post office, telephone office, peddling cart, footmen, donkey and an image on a rail, also a coffin marked Homer. It seemed to be a studied effort on the part of the directors of the thing to vent some personal spite up on some at least. We don't wonder they all put on false faces, and we would advise some of them to continue to wear them for they seemed to be an improvement upon the original. Some of the drives, if that is what they could be called, were pretty rough and when an image representing any person on a rail is ridden through the street with a willing hand, applying tar and feathers all the way and then on the way back dumping it into the creek, it only shows what the designers would like to see done to the person so represented and would do themselves if they were not cowards—fearing the law.
   Fortunately there was but one minister of the gospel to ridicule. The other had been driven out previously because he took too much interest in education and also left the republican party.

   One dog, attached to the train, after going a little distance got ashamed of his company, slipped his halter and could not again be captured.

   The saloons escaped if the minister did not. Some in this town have been very much in favor of a nicer grade school but our opinion is that the community is too far advanced. The next thing in order will be a bull fight and by the way, all persons in favor of having a bull fight at an early day are requested to meet at the pool room under the hotel, next Saturday evening at 7 o'clock sharp.

   A large number are expected to be present.

WILLETT.

   Rev. D. W. Sweetland has been quite sick, but is improving.

   Mrs. Briggs, of Homer, is visiting relatives and friends in town.

   School closed on Thursday, the 26th ult., with appropriate exercises.

   The Willett hotel is open again to the public, J. Limberger, proprietor.

   Mr. and Mrs. H. M. Kellogg, of Cortland, are visiting at R W. Bourne's.

   Nearly all of our farmers have commenced haying. There is an unusually heavy crop of grass.

   Certain females in the eastern part of this village seem to think it smart to make life miserable for our worthy cheese-maker. We wonder if they realize how their conduct looks to respectable people.

   Sight-seers still drive through Willett, intent on viewing the ravages of the flood. The roads begin to be passable once more, and the bridges are nearly all replaced, but the damage to private property in some cases will not soon be recovered from. Walter Forshee has moved his hardware store on to higher ground south of his house, and offers to give away the hole where it formerly stood.

   The "Great and glorious Fourth'' of 1890 will probably not be soon forgotten in Willett. Either an unusual degree of Independence on the part of the women, or an excess of Limberger's whisky, resulted in the separation of two families, on Saturday morning last. Add the racket of the Calthumpians of Thursday night to the revelry of Friday night's dance, and you have some idea of the pleasure of living on the "corners."

   "CLEO."

LITTLE YORK.

   Corn and potatoes are looking first rate, though more backward than usual.

   E. G. Cushing, of Cortland, spent Sunday with his mother at the old homestead.

   The Cortland Ice Company are loading their cars nights to avoid the hot sun of the mid-day.

   Miss Flora Perkins has so far recovered that she is spending the week with her sister on East Hill.

   Mrs. W. W. Salisbury, who has been sick for the past three weeks with typhoid malaria is getting better very slowly.

   The boarders at the Raymond House gave quite a display of fireworks on the fourth. Quite a crowd gathered to see them.

   Nearly twenty men engaged in setting the poles for the new telephone line are stopping at the hotel this week. They meet the line already set a short distance above Crofoot's mill.

   Most of the farmers on the flats commenced haying this week, but hill farms will only be ready beginning next [week.] Grass looks well but in our opinion will be found to dry away more than usual.

   The Union milk depot is fast nearing completion. There is some little delay in getting their engine, but good things always come slow. From the present low price of butter every one is anxious to be drawing their milk.

   The dance at Gay's Hall on the evening of the fourth was a very pleasant affair. About forty numbers were sold and "Happy Bill" was in his happiest mood. Gay has greatly improved the former rough appearance of the hall and it is now a cool nice place for a dance on a warm evening.

   The Raymond House is fast filling up with summer boarders. Superintendent Schwarz and Dr. Heffron with their families, of Syracuse, are among the number. On the fourth he set up over a hundred extra meals. On Saturday a large picnic from McGrawville occupied his grounds, and to-day a small party from the same place. There is a congenial spirit between Little York and McGrawville.

   The Good Templars held an ice cream festival at their hall last Wednesday evening. The heavy shower at sundown prevented some of the "wets" from attending. The "drys" were out in full force and a good time was had. The bidding of numbers for partners created lots of fun especially when the auctioneer, two having bid the same figure, added them together and called for a raise—he got it too. This is a fine band of young people doing a good work and deserves encouragement.

   ULI SLICK.