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Show Firt" Glorious Fourth" r How It Was Celebrated in the City of Brotherly Love r ftn fc ev ENNSYLVANIA, so ,nfrMaj ricn 'n historic buildings, has the honor of being the fjjr birthplace of the I lljH first Fourth of July IP 1 5(11 celebration. Not !H lliyW many miles from the "Hi fwlH lieait f the Quaker rtfflfiB It Ei City there stood un-JI1m un-JI1m ' ? lJJ recently the jp8$S&b'' ,-'.5j) beautiful colonial ft SiWv house where the ; ifif &$t signers of the Dec-1 Dec-1 (jjy laration of Independence Independ-ence went 10 celebrate. Unfortunately Unfortunate-ly the hand of commercialism grabbed beautiful Elm Hill mansion at No. 4215 Frankford avenue and uprotted It, raising on the site of a modern apartment house. In the once beautiful garden sur- twinkle forth their right to rule and the moon sailed high above the tree-tops, tree-tops, it is said that mild, sober Franklin Frank-lin actually sent a knowing wink at stately Jefferson, who responded by reaching under the table and fishing out one of those mysterious bundles which had earlier in the evening aroused the curiosity of the host. Amid a silence of breathless expectation expecta-tion the string was untied and a package pack-age of huge Roman candles came to view. Cheer after cheer drowned the music of the crickets and katydids and startled the feathered songsters, who had long ago hushed their songs, and were peacefully sleeping in the tree-tops. tree-tops. Skyrockets, firecrackers, pin-wheels, pin-wheels, red, yellow and purple lights; in short, every then known variety of fireworks followed the Roman 1 wamw 1 Where the First Fourth of July Was Celebrated. rounding this property, which during the revolution was owned by Dr. Enoch Edwards, a noted patriot, the first public celebration of the Declaration Declara-tion of Independence took place on the evening of July 8, 1776. If musty records of "ye olden times" are to be believed several of the party wended their way through the shady avenues and across the smooth lawn to the ivy-covered summer-house, with strangely-shaped, mysterious-looking bundles tucked under their arms, which they placed carefully upon the ground as they sat contentedly down to do justice to the bountiful spread which their hospitable host had provided. pro-vided. Rare old wines and choice viands of every description were brought forth. As the delicate morsels mor-sels disappeared and course after course was brought on. the party warmed up to the occasion. When the stars commenced to candles and each fresh package brought forth another three times three. When all was in readiness the first "glorious Fourth" ever held in America Amer-ica in the now regulation firework fashion was commenced. How these rockets, etc., were secured or where they came from is unknown. As each rocket shot skyward, as each blast of exploding powder rent the echoes, these makers of history laughed, applauded ap-plauded and shouted with delight. The celebration was continued away into the wee small hours of the morning, morn-ing, and although 133 "glorious Fourths" have followed this first jubilee jub-ilee which was held on the 8th of July, 1776, never has there been a greater display of patriotism, never has there been more true Americanism American-ism expressed than there was on that birthday. |
