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Show flgn -. ft; .Sv iSNNSYLVANIA, bo Mm Tm rich In historic lBr (r buildings, has the iflT CKlRt llonor ' being the H HfPTr blrthplaco of the B B nolRs llrst Fourn of J,lly B xkB y$li celebration. Not B Jifl fffM innny '"lies from the fl $l ft 0 heart of tho Quaker H ? B A P3 City there stood tin- H vJJLL 1$S"J tl recently the B Bifi) beautiful colonial B B MmxvJ hoiiBo where tho B rs fc?Vv" signers of the Dec- K iiAii'12' lnratlonof lndopend- B em. wiu io celebrate. Unfortunate- B ly the hand of commercialism grabbed K beautiful Elm Hill maiiBlon at No. B 4215 Frnnkford avenue and uprotted B It, raising on the site of a modern JH upartment house. K In the once beautiful garden our- I WS: "'"'" '"':"Vffe B Where the First Fourth ol fl rounding this property, which during V tho revolution was owned by Dr. fl Enoch Edwards, a notod patriot, the fl firBt public celebration of tho Declnra- fl tion of Independence took place on fl the evening of July 8, 1776. fl If mu3ty records of "ye olden times" S are to be believed several of the party fl wended their way through the shady 9 avenues and ucross the smooth lawn fl to the Ivy-covered summer-house, with H strangely-shaped, mysterious-looking fl bundles tucked under tholr arms, fl which they placod carefully upon the fl ground as they sat contentedly down fl to do Justice to the bountiful spread B which tholr hospitable host had pro- fl Tided. Rare old wines and choice fl viundB of every description were fl brought forth. As the delicate mor- fl sols disappeared and' course after B course was brought on, the party fl warmed up to the occasion. fl When the stars commenced to l twinkle forth their right to rule and tho 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 tho table and fishing out ouo of thoso mysterious bundles which hnd earlier in tho evening aroused tho curiosity of tho host Amid a silence of breathless expectation expecta-tion tho string was untied and a package pack-age of huge Roman candles caino to view. ' Cheer after cheor drowned the music of tho crickets and katydids and startled tho feathered songsters, who hnd 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 vnrloty of flroworks followed the Roman ' July Was Celebrated. candles and each frosh package brought fortli another three times three. Wlinii nil was In rcndlnoss the first "glorlouB Fourth" over hold in America Amer-ica in the now regulation firework fashion was commenced. How these rocketH, etc , wore secured or where they came from is unknown. As each rocket phot skyward, as oach blast of exploding powder rent the echoes, thoso makers of history laughed, applauded ap-plauded and shouted with delight. The colabratlon was contlnuod away into the wee small hours of the morning, morn-ing, and although 133 "glorious Fourths" have followod this first Jub-iloe Jub-iloe which was held on the 8th of July, 1776, nevor has thoro been a greater display of patriotism, nevor has thoro been more true American Ism expressed than there was on that birthday, |