The enterprizing citizens had
contributed a large sum of money, which had been judiciously expended in
all kinds of fire-works, and one side of the public square was given up to
the display.
Thousands of citizens had gathered there, from city and country, and
bright Roman candles shone o'er fair men and brave women, and sixteen
thousand nine hundred and twelve hearts beat happy, while music arose with
its voluptuous swell, and soft eyes looked love to eyes which spake again,
or words to that effect. At least that was what a young fellow from Racine
told us, who was here to see a specialist to have a splinter from a rocket
stick removed from his ear.
A few pieces had been shot off, a few bunches of crackers had had their
tails tied together and been hung over a wire clothes line, like cats, to
fight it out, and the crowd was holding its breath for the next boom, when
there was an explosion; the earth seemed to tremble, and the air was full
of all kinds of fire-works. The whole supply of fire-works had become
ignited, and were blowing off where they listeth, without regard to
anybody's feelings.
The crowd became panic stricken, and there never was another such a scene,
and never will be until the last great day, when a few thousand people
suddenly find that they have got into hell, by mistake, when they thought
they were ticketed through to the other place.
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