Roselle Fourth of July Celebration, 1880

KRUSE, DREES

Posted By: David Reineke (email)
Date: 4/3/2005 at 11:58:15

I translated the following article from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published on 9 July 1880. Any information in brackets or notes at the end is my own explanation. It reads as follows:

The Fourth of July Celebration in Hillsdale [Roselle]

The sun rose up weak and pale from the horizon last Monday, only to disappear quickly again behind a thick cloud cover. A few raindrops fell, and it was not long before a powerful rain roared down and the rumble of thunder sounded. It appeared that the Hillsdalers’ celebration, which they had looked forward to for a long time, would be spoiled by rain. But around 11:00, the gray clouds parted and brought forth the sun, sending down its glowing rays. They had already partly given up hope, but when the friendly blue sky once again shone through, the Hillsdalers busied themselves again with fresh courage, and it was not long before the celebration grounds were filled with festively dressed people. When the Mt. Carmel Music Band then made an appearance on the scene, the somewhat still-depressed mood rose noticeably. With their beautiful dances and marches, they contributed greatly to the success of the festival, and Mr. Krause deserves credit for having his people in order. Everyone enjoyed the beautiful music with pleasure, and the Mt. Carmel people were universally praised for their music and fine conduct. People had gathered from near and far to enjoy the amusement, and the games, the ring riding, the glass ball shooting, and the raffle took their course and everyone enjoyed themselves to the fullest. Unfortunately, we also cannot refrain from making a few words of criticism. When Mr. Drees (who, it should be noted, went to the utmost trouble to make the fair a success) was dealing with the voting for the most popular woman, there were several insults by trouble-makers, in whose nature it apparently is to make a problems. It is not our habit to use rude language, and therefore we ask your forgiveness for forgetting that this one time. These blind-drunk rowdies, for we cannot call them anything else, see it as a great bold deed to assault decent people with their foul mouths. Indeed, after darkness fell, they even went so far as to cut to pieces the blankets on Mr. Drees’s horse. We are unable to say who the culprit is. Do not such brutish people do the greatest harm to the reputation of a community? Who will go there again to such an occasion? Certainly not respectable people. They will stay away. And only because of half a dozen swine. In fairness to the Hillsdalers, it should be said that this was only half a dozen fellows who were seen by everyone but us. We make the recommendation, next time to tar and feather them and ride them out of town on a fence rail.

NOTES: The article mentions “ring riding” as an entertainment. I think this is the traditional German sport called “das Ringreiten,” in which riders on a galloping horse hold a small wooden lance and attempt to spear a small metal ring which is suspended by string between two poles.