The City’s Birthday.

Year
1883
Month
5
Day
18
Article Title
The City’s Birthday.
Author
------
Page Number
1
Article Type
Language
Article Contents
The City’s Birthday. The Meetings in Centenary Church --Special Service in Trinity THE PROCESSIONS, ILLUMINATIONS, ETC. -- Delightful weather, abundant good nature on the part of the people, and a full determination to take the most enjoyment out of everything that offered – and, of course, the interest of the occasion – were the chief factors that contributed to the great success of yesterday’s demonstration. We note all the leading features of the celebration, all the chief matters of interest. It would take many columns of type to record all the incidents which gave variety to the different entertainments, or all the pleasant occurrences which made up the very successful celebration. Not the least interesting feature of the celebration was the memorial service in the Centenary church on Thursday night, which was attended by a congregation which more than filled the seating capacity of that edifice. The platform in front of the reading desk with some beautiful plants and in either side of the choir space the Stars and Strips and Union Jack were suspended. An ancient chair, said to be 200 years old, occupied a conspicuous position among the platforms decorations. Seated on the platform were His Honor the Lt.-Governor, Chief Justico Allen, General Warner, Mayor Jones, J.W. Lawrence, Esq., J. V. Ellis, Esq., M.P.P., Albert Palmer, M.P.P., Hon. Mr. Hamilton, M.L.C., W.C. Drury, Esq., Geo. McLeod, Esq., C. N. Skinner, Esq., Judge of Probates, Revs. D. D. Currie, Dr. Macrae, Dr. Pope, John Read. W. A. Holdbrook, H. Daniel and a number of prominent laymen. The evening exercises began by the singing of the hymn, commencing “O God, our help in ages past,” after which Rev. Dr. Pope engaged in prayer. Rev. W. A. Holbrook then recited the prayer for Her Majesty the Queen, as laid down in the ritual of the Church of England, followed be the Lord’s Prayer, the congregation responding. Chief Justice Allen, in moving that the Lt. Governor be chosen chairman of the meeting, took occasion to make a few remarks on the day we were about to celebrate. He regretted that to-morrow some corner stone was not to be laid to to commemorate our Loyalist forefathers or that some substantial token of our appreciation of their sacrifices was not to be inaugurated. He thought that on some future occasion the people of St. John might be able to determine upon some ceremony which might fully honor the memory of the Loyalists. Rev. D. D. Currie seconded the motion, and made a few explanatory remarks. The Lt. Governor, in accepting the chair, expressed the pleasure that it gave him to be present and preside at such a representative gathering. He related some reminiscenes of the Loyalists, as told to him by his grandmother many years ago, and spoke to the sacrifices they made in leaving comfortable homes in the United States and taking up their abodes on these inhospitable shores. One of the leading characteristics of the Loyalists, he said, was their obstinacy or determination, and this characteristic appears to have been inherited by their descendants. He narrative some facts relation to the early history of St. John, referred to the severe trials it has undergone, the scourgings by fire it has received, and concluded by paying a high compliment to the indomitable energy of the people of the city. The choir then sang the anthem, “I was glad when they said unto me we will go into the house of the Lord,” after which Rev. Mr. Pope arose and handed to Rev. Mr. Read a copy of the Scriptures which had been brought here by the Loyalists. Rev. Dr. Macrae and Rev. Mr. Read then read the 92st and 100th Psalm, after which the choir sang, “Guide me. O thou great Jehovah,” Miss McInnis and Mr. Barton sustaining the solo parts. In the absence of Judge Palmer, Judge Skinner took the platform and spoke very interestingly for a few minutes. He maintained that this celebration did not belong to St. John particularly but to the whole Province. St. John, from its geographical position, was to the Loyalists the most attractive place and hence it is we celebrate their landing. He touched upon the trials the Loyalists endured, the motives which actuated them alluded to the rapid strides the United States has made in the past 100 years, and remarked upon the absence of any war or strife in the colonies during that time and concluded by pointing out the advances Canada has made in the century just drawing to a close. The choir sang “Jehovah’s Praise,” at the conclusion of which Mr. Lawrence was introduced and delivered a most interested sketch of the early history of St. John. In concluding he asked the congregation to give their substance, pointing out in eloquent terms the necessity that existed for improving the condition of the old burying ground, in which rested the bones of many of the Loyalists. After the collection had been taken up, brief addresses were delivered by Rev. Mr. Hopper and Rev. D. D. Currie. As the boom from the cannons at the old burying ground, announced the departure of the last moments of the century, the choir sang the doxology. Rev. Mr. Holbrook made a few remarks, the benediction was pronounced by Rev. Mr. Daniel, and the congregation passed out, after the singing of the national anthem, under the clear moonlit sky to hear the bells of Trinity filling the night with music. SALUTE ON FRIDAY MORNING – THE POLYMORPHLANS The first intimation such of the inhabitants as were awake received that another century of the city’s history had commenced was shortly after midnight when a salute was fired over the bodies of the departed Loyalists and their descendents which repose in the historic burying ground. As the sun rose above the horizon with a glory that betokened a magnificent day a salute of fifty guns was fired from the old time weapons kept as relics on the barrack ground, while Carleton answered from her misty shroud, back to the joyous fort, which called to her aloud, and the ubiquitous fire cracker in the hands of the small boy helped to raise such a din as “roused up the citizens” if not with terror dumb, with a presage of ½ day of keen enjoyment, which was not over-realized. What was looked upon as one of the most attractive affairs of the day was the LANDING OF THE LOYALISTS Which event was, from all accounts, the natal day of the City of Saint John. This pageant was timed so as to be in accord with the arrangements of the Calithumpian and Polymorphian clubs, who for weeks past have been engaged in the preparations for a display which they made most creditable and to the great delight of the immense throng who witnessed it. The procession, which was to welcome the landing of the representatives of the loyalists, was marshalled shortly after 6 o’clock in the Haymarket Square grounds, and undoubtedly made a brave and brilliant show. On the signal being given to advance the procession move in excellent order to the Market Slip, where the landing was to take place. First came the President of the Polymorphian Club, splendidly mounted, and attended by a pursuivant bearing the banner of the club, after which followed the band of the 62nd Fusiliers playing a lively quickstep. The “armoured Knights” who next defiled out of the grounds, and who were some seventy strong, were remarkable for their splendid dress and the quality of the animals they bestode. Their sealed armor shone in the morning sun like burnished silver, and their martial air excited general admiration. “The 1783 Artillery Company” made a respectable show with their “dummy” 9 pounder, and were succeeded by the “old 104th,” which mustered 75 men dressed in quaint uniform which was in vogue one hundred years ago. They looked and marched well and gained universal encomiums. The sloop “King George” looked remarkably well, as drawn by four horses, and with every sail set in conveyed its crew of old time passengers along the route of procession. An important, and one of the best features of the exhibition was the log cabin, which, tenanted by the early settlers engaged in domestic occupations, was very realistic. The smoke rose from the chimney with a graceful curl, the household washing was being performed in the yard in front, while the plaintive bleat of the goat was heard from the barn yard. An Irish jaunting car; the “Tally Ho” coach with a lot of ancient inside and outside passengers, and olden time bridal party, in which the bride looked charming as usual; a cart containing a number of immigrants and drawn by the patient and meek-eyed ox, a detachment of noble red men, and last, but not least, Mr. Andrew G. Gorman, sitting on a blooded and richly caparisoned charger, made with the usual complement of nondescripts, such a goodly show as frequently during the progress elicited the lusty cheers of the spectators, who lined the the streets from City Road to the Market Square. Here was assembled an immense crowd of people eagerly expecting the arrival of the good ship “King George,” which her interesting freight. About seven o’clock the anticipations of the populace were realized as, amid the cheers of the populace, the shriek of tug boats and the equally euphonious notes of the bag-pipes on board the gallant craft, she drew near to the place of landing. The scene at this period of the day’s proceedings was a lively one. Thousands of people were assembled, securing every vantage point where a view of the landing could be obtained, and sorely trying the patience of the police, who, it is fair to say, did their duty in keeping the landing clear with good humor and determination. As soon as the keep of the vessel (if she had one) grounded upon the beach there emerged from the grove of cedars in the square three mounted aborigines who advanced to receive the pioneers of civilization, and the chief, whose get up was worthy of Uncas, the last of the Mohicans, delivered a welcome address which was acknowledged by the leader of the refugees. The representatives of the loyalists, who had danced a jig as the vessel came up the slip, then descended from the craft which bore them to the shore, amid a salute of artillery, the passengers clad in every description of costume in vogue for a couple of centuries past. The baggage which was landed last was of an incongruous description, and rather suggestive of “very hard times” than the comfortable circumstances of the refugees, who by all accounts, were not devoid of this world’s goods to such an extent as the battered trunks, worn our cradle and consumptive goat, landed yesterday to represent their belongings, would lead the unreflecting spectator to imagine. The procession being augmented by the loyalists then paraded the streets in the order announced to the strains of martial and inspiring music, returning to the place of departure where the parade was dismissed. The spectacle in the Market Square before the start-out of the procession – with the immense masses of people filling the whole area, the quaint and many colored dresses, moving through the crowd, the windows and tops of the houses thronged with spectators- was an inspiring one.