It Was A Great Day

Thursday was a perfect day, a little cool perhaps for those standing on the shaJy side of buildings, but just cool enough to be pleasant for a great event like the Germán day celebration. There was no dust, for whicb every one was thankful. The crowds commmeneed arriving in the city early in the morning. They came from every direction and in every sort of vehicle, so that by 10 o'clock the streets were filled with a mass of good natured humanity, moving here and there in search of a place of vantage frorn which to view the parade, scheduled for 10:30 o'clock. Circus day was no comparison to the crowd of Germán Day either in quantity or quality. Then they had something to look at hesides the parade. Xearly every business house along the line of march was handsomely decorated with flags, bunting or green trees, or some sort of a rreeting to the crowd. Across the street, froin Sehairer & -Millen's to the F. & M". Bank was a fine banner, bedecked with American flags, with the word "Willkommen." Another similar one spanned the street in the block south, from Wadham, Ryan and Reule to Cutting and Co's stores. The private decorations were in many instances artistic and attractive. All these things certainly proved to the visitors that Ann Arbor gave them a welcome. It is estimated that there were some 15,000 people who witnessed the parade, some 7,000 or 8,000 being strangers. Crowds ramo from Detroit, Toledo, Jackson, etc., while the delegations from Ypsilanti, Manchester, Saline, Chelsea, Dexter, Milan and the surrounding towna were largo in immbers. The parade was as fine a display as has been seen here in many a day. It was under the command of Titas F. Hutzel, and moved with clock work precession, the various divisions joining the main body without a breake. The marshals who assisted Mr. Hutzel were : A. C. Schumacher, Chas. H. Kline, Herman Hardinghaus, Wm. Seyfried, George Schaible, Samuel Henne, Charles Robb and Julián R. Trojanowski, assistant marshals. The procession was formed in the folio wing order and commenced moving at 11 o'clock: The first división was formed of the city pólice mounted on horses ; Becker's Light Infantry Band ; Ypsilanti and Ann Arbor military companies ; Ann Arbor Rifles' float representing the Goddess of Liberty. These were followed by hacks containing L. J. Lisemer, speaker of the day. C. E. Hiscock, president of the council, Dr.'O.Georg, president of the day ; H. Dancer, Chairman ; C. Martin, Treasurer ; C.Schlenker, Secretary ; Geo. B. Schwab; county officers ; common couucil and city officers; flre department. The second división comprised the Ypsilanti Band, Ypsilanti societies, Schiller Lodge, Is o. 43, Jackson, representatlves from Manchester, Chelsea and Dexter townships. The third división was as follows : Saline Band; Saline societies ; business men; decorated wagons. The fourth división consisted of Otto's Band ; Cantón Aun Arbor, No. 30, I. O. O. F. ; Lyra Gesang Verein ; Arbeiter Unterstuetzungs Verein ; Turner Verein ; Schuetzen Bund ; A. O. U. W. Lodge ; Germania Lodge, D. O. H.; Schwaebischen Unt. Verein ; Landwehr Unt. Verein ; Phoenix Gesang Verein. Then came the floats and wagons representing the business houses of the city: W. C. Reinhardt, shoe dealer, Walker & Co., carriage manufacturera, L. Rohde, coal dealer, Wurster & Kirn, carriage manufacturera and blacksmiths, Heinzmann & Laubengayer, dealers in grain etc, Charles Tessmer, builder, Wm. Arnold, jeweler, Koek Bros., contractors, Mack & Co., furniture and dry joods dealers, George Walir, book dealers, Hutzel& Co., Plumbers, Wadhains, Ryan & Reule, clothiers, Schumacher & Miller, druggists, C. A. Keyes, jeweler, C. Schlenker, hardware dealer, M. Staebler, coal and bicycle dealer, North Side Meat Market, Ann Arbor Fluf Rug Co., Henry Richards, coal dealer, Eberbach Hardware Co., Hangsterfer, caterer, Western Brewery, C. A. Sauer, builder, W. & J. Gwinner, saloonists, John Baumgardner, Electric Granite Works, Night Lunch, John L. Mahlke and F. C. Weinberg, contractors and builders. Many of these Floats were beautiful, and took inuch time and genius to construct. They deserve a better notice than we have space for. Six of these societies escorted elaborately beautifnl floats- the Turn Verein, A. O. U. W., Schwaebischen Uut. Verein, Landwehr, United Friends, and Germania Lodge, D. 0. H. They were usually symbolical of Germán legends, national characteristics and history and attracted great attention. The line of march was : East on Washington to División, south on División to Madison, east on Madison to State, north on State to Huron, west on Huron to 4th ave., around the court house square, south oii Main to Liberty, west on Liberty to Fifth, south on Fifth to Relief Park, where the procession disbanded. AT THE PARK. Tlie program for the exercises at the park was carried out as heretofore anuounced. Mayor Walker being confined to his home by illness, President of the Council Chas. E. Hiscock acted as Mayor. In making his address of welcome he said : "We appreeiate the compliment conferred by selecting this city as your place of meeting this year and trust the warnith of our hospitality will prove the wisdom of your choice. You are gathered here to day to celébrate your seventh annual meeting and while I recall the great success of your first (ierman Day and the many who participated therein still it does not compare with the vast numbers who are here today and I congratúlate your "liicers and all thoso who have so ably assisted in keeping up so great an interest, and making this celebration so decided a success. "The object of this gathering is a laudable one. You are gathered here today to commemorate one of the greatest events in American history, the landing of the first Germans on our shores oyer 200 years ago, the vanguard of a race of people who, second to none, have been instrumental in building up, maintaining and defending our country and making of it what it is today, one of the grandest nations of the world. "We are pleased to see many here from the surrounding towns and neighboring cities. Could they remain with us we would he glad to show them the many places of interest in onr city. We would ask them to stroll through the campus and visit our great University, inspect our public building, examine our system of waterworks, electric tight and street railway lines and note our wide streets and handsome boulevard. A great Germán said, "To give space for wandering in it that the world was made so wide." This would apply to our streets and avenues and we hope you will vander through them and note their beauty. We ask you to observe the many pleasant homes in our city. A few years ago when Coleridge, the Lord Chief Justice of England, yisited America, he was banqueted in New York City on the eve of his departure, after having made his tour of the country, and he then told his guests that he had seen our grand mouutains, our mighty rivers and our great commercial centers, but what impressed Li ui most in his travels about the United States was the great number of homes owned and occupied by the middle class and he charged his hearers to cultívate, encourage and develop those homes for they were the secure foundation on which our republican form of government rested. What he said of the whole country applies strongly to Ann Arbor. T believe no other (Contlnued on 8th page.) W] A GREAT DAY, (Continned from flrst page .) city of equal size lias so many pleasant homes built and occupied by the owners and it is our duty to guard and increase them. There is an oíd Germán saying, that he who loves not wife, wine and song will reinain a fooi bis whole life long. henee 1 would invite yon to enjoy yourselves in our city as Germán oustom may díctate. "And now, my friends, I again bid you welcome and extend you the freedom of the city, with the hope that your visit here may be an enjoyable one and that you will carry back to your homes pleasant recollections of this day's celebration." Herman Dancer, the president of the day, then read an original poem in German, which for beauty and sentiment was highly complimented. The address of the day was delivered by Louis J. Liesemer, in Germán. As Bro. Liesemer is modest, and as the writer could not understand what he said well enough to report it, we shall have to give only a brief synopsis which does not do the effort justice. After a brief historical sketch of what the Germans had done for the advancement of mankind in literature, science, the arts and what their statesman and military generáis had accomplished for the Fatherland he passed on to details of how German-Americans had contributed the rapid and solid progress of the United States. "It is said that somewhere in our land a society has been formed which has for its motto, 'One flag, one country, one language.' This is partly wrong. It should read : 'One flag, one country, and all the languages one can master." Every thinking and progressive man is desirous of acquiring another langitage besides his own. He can see and think better with the aid of two languages t'uan with the assistance of only one. He is like a man with two eyes and two ears, who can hear and see better than the individual with only one ear, one eye and one language. "The nuinber of those whó are acquiring a knowledge of the Germán is daily increasing in our schools and in the fields of industry. The English and Germán languages are destined to become universal languages. Two-thirds of the commerce of the world is carried on in the language of the Teutón and the Briton. So he who wants to keep abreast of the times in this grand age of progress and of learning must strive to acquire at least the two great industrial and commercial languages of the modern world. "German-Americans eau always speak with pride of the first Gennan colonists who sailed in the Concord, because religiously and politically their deeds outshine by far the deeds of the Puritans who sailed in the Mayflower. We are Americans. The energy, the pluck, the loyalty which we German-Americans have inherited from our fathers we have bequeathed to the Union. We helped to establish and preserve this grand Union of States whose civilization is today foremost in the march of nations. We love only one flag, the stars and stripes, and in defense of its honor we are ready to die, if need be. Let us continue to be what we are, Americans ; to love labor and progress ; to prize liberty ; to love our glorious Union more than all else ; to obey its laws and the laws of God." Following this was the president's address, delivered also in Germán, by Dr. Conrad Georg. The Dr. is always good, and this was not an exception. It is to be regretted that we have not sufficient space to give a more complete report. Everybody had a good time, and was glad tliey carne here. The delegates from the various organizations met and decided to hold the next meeting at Dexter.