The Great Fourth of July Exodus: Tacoma’s Streets Empty as Seattle Claims the Holiday

Tacoma, July 4.

The army had the city very late last evening. A large quota of female soldiers marched on the avenue late in the afternoon, marching to the rather discordant and uncertain accompaniment of tambourines. They were thwarted from Ninth street. At the same time the male portion of the army—almost ten in number—came out of Thirteenth street and marched to the boisterous sounds of a bass drum, northward, and the two squads joined each other when they met and continued the march north. Their appearance was welcomed as a relief to the monotony of the day.

A somewhat inebriated individual made some demonstration as they marched past Tenth street and created the impression that there was a fight going on, and in a moment the entire police force was onto him. A crowd collected that was a surprise to every one who saw it, as so many people were, until that moment, not believed to be left in the city. Such was the nature of the fourth of July in Tacoma this year. Business was wholly suspended. No attempt was made at decoration, and scarce a flag was flown on the breeze. Indeed, the breeze was here only part of the time.

True, the small boy was around at intervals and exploded a firecracker, the echo of which, in all its solitude, did service for a whole pack. The beer saloons sent out upon the streets every once in a while a vacant-looking, unsteady stepping individual as witness that they were open and doing business, and at intervals a very domestic man pushing a baby carriage and accompanied by his wife walked around to the free exhibition of the Washington Horticultural Society on Eleventh street. Such was the Fourth of July after 10 o'clock in the morning.

Up until that hour, when the last steamer left for Seattle, the streets were thronged, the tide all setting toward the wharf. Shortly after that hour the German society, with banners and regalia, headed by a brass band, marched through the streets and embarked in wagons for their picnic ground—a picnic long deferred by the rainy weather. After this the day settled down to quietude, and left to Seattle the business and pleasure of celebrating the glorious Fourth.

Lieutenant Winnie Sprague, of Company I National Guards, returned from Seattle on the early afternoon boat, being too ill to remain through the festivities. He speaks in the highest terms of the treatment accorded the company by the 'battle boys.' He says that it hardly could have been improved upon—fine quarters, fine beds, fine meals and every courtesy and attention possible. He says the boy will come back to hear their visit to Seattle in his pleasantest recollection, forever.

The steamer Premier arrived from Vancouver yesterday morning with over 1,000 excursionists. It is estimated that there were 1,500 Tacoma people in the city [Seattle] yesterday, and they seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves.