* * * * *
                                        
        Be careful, for tomorrow could be Sorrowing Day—the 5th of July
                                        
My friend Hoade [1] sent me several stereoscopic pictures (and a viewer) for
Christmas. One struck a chord with me:

[For some reason, this reminds me of Bunny and her brother. I don't know why
...] [2]
 

(and yes, I'm trying to give you, the reader, an impression of viewing a
stereoscopic picture on the Intarwebs)

On the back is written:

> No 1128 (b). SORROWING—JULY 5.
> 
> This is the same little boy who started out to make so much noise and smoke
> yesterday celebrating the Fourth. In the United States in one year,
> according to the figures gathered by experts, there were 168 boys and men
> and a few girls, too, who, like this boy, started out celebrate [sic], and
> wound up by leaving sorrowing friends, for that many were killed by
> explosions or died from lockjaw as the result of celebrating just one July
> 4th; and besides that, there were hundreds upon hundreds—something like
> 7,000 boys and men and girls maimed and crippled in that same celebration.
> Most of those who died were killed by lockjaw, one of the most terrible of
> diseases.
> 
> Perhaps five whole regiments of young men and boys are killed or injured
> every Fourth of July by fireworks and revolvers and mostly by toy pistols
> that shoot caps and torpedoes—for these cause most of the lockjaw.
> 
> Is it worth while to celebrate that way, and kill and maim in a celebration
> so many whose lives are useful to their country? Would it not be better to
> leave the fireworks to those skilled in handling them, and instead of
> devoting July 4th to fun, to make it a day of patriotism, to teach to all
> Americans what the Declaration of Independence means?
> 

No year is given on that particular picture, but some of the others have
“1925” so I guess they are all from about the same time period. And given the
number of times “lockjaw [3] was mentioned, it appears it was a grave concern
at the time.

Nowadays, you have to concern yourself with burnt hair [4] from overzealous
neighbors.

Be safe, and remember, there's a reason professionals exist [5].

[1] https://seanhoade.com/
[2] gopher://gopher.conman.org/gPhlog:2017/07/04/sorrow.gif
[3] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetanus
[4] gopher://gopher.conman.org/0Phlog:2011/07/04.1
[5] gopher://gopher.conman.org/IPhlog:2010/07/04/amateurs.jpg

Email Sean Conner at sean@conman.org

.