The Water Celebration

About This Item

Title: The Water Celebration
Date: 8 April 1859
Creator(s): Walt Whitman
Whitman Archive ID: per.01389
Source: Brooklyn Daily Times, 8 April 1859: 2. Our transcription is based on a digital image of a microfilm scan of the original issue. Microfilm of original issue held at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. For a description of the editorial rationale behind our treatment of the journalism, see our statement of editorial policy.
Editorial note: This piece is unsigned, as was the case for most of Whitman's journalism. However, this editorial is part of a series of texts that deal with a coherent theme that has been identified by the Whitman Archive journalism team as likely authored by Whitman. This decision is based on a combination of historical and (auto)biographical accounts, similarity to contemporary Whitman writings, a history of scholarly attribution, extant clippings retained by Whitman, computational stylometric analysis, and, in some cases, manuscript evidence in Whitman’s hand.
Contributors to digital file: Thara Michaelis Kaylen Michaelis Francesca Boston Jason Stacy Karie Cobb Stephanie Blalock
Cite this page: Whitman, Walt. "The Water Celebration." The Walt Whitman Archive. Gen. ed. Matt Cohen, Ed Folsom, & Kenneth M. Price. Accessed 17 July 2024. <http://www.whitmanarchive.org>.
Source File: per.01389.xml (TEI)

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The celebration which is proposed for the 27th, in honor of the introduction of water into the city, promises to be the most imposing demonstration ever witnessed in the city of Brooklyn. All classes of our citizens seem to be animated by a desire to aid in giving the greatest possible eclat to the fete. Scarcely a manufacturing establishment in the city is there but what has indicated to the committee an intention of being represented in the procession. This feature will be one of the most prominent in the pageant. The military are burnihsing their arms, and rubbing up their accoutrements, the firemen every ready as they always are, for duty or pleasure, are making the most extensive preparations, while the various civic societies are not behind hand in preparing for the great event. The procession will undoubtedly be a great one, and we are gratified to learn that the Committee have decided that its line of march shall extend through both districts—the Eastern as well as the Western. This is as it should be.

The fountains in both districts are rapidly approaching completion, and will be ready, in ample time. By the by, it strikes us as somewhat strange that none of the many Temperance Societies and organizations in our city have manifested an intention to participate in the ceremonies. The introduction of an unbounded supply of pure water here, is peculiarly a subject of rejoicing for them it strikes us. In the Croton Water Celebration, the Temperance Societies alone comprised an entire division of that procession.

At the meeting of the Committee this morning, applications for places in the procession were received from the Brooklyn Meter and Hydrant Company, First street, E. D.; Burden, the Machinist and Steam Engine Builder, who promises to make a good display; Messrs. Johnson & Jerome, Coal Dealers, and Gaston, Hatter.