Not impressed with Annapolis’ jubilee

In June 1897, an article was written and published in a Berwick newspaper which criticized the organizers of the Annapolis Jubilee celebrations. The writer went on to say this could be what was expected, judging by the historic town's past records in staying public events.

This criticism led to an angry reply from some people in Annapolis, published in the Annapolis Spectator. In the reply, the Berwick people were reminded the annual success of the campmeeting was the only outstanding event to occur in Berwick.

The original criticism of Annapolis’ events contained some good and bad, such as in the following: the attendance was enormous, taxing to the limit the resources of the D.A.R. and compelling a tedious waiting time at night and a very late - or rather early - arrival time of excursionists from distant points.

The crowd was good-natured and orderly and the day and night passed without accident. An abundance of good cheer was provided, supplied at reasonable prices, and no one need go hungry. Many thousands of dollars were left in the town and this made the event successful to most people.

On the other hand, what did those who attended receive in return for a day of expense and discomfort? The baseball game, advertised to be close, was Middleton 35, Digby 3 after four innings. The maypole dance was beautifully carried out and, had the whole entertainment been arranged by the little folk, there would have been small room for criticism. Numbers of people walked in procession, but the order in which they came was not revealed, either to the onlooker or the reader of the program. The Hon. A. R. Dickey made an excellent oration which, on account of the wind, was inaudible to most of the audience. Hon. Dr. Borden, whose name appeared on the poster in conjunction with that of Mr. Dickey, was not present and there was a dark suggestion he had declined to attend before those posters were printed. Similar suggestions were made regarding several other features of the show, which appear only in advertisements. The tug of war by oxen had been marked off by the S.P.C.A., a very unnecessary interference on the part of that society. Excursions on the basin were impossible on account of the wind. This was fortunate, for there were no craft visible which could have been of service had it been calm. There were no fireworks in the evening worth mentioning and little illumination.

When night came, the good people of the ancient town reckoned their gains, locked their safes and sought their couches; leaving their guests for the day to wait 'til 1 a.m. for the trains that were to have left at 8 p.m. Fireworks would have interested those weary, waiting ones; music would have made the delay less tiresome, but the bands, of which there were three in town, were silent and the rockets, such as they were, would scarcely ascend to be seen by those on the outskirts of the crowd.

The weather was beautifully fine; the visitors were in good humour; the weary night passed away at last. The people reached home safely and the Annapolis celebrations of 1897 became a memory.

The success that attended similar events in Berwick was said to be due to the fact Berwick did not make promises which there were no intension to fulfill. The Jubilee and Dominion Day celebrations there featured marching, music and fireworks.