This might be the answer Bill is looking for as the Hunterdon Democrat article notes that the celebration was undertaken by the McKinley victors. Dennis On 6/3/2012 1:48 PM, KSciarello@aol.com wrote: > According to the Dictionary of Americanisms by John Russell Bartlett: > > > TO ROW UP SALT RIVER, is a common phrase, used generally to signify > political defeat. The distance to which a party is rowed up Salt river depends > entirely upon the magnitude of the majority against its candidates. If the > defeat is particularly overwhelming, the unsuccessful party is rowed up to > the very head waters of Salt river. > It is occasionally used as nearly synonymous with to row up, as in the > following example, but this application is rare: > > Judge Clayton made a speech that fairly made the tumblers hop. He rowed > the Tories up and over Salt river.--Crockett, Tour Down East, p. 46. > To row up Salt river has its origin in the fact that there is a small > stream of that name in Kentucky, the passage of which is made difficult and > laborious as well by its tortuous course as by the abundance of shallows and > bars. The real > ----- > p. 280 > application of the phrase is to the unhappy wight who has the task of > propelling the boat up the stream; but in political or slang usage it is to > those who are rowed up--the passengers, not the oarsman. [J. Inman.] > > > In a message dated 6/3/2012 11:31:12 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, > mrbill1033@comcast.net writes: > > Calling all historians on this one! > > There was a celebratory parade in Flemington on 17 Nov. 1896, on the > occasion of the election of McKinley to the presidency of the USA. A number of > wagons, marching groups, horses and what-nots participated. There were 2 > entries that were noted with the quotation marks: "Salt River Boat" > > I Googled the term and did get 2 hits that may be relevant out of 39 total > listed. Most were advertisements. Unfortunately, the hits did not give me > any information about what the term meant. > > Does anyone know what that meant way back in the late 1800s? > As always, I appreciate facts and not guesses and assumptions!!!!! > > Thanking you all for your time, > Regards, > MrBill > > > > > > > > > > Hunterdon Republican newspaper, visit: > http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~njhrna/ > > Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at: > http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > NJHUNTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject > and the body of the message > > Visit the Hunterdon County GenWeb page at: http://www.rootsweb.com/~njhunter > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to NJHUNTER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message >