The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-21 00:00:00

THE FORESTERS AT THE CRYSTAL

PALACE.
The Crystal ' Palace and its beautiful grounds
yesterday presented one of those wonderful scenes
of which it would require many repetitions indeed
to blunt the interest. The occasion was the seventh
annual festival of the Ancient Order of Foresters,
—a body which, like the Druids, the Odd Fellows,
and other kindred fraternities, consists of an orga-
nisation of affiliated benefit clubs, having its centre
in the metropolis and its ramifications in all parts
of the kingdom. In 1855 it occurred to the managers
of the metropolitan association that the giving of a
fete would be an admirable means of helping their
finances, and of at the same time affording them-
selves a day's pleasure. In that year, accordingly,
the first festival was held in aid of the widows' and
orphans' fund of the London United District; and
on that and subsequent occasions so much success
attended the project, and so warmly have the
country brotherhood entered into the spirit of these
reunions, that Foresters' day at Sydenham Palace
has now become a recognised popular institution.
Last year 68,000 persons took part in the fete, a
larger concourse than had ever before visited the
Palace; and, all things considered, yesterday exhi-
bited little symptom of any falling off in these
monster gatherings. The South London branch of
the society having announced its intention to hold
a separate fete shortly on its own account, such an
arrangement could not fail to detract from the con-
course assembled yesterday ; still, the total number
of visitors, notwithstanding this division of strength,
reached very nearly to 60,000. All the railway
companies having termini in London ran excursion
trains, which brought swarms of Foresters and their
families from all parts of the country to swell the
multitudinous throng. Many of them travelled in
the full costume and insignia of the order—namely,
a velvet cap, with waving plume of variously-
coloured feathers, a green tunic, broad sash, hunts-
man's horn, &c.—and attracted much notice by their
singular if not picturesque appearance. Some of
thesenappy wights were very elaborately and even
foppishly got up; others were so ludicrously mis-
fitted, and withal so ungainly, that they excited in-
extinguishable merriment in the beholder. Perfect
guys as the latter were, however, in everybody
else's eyes, they were all unconscious of their defi-
ciencies, and seemed to derive an intensity of
delight—which only a cynic would grudge them—
from the innocent tomfoolery of playing Robin
Hood and Little John for one day only. Others,
and by far the majority of the brotherhood present,
'less fond of display, and yet unwilling to conceal
their connection with the Order at such an unusual
muster, more a plain sash or simple rosette, the
pattern of which indicated to the initiated the offices
the bearer had filled Besides the multitudes
brought by rail and steamboat from a distance, my-
riads from London and its suburbs went to Syden-
ham by the road. For their conveyance every de-
scription of vehicle, omnibus, cab, van, waggon,
donkey cart, and costermonger's cart, was put into
requisition ; and from an early hour the route by
Brixton, Clapham-road, and on through Dulwich
was almost as bustling and animated as the road to
Epsom on a Derby-day. The stream of holiday
folks, accompanied by bands of music and flags and
banners, flowed on without interruption till far in
the afternoon, and choked up every inlet to the Pa-
lace. The weather was magnificent, and, though the
interior of the building was much frequented dur-
ing the day, the al fresco entertainments naturally
attracted most patrons. The amusements for the
occasion were provided on the most liberal and
diversified scale, including a double display of the
fountains, dancing on the green, concerts both in-
door and outdoor, archery, quoits. and other field
sports, and a grand procession of the Foresters in
their regalia and decorations, preceded by their
bands and banners. The procession formed at one
o'clock in the cricket-ground, and thence perambu-
lated the gardens and terraces, followed by a vast
concourse of eager spectators. Its effect, as seen
from the balconies of the Palace, though fine, was
not nearly so imposing as it might have been hod
the Foresters present only acted in a little better
concert, and more generally fallen in to swell
its ranks, instead of paying their assiduous devoirs
to the fair sex, and also to the inexhaustible
stores of porter and pork pies at an inopportune
moment. Indeed, the grassy slopes in front of the
Palace and in the gardens were the livelong day
converted into one huge picnic, or aggregation of
picnics ; and towards evening the debris of half-
eaten sandwiches, loaves, and meat, combined with
the sad wreck of bottles and pewter pots, strewed
over acres of what had so lately been grass, was
something astounding to witness. Yet, although
everybody gave himself up to the most perfect
enjoyment, no wilful damage was done by any one,
and all passed off with comparative decorum, and
certainly with absolute good humour. The arrange-
ments of the railway companies were such as to
obviate all avoidable delay or confusion with so
enormous a press of passengers, and the return
journey by the road was attended with all the ex-
citement and exuberant hilarity of a " Derby"
night. Altogether, the " million" seemed thoroughly
satisfied with its " out."