The bee., 1884-07-05
A CURIOUS CELEBRATION.
A Famous Legend Cemmemorated in
a German Town.

i special cable dispatch To the New York
Herald saws The citizens of Ha- Meln or
Hamelin. in Brunswick, Germany, to-day eel
ebratcd with much Iomp and parade the six
hundr,4ith anniversary Of tho charming of
the children Of the Hamelin by the Pied Fl
pei. For two months past a committee of
twenty nine citizens had been busily en-
gagged in arranging the details of the
celebration This was to have begun
on Thursday. the real anniversary
day, but hal to be postponed
until to-day because Of the state Of the
weather. The advertisements Of the festival
brought 70 the little town several thousand
visitors iIi addition to the usual number OF
summer tourists who were staying at the
place At twilight this morning the people
Of Ham-iin ami the surrounding country
were awakened bv the booming Of cannon
nnd the changing Of balls THIS salute gave
assurance that the day was Ia be one of per
feet weather. The people tuTnei cut in their
best attire. All the schools. workshops and
stores were closed. and the entire population
of the district made such a holiday as has sell
dom been seen in Germany
All the buildings had been freshly decorated
during the night, and the street archings had
been reflowerei and regreened Bands pa
Taded all morning. and there was general
lolllty preceding the principal event of the
uay, which was the procession after the gen
eral asSemblage at two o'clock in front Of the
old House" This hears on its outer wall
an inscription stating that the Rattenfaenger
Won Ramelin. who lived IN that same house.
dld on THURSDAY, 10 years ayo. 10y the charm
Of his pipe lure the children Of the Tillage
from their homes into cave in
the keppelherg Hall and disappeared
With them there, i'll revenge
upon the burgomaster for refusing to pay the
thousand crowns promised the piper Tor rid
ding the town Of Its las To the assembled
thousands the legend was recited III front Of
the old house. Then the grand procession
was formed and made up as neaTlyas possible
like the historic procession OF old. Hundreds
OF children dressed in the costume Of six cen
turleS ago lei the procession, following the
strains of the ancient pipe u the spot on the
hoppelberr whittier the legend declares that
the piper disappeared with the children
The spectacle was exceedingly pretty. The
costumes We're histor 'cally correct. artists
from Dusseldorf and Munich having come TO
Hamelln 70 supervise their manufacture Be
hind the children followed chariots drawn by
mettled horses, after the style of the rude
vehicles of the Pied Pipers time knights IN
dTnloT, Hleu Ill tonr nose ana Dun ghtTk1nS,
women in graceful robes, and. finally all the
handicraftsrnen of that ancient time. wield-
ing their primitive tools. made up tho
balance of pageant seldom equaled in
this generation for historic interest and pic
turesqucneSs. The leading authorities of The
town all had conspicuous positions in the pro
ceSsion. and the brilliantly uniformed military
Of the province added their presence to the
spectacular display. 1t had been intended to
embody in to-day's pageant representations
Of all the familiar German legends concerning
the piper, but at the las moment this idea
was abandoned. because of the time it would
have required TO carry it out. but it was de-
cided to contine the representation TO that of
the Browning story. Theprocession was COM
plete success. and the children were escorted
hack to the town with band music. The after
noon was given up to concerts. and ali sorts of
outdoor amuSements.
In the evening at the theatre NeSsIers ope-
ra, the hhretto of which embodies the old
legend of the Pied Piper. was rendered. many
noted singers taking part in the performance.
Late at night the town was brilliantly iIlumi-
mated. and the days festivities were closed
with great torchIiSht procession and mag
niticent display of fireworks.