The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-07-11
A CURIOUS CELEBRATION.
A Famous Legend COMMUNICATED in
m German Town.


n German Town.
A special cable dispatch to the New YORK
Herald says: The citizens Of Ha-Meln or
Hamelin, in Brunswick, Germany, to-day cell
ebrated with much pomp and parade the six
hundredth anniversary of the charming OF
the children of the Hamelin by the Pied Pr
per For two months past 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 had to be postponed
until to-day because of the state Of the
weather. The advertisements of the festival
brought to the little town several thousand
visitors in addition to the usual number of
summer tourists who were staying at the
place. At twilight this morning the people
of Hamein and the surrounding country
were awakened by the booming of cannon
and the changing of bells This salute gavo
assurance that the day was to be one of per-
feet weather The people turned out 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
been rehowered and regreened. Bands pa.
raded all morning, and there was general
Jollity preceding the principal event OF the
day, which was the procession after the gen
eral assemblage at two o'clock i'll front OF the
/ "Old House, This bears on its outer wall
an inscription stating that the Rattenfaengcr
Won Hameln, who lived in that same house,
did on Thursday, GOO years ago, by the charm
of his pipe lure the children of the village
from their homes into cave in
the Keppelberg Hall and disappeared
with them there, in revenge
upon the burgomaster for refusing to pay the
thousand crowns promised the piper for rid
ding the town of its rats. To the assembled
thousands the legend was rected i'll front OF
the old house. Then the grand process ion
was formed and made up as nearly as possible
like the historic procession of old. Hundreds
turtles ago led the procession, following the
strains of the ancient pipe to the spot on the
koppelberg whittier the legend declares that
the piper disappeared with the children.
The spectacle was exceedingly pretty. Thc
costumes were historically correct artist;
from Dusseldorf and Munich having come tC
Hamelin to supervise their manufacture Be
hind the children followed chariots drawn by
mettled horses. after the style of the rude
vehicles of the Pied Piper's time. Knights IL
armor, men in long hose and buff gherkins
women in graceful robes and. finally all tn,
ing their primitive tools, made up thu
balance of a pageant seldom equaled il
this generation for historic interest and pic
turesqucness, The leading authorities of th
town all had conspicuous positions in the pro
cession, and the brilliantly uniformed mlitar,
Of the province added their presence to tn
spectacular display. 1t had been intended t.
embOdy in to-days pageant representation
of all the familiar German legends concernin.
the piper, but at the las moment this idet
was abandoned, because of the time it woul,
have required to carry it out, but it was dc
cided to confine the representation to that o
the Browning story. The procession was a com
plcte success, and the children were escorte'
back to the town with band music. The after
noon was given up to concerts, and all sorts q
outdoor amusemcnts.
In the evening at the theatre Nesslcr's ope
m, the lihretto Of which embodies the o
legend of the Pied Piper, was rendered. man
noted singers taking part in the performance
Late at night the town was brilliantly ilium
mated, and the days festivities We're close
with great torchlisht procession and mag
niticent display of fireworks.