The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-05
THE BATTLE OF FLOWERS.
A Foral Carnival Which Has Pleased Partisan

Amusement Lovers.
Lucy Hooper's Paris Letter.
/ really think that the prettiest of the carnival
paStlmes of Nice, namely, the Battle OF Flowers,
is about to become acclimatized in Paris Last
year the Partisan press, headed by the Figaro,
organized fete of this nature in the Bots de
Boulogne for the benefit of the poor The day
proved cold and rainy, and the affair was fail
ure. but with sufficient promise of success under
favorable auspices to encourage a repetition OF
the experiment 1t was tried again this year, and
this time was brilliantly successful The day was
charming and the Bots was thronged with
riages all afternoon, many of them being most
beautifully decorated with flowers One landau
was entirely covered with pink and white roses.
Another had been transformed into q moving
tricolor with masses Of red and white roses and
of blue cornf1owers The palm of novelty aud
Of beauty was accorded to landau adorned
with wild flowers, the lowered hood of the vehi
Gle being transformed into a bed of grass. At
first there was some timidty shown in throw
ing flowers, but once the example was
set by group of old habitues
of Nice the graceful sport speedily became
general, and the scented missiles were thrown
and received with gay good will. Every fair So
ciety lady, or pretty American girl, or popular
actress, showered with floral favors and
dealt out acknowledgements in kind. Nine
Bernadaki. the beautiful Russian, was cheered
as she passed by an adventurous youth by the
title of "the fairest of the fair She regarded
and by lightly tossing to him sheaf of flowers
tied with broad salmon-pink watered ribbon
The merry warfare was kept up till the last
rays OF sunset were fading from the
western sky. One of the prettiest features
Of the occasion was the display made upon the
lake. Every boat belonging to the park was
gayly decked with flags, and some of them were
freghted with flowers while band. stationed
on a barge moored near the central island, lent
the attractions of music to the scene. After
mic wit
lanterns and grand display Of fire works closed
the festivities of the day. These last proved
rather DISASTROUS the multitude of carriage
horses which were on the grounds decidedly
objected to the blaze and the noise and
showed their disapproval by kicking and
plunging, and in some cases by running away
One very handsome pair, attached to an elegant
equipage, dashed into the middle Of the crowd
creating great deal of terror and disturbance,
but, fortunately without doing any injury. And
a sturdy old cab-horse deliberately kicked him
self loose from every vestige of harness, and
then quietly trotted off in a business-l like
manner, to seek for some spot out of
reach of such startling sights and sounds. But
despite the little draw backs Of the evening, the
charming festival of the Battle of Flowers APP
pears now to be definitely acclimatiZed at Paris.
Everybody was delighted with the amusements
of the day, and is looking forward to a renewal
Of the en- oyment next season. In fact, the
Battle of Flowers is the only sport of the fast
decaying carnival season that deserves to be
perpetuated Even at Nice the confetti throw
ing has degenerated into rough horse play, and
the masquing and pageants are childish and thea
atrcal. But the lovely Feast of Flowers with its
mirthfu warfare that is in reality only fatter
ing homage, deserves the widespread popularity
that it is beginning to enjoy. Why could not
this refined and graceful festival become pop
ularzed in America say at Newport, where
superb equipages, and fair ladies, and gallant
cavaliers abound in the summer time, and where
unlimited supply of flowers is always on hand!
Will not some leading master of the revels at
that most elegant of all possible watering places
introduce there the Battle of Flowers2