Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-10-17
THE NEGRO GALA DAY
STREETS CROWDED AND THOUSANDS
At The OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES.
A Good parade Conducted in an orderly
Manncr-Spcschcs by Price and Lang
sto Convention To-Day.


Many an anxious colored person in
Richmond eyed the threatening clouds
early yesterday morning. IL wishes
could have prevented there would have
been norain. But twas not so ordained,
and tho drizzle which set in near noon,
and later in the day turned to steady
down-pour, came near seriously inter
fering with the second and biggest day
Of the emancipation celebration. Not
withstandng tho elements, however, the
result. in point Of numbers, was all that
could reasonably have been expected,
though the attendance hardly reached
what the managers bad anticipated.
TnE PROCESSION.
Tho parade was the largest ever had
bv the colored people of this city.
It was TO have started az 10 O'Clock
but. owing to the non-arnyal Of one OF
the Petersburg companies until several
hours after that time, there was lengthy
delay.
As early as 8 o'clock marshals, aids,
civic societies militia, and others VINO
we're 10 take part began to gather near
the corner Of Leigh street and Brook
avenue, which was the base OF operations.
Prancing horses and waving sashes we're
AS common as dish water, and the riders
attempted TO vie in point Of gorgeous
ness with one another.
oS rHE MOVE.
Shortly after noon Sergeant Whitlock
and four other mounted policemen start
od down Leigh street to clear the way
for the procession which followed close
behind. The turning point was Nine
ieentb street. from which II went to the
Exposition-Groundsb by the way OF MAN,
Franklin, and Broad streets. There
vero spectators 10y thousands, nearly all
rolored. TclePraph-posts, house-tops,
and other high points we're at pre-
MUM.
As the procession passed mp Main
street IT must have been fully two miles
I'M length, and very creditabie display
It was.
First came the police, followed by tho
,hief marshal and his aids and several
hundred other people, all mounted,
many of the latter on mules. Next were
line Richmond, Manchester, and Peters
burg military, and following them were
some forty or fifty civic societies, some
with quite full and others with very thin
ranks.
BANNERS AND INSCRIPTIONS.
There were number of banners
horne IN the line. and some of them
were quite handsome. Most OF these
were carried by different organizations,
and. besides their names, contained the
date of their formation. There were
also several large United States flags.
Pictures of Lincoln were conspicuously
displayed, and one youngster who never
knew slavery and is not yet old enough
to vote. carried a worn and faded sheet
containing prints of Harrison and Nor
ton-a memento Of the last presidential
campaign
Some of the civic societies carried
framed pieces OF cloth bearing lnscnp-
tions, among which were the following
o1n 1860 slaves. in 1890 bankers
1.-The solution of the negro problem is
finance "The dollar ballot is always
counted stick TO finance
THE SMALL BOY.
The irrepressible small boy was there
md in great shape. in TACT, there were
perhaps two thousand oil these,
many of whom either dressed as Iouaves
or wore other bright, fancy costumes.
Nearly all who marched wore badges,
some donned old military uniforms that
appeared to have seen service before the
war. and. besides the soldiers, some half
dozen or more societies were IN oihclal
garb.
The happiest of all men was the drum
major. He dropped his staff occasion
al,v. but that mattered not. 1t was
picked up and way up IN the air 1t would
lie tossed again. There were some five
or six bands in the procession and two
or three fife and drum corps. Some OF
the selections were played quite well
Langston. the officers OF the celobra-
ton, II number Of guests. society officers,
and several women were IN hacks, very
few of which were closed, though the
rain WAS falling quite steadily. There
we're three lots Of carriages, sandwiched
in at different points III the line. Very
few of the spectators recognized Lang
ston. but whenever he was pointed out
the crowd would yell.
The procession was about thirty-tve
minutes passing a given point and was
in every sense creditable affair. The
orderly manner in which II was conduct
ed bespoke the wisdom of its managers
SCENE on BROAD STREET.
Broad street was crowded with con-
tinuous line Of vehicles Thousands went
on foOt-big negroes, little negroes, and
middlo-sized negroes The rain may
have kept IA few people at home, but If
II did their presence was not missed. 1t
WAS nearly 3oclock when the procession
reached the grounds. BY this time the
crowd had become weary with long
waiting in the rain, and large portion
of II began 10 return home. In reality,
there were about as many coming back
as were going out
Through some oversight the main en-
trance 10 the EXposition-G Grounds was
not spened. The street approaching 1t
was one living mass of colored people.
Only those in front knew that the gates
were closed, and those in the rear showed
with all their might to get TO the front
OF course they made no headway. Chill
dren were crushed recklessly, and any
number of mothers battled in defence of
their offspring, and at one timea general
fight seemed imminent
AN IMMENSE THRoNG.
In time the whole crowd was under
roof. There must have been at least
$1,000 Every seat was taken and every
inch Of standingroom both up and
down stairs was utilized. Undoubtedly
il was the largest number of persons
ever gathered IN the building. The rain
began to come down harder than ever
about this time aud the noise upon the
roof was about as great as that IN the
average saw-mill.
BEGINNING OF EXERCISES