The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-06-30
He and His Merry Court Will be at
Ogden All This ~
Week.
Details Of the First Mardi Gras
Carnival Held In the
West.
and Miners Wild with Excite
ment-Four Balls and mo- End
Of ParadeA

be nothing left, but honorable capitulation.
If the invading army had suddenly de-
scended from the dark and looming ridges
of the Wasatch mountains or the fleets of
the mighty monarch had appeared ON the
shores of the great Salt lake there could
qardly be more excitement than prevails
here to-day. II you can picture city al
most hidden by dags and bunting, with it's
streets crowded BY cowboys, miners and
thousands of strangers from different parts
of the union, all in gala mood, while thou
sands more are arriving on the seven lines
Of railroads that center here; with hotels
crowded, and tents enough scattered around
in the parks and ON open lots fronting on
the public thoroughfares to accommodate a
good sized army, you may be able to form
some idea of the appearance Of Ogden on
the eve Of its inauguration as the western
capital of the carnival king and his court.
For nearly week past every inoom ing
train from the great mining camps Of Ne
vada, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and
Arizona has brought to town hundreds of
strangers. Nearly Thousand cowboys,
bronzed and wide-hatted and very gay
with their big boots and clanking spurs,
have come from the great cattle ranges;
twice rs many miners have arrived from
the camps at Virginia City, Eureka, Butte,
and Helena, Leadville, Aspen and Ouray
and the score of other mining towns of
which Ogden is the centre would almost
seem to have been depopulated to swell the
crowd that continues to pour in, taxing to
and lodging houses. Thousands of others
have been attracted from more distant
points, including many from San Francisco.
Chicago, New Orleans and New York. All
are here for the patriotic purpose of assist
ing at the coronation of Rex H., which will
take place this week.
The triumphal entry Of Rex l. and the
inauguration of Rex II. as monarch of a
new western kingdom was all planned
many mo.,ns ago. One bracing winter day
in February. when the hills were white and
before the snow blockade had entirely dis
the way from his royal city Of New Orleans
to call upon Mayor Kiesel at the city hall.
The envoy was the lord high commission
er, the Duke of Bathurst, and he told the
mayor that the merry king, being in an ad-
venturous mood, had decided to found
new kingdom in the west and had done
Ogden the honor Of choosing it as the CAPT
tai. This greatly tickled the mayor and
the citizens, too. It was soon settled that
Rex should come here on June 30 in per-
son, accompanied by his royal cousin,
whom he would seat on the throne
of the new, realm, with all the
tion and with festivities similar to
those enjoyed by southern subjects of his
ma jesty during carnival week in the Cres-
cent City. Then the royal mind unbur
dened itself, by turning over the details of
the affair to committee of distinguished
mobiles, including the duke of the Crescent
Orleans; the duke of Ferries, millionaire
Thomas Pickles, the ferry maRnate of the
same city; the duke of Agnoths, Judge A.
G. Brice, of Louisiana; the duke Of Educa-
ton. President George Soule, of the New
Orleans chamber of commerce; the duke of
Damphassock, President James j. Day, of
the Sun Mutual Insurance company; the
duke of Maryland, millionaire cotton mer-
chant 3. p. Walmsley, of Louisiana, with
three famous captains, Isaacsen, May and
Fitzpatrick, to assist them in their labors.
These mobiles soon set the ball in motion by
Mountain Rex association, and the puissant
monarch forthwith ennobled sufficient
number of leading citizons of Ogden to act
as officers.
The carnival palace, where the interest
has centered ever since its foundations
were laid a month ago, is a huge temporary
building, in the style Of a Roman amphi-
theatre and with a wide arena. 1t is built
right in the center of the city and on one
of the leading thoroughfares, and is $50
feet long by 150 feet wide. The main en-
trance is on Twenty fifth street. The walls
are % feet high, the seating capacity is 1O,-
600, while the arena will accommodate
1900 more. One thousand couples can be
on the dancing floor at once. The roof is
The palace Is brilliantly lighted % BY . electric
ity, and will be aglow during the whole OF
carnival week.
It must not be supposed from what has
hot %hn loJi %ol l,o
prominent sharers in the festivities. In
deed, in many events they are to do the
honors lin their own peerless way. The
big mobiles of King Rex's court, who have
had things in charge, have endeavored to
make the carnival not only representative
of the intelligence and culture of the west,
but also to attract the beautiful and high
bred women of other cities. The result
will be the presence at the opening of
very large number of handsome women
from different states as maids of honor to
their queens, the loveliest of all being Sc
identity, like that of her husband, will not
be disclosed until midnight on the evening
of the masked ball. when all the merry
makers unnask simultaneously.
"Who is Rex Ii. and who his queenY' is
the question on all lips. This is the grand
mystery of the carnival. 1t is enough for
the present to say that Rex H., whose iden-
tity is guarded as carefully as was that of
the celebrated Man in the Iron Mask" is
a person of commanding appearance, over
six feet in height and with face and figure
closely resembling that of the late John C.
of Kentucky, vice-president
of the confederate states. He will arrive
here on Tuesday on a special train, in the
of Rex /. and with the queens of
their two majesties. As an escort they
have the Louisiana rifles, the Washington
artillery and Major Walmsley's New Orleans
of rifles. The entire party occu-
pies fifteen cars.
Both queen consorts are rarely beautiful
That of Rex !. is Miss Shakes
peare, the daughter of the president of the
New Orleans National bank and iineal
descendent Of tho immortal Will. The
spouse of Rex II. is of less positive iden-
tity; but hear it whispered that she is q
very beautiful New York girl, whose name
has been o toast on Murray hill on many
an occasion. Her consent ia said to have
been secured through the gallant Offices of
the duke of Montana, who went east lately
for this purpose, aud the managers now
tell me che is speeding across the cGuti-
nent, and, after joining her royal spouse Mt
Denver, she will como with her maids OF
honor % fast a. steam can bring her,