The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1893-12-29


plan of campaign is laid out, and each
one binds himself to deposit a certain
sum a week, according to the wages
! he earns. The average is about dollar
week, and with 200 members this
means good start toward procuring an
other outfit. Rank is determined by the
elaborateness of the costume worn, and
when once man gains the position of
captain his relatives will hardly permit
him to be outdone by any other aspirant
for the great honor, for family pride
flows strongly where the shooters"
abide
The stories of individual sacrifice are
positively marvellous. A few years ago
a young huckster became infatuated with
the idea that he would like to be a
shooter" and for four years the young
, fellow worked night and day, in season
and out, to save money for the greatest
event of his life. The costume he wore
on New Years day was gorgeously mag
pifcent and entitled him to first lieu
tenancy. The making of the suit took
three months, and the elated huckster,
dressed in a worn and faded suit of
clothes, paid the costumer $500 for the
privilege of wearing the costume in the
parade on New Years day. This money
would have gone far toward buying a
little home for his widowed mother and
four little brothers and sisters, but
neighbors volunteered the information
that the mother was as pleased as her
son over the prospect, and the children
were kings and queens in a province of
envious playmates.
Another young man saved up all the
money he could for six years, and made
his appearance on New Years day, 1891,
in a costume that gained him many
prizes. 1t was too gorgeous for pen de-
scription, but the joy in his house was of
| short duration, for the young man
caught cold and died two days later.
The strangest thing in connection with
! this curious custom is the fact that, de-
spite the great sums paid for the cos
tunes, they do not become the property
of the paraders When a person wants
a suit, he goes to the costumer with his
ideas, and the latter takes the matter I'M
der consideration and finally submits
colored drawings of the design. 1t gen.
orally takes seven or eight sets of draw
ings before the shooter" is satisfied,
and then the costumer figures on the
| cost, and the bargain is made. The
costumers are pledged never to hire the
suits out again for parading purposes.
They are ripped to pieces, and such of
the material as can be used is made up
again into other suits. The coStumers
are sworn to secrecy regarding the de-
signs selected There is reason for this,
as the different clubs have spies out in
all directions endeavoring to discover
the designs of rival organizations.
The rivalry among the different cap
tains is princely in it's magnitude. In the
parade of 1892 one of them turned out in
$500 suit and was followed by 10 little
lads in fancy costumes, whose duty it
was to keep his cape from dragging in
the dust, while another required IA pages
to carry his gorgeous train.
! There is another class of paraders
known as the 'commicks." They differ
from the shooters" in that no member
is allowed to spend more than 81 on his
I costume on pain of dismissal from his
club. One captain of the ''commicks"
| paraded in a cloak that had 40 foot trail.
1t was trimmed with peanuts, sweet po-
tatoes, old bottles and old boots and was
held up by a score of boys attired in the
! castoff habiliments of their fathers and
| big brothers.
The custom is almost a century old,
| but the present extravaganza in the mat
ter of costumes has sprung up within
| the last 10 years. The merchants began
| to offer prizes for the best dressed club,
and the tide of fortune turned in favor
| Of the costumers, many of whom have
risen from poverty to wealth. There is
no telling where the matter will end, but
the custom is firmly established and bids
fair to surpass in magnificence the car
nivals of the south and west.
w. FL. BALLINGER.
| Ancient and NTOdarp New Vear Dates