The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1893-12-29

1
%1l<SH n -, rade of the New
| E S Years ssshoot-
lYssa f5Fs SIX ty ers." The several
EsESsSsskss clubs do not unite
Nun in lone parade, but
ES ST% each marches in
dependently over
the route which
suits its fancy. Two and sometimes
three bands of music accompany one
club, 1argeEums of money being spent
in securing the best, from $500 to 81 900
being not unusual Gorgeous in rich
costumes, the spectacle presented rivals
the famous Mardi Gras of New Orleans,
! the Yelled Prophets and Priests of Pallas
of the far west. The spirit of rivalry
| between the different clubs in the en-
deavor each to surpass the others in the
beauty and richness of costume is ram
pant, and thousands of dollars are spent
in dazzling raiment for the annual one
days strut. The costumers are crowded
to their fullest capacity for six months
making ready for the bewildering dis
play.
The fun really begins at midnight,
when the bell in old Independence hall
announces the arrival of the New Year.
From that until morning the streets are
made lively by scores of clubs, but these
nighttime jewellers wear costumes of the
cheaper sort.
The wonderful extravaganza to which
the different members of the clubs of
shooters" go in procuring gaudy cos
tunes really passes belief. Nearly all
the participants are honest, Woodworking
fellows in the humber walks of life, and
the gratified vanity which comes from
the applause of the multitude does not
mean the savings of a month or two to
| the paraders, butrepresents the product of
g. year of self denial and rigid economy.
At least once week the members of
the clubs meet and talk over the display
to be made on the next New Years day.
They plot and plan, the one object being
to defeat all competitors. The aggre-
gate cost of the 1892 parade was not less
than $50, 900, and this vast sum came de
rectly from the hardest working class IN
the city. AS soon as one parade is In
| ished the members of each club meet
and talk over the situation. A general
plan of campaign is laid out, and each
one binds himself to deposit certain
sum week, according to the wages
u6 0aTuSs 1 ne average GDOuG uO4lcL
a 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
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
nifcent and entitled him to first lieu
tenancy. The making of the suit took
three months, and the elated huckster,
dressed in 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 q
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 costume that gained him many
prizes. It 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 un-
der consideration and finally submits
colored drawings of the design. It gen
orally takes seven or eight sets of draw
ings before the ssshooter" 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. Tie 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 prinee1y in its magnitude. In the
+ parade of 1892 oneof them turned out in
a $500 suit and was followed by - little
lads In fancy costumes, whose duty II
was to keep his cape from dragging in
the dust, while another required Il pages
to carry his gorgeous train.
There is another class of paraderz
known as the s.coInmiczs." They differ
from the shooters N that no member
is allowed to spend more than 81 on his
costume on pain of dismissal from his
club. One captain of the sconniclzss
paxaded IN cloak that had 40foot trail.
It was trimmed with peanuts, sweet p0-
tatoes, old bottles and old boots and was
held up by q score Ct boys attired IN the
castof habiIinents OF their fathers ard
big brothers,