The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-17
VOTE GROWS LARGE.
Six Hundred and seventy-four Votes
Cast for the Queen Up to
Noon Today.

Today the voting contest for Queen
of the Floral Festival' shows more ac-
tivity than any day so far in spite of
the heavy rainfall all morning. Inter
est is gaining and many young men
are rallying to the cause of the Festi-
val.
Among the active workers are now
numbered Mr.. Ed Curry, a leader in
so many of Topeka's most notable So
ciety entertainments, and Mr.. VIII
Alexander, whose popularity insures a
large gain of votes wherever he asks
for them.
Artist George M. Stone has painted
by request a water color sketch of
Cleopatra's barge to give an idea of
the sort of structure that should be
built.
While the figures introduced in the
boat are not those that will appear on
the float, the decorations of the craft
would be very suitable, being mainly
bright cOlOred silk draperieS and gar
lands of flowers.
Mr.. Trumbull has a large engraving
that will also suggest some ideas on
the subject. It will also be framed
and placed at George Stansfield's store
at No 632 Kansas avenue where both
pictures may be seen by the public.
The polling place is in the front al
cove of Mr.. Stansf1eld's store The
polls at present are open at from 10 to
II in the morning and from to in
the evening.
The voting for the Floral Queen goes
merrily on this afternoon. 1t is in
teresting to watch the people as they
step into Stansfield'S drug store to de-
posit their ballots for their favorite
Some times a person casts a. single
vote, but more often a bunch of them
is deposited.
What's the matter with having
MarshalPs band up here?'' asked one
of the ladies as she handed in her bal
lots.
mo, we won't need that in a, day or
two, for it will be worse than a polit-
ical convention said another.
OF course not nearly all the friends
of the young ladies who are being
voted for, have cast their ballots yet
1t is safe to say that any one of the
sands of votes if the contest became
sharp.
It is expected that if the rush in
creaSes prOpOrtiOnately with the way it
has done in the last few days that
chalk marks will have to be drawn a
certain number of feet away from the
polls, and a policeman put on duty to
keep the people from being crushed.
I think Mr.. Stansfield ought to give
a glass of soda water with every Note
cast" said one pretty young lady.
I couldn't do that very well.'' re-
marked the proprietor, but you can
have one on the house" Before she
left she had cast another ballot and
the Floral Queen fund was increased by
five cents.
In the evening is when the voting is
most interesting. Sometimes the young
man comes in with a young lady friend
and he has to make her think that he is
dead game" so he puts in so cents,
and votes for whoever she would like
for queen.
The voting was, heavier than ever to-
day, but the Ladies' Committee wish to
settle question in regard to the votes
two of the young lady candidates hav-
ing withdrawn and until this question
is decided it was requested that the
ballot be not published today, but ap-
pear tomorrow. The total vote stood at
noon today at GA Miss Edna McClin-
took still holding the lead by 243 votes.
The Ladies' Committee will hold a
meeting this afternoon.