The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-10-01
FEAST OF THE FLOWERS
The History of the Growth of
the Flower Parade.
Its Glorious Climax the Result
Of Earnest Efforts
On the Part of Hundreds Of Topeka
Women, Undagging in Their
Zeal and Infallible in
Their Taste.


She has shown what she can do.
She has shown Kansas and the world,
and incidentally herself, that she has
the people and the talent.
That's better than money; although
Topeka is not short of money, either.
She has shown that when she starts
out to do a thing she can do it right
and make record that might be en-
We'd by the goddess Of the flowers ner-
self
She has surprised herself, and the
surprise is a most pleasant one.
Several months ago, among the nu-
uerOus suggestions of features for
the Fall Festival which were made
through the columns of the Journal.
was one that Topeka undertake floral
fiesta similar to those in California AS
the season precluded real flowers their
semblance had to be made.
An attempt was made to get the g. A.
r. ladies interested in the parade, and
after an effort or two eight ladies met
at the council chamber among whom
were Mrs. NJ. Galbreath and Mrs. p
Spra sue.
These ladies started it.
They held three or four meetings
without any particular result untI one
day, after the State Journal had issued
q particularly heart-scrap ping call. 40
ladies responded and Mrs n Milliken
was elected president of the floral COM
mittee and Mrs. J. @. Wood secretary
Weekly meetings We're then held.
Money was hard TO get and it was con-
sidered unlikely that much OF parade
could be given.
Mr.. Rodgers Of the Committee Of Eff
teen was the only enthusiastic man in
town.
II tell you" he said. eve can make
this parade Sc. with the help of the
ladies' If We work hard and push it
right we viii be able to show our visit
0rs two or three floats. and at least ten
ia
their carria ges with sundOWers, and we
can get 20 or more people to ride on
horseback. and with ten or twelve BIZ
cycles decorated we will give Kansas
a very good flower show"
Ar Rodgers was lonesome in his en-
thusiasm. People said it was a pretty
big thing to undertake Other people
laughed silently at Mr.. Rodgers and
said that he was undoubtedly laboring
under slight touch of delusienary in
sanity, or something like that
Captain Titus alone stood by him
but half-heartedly-
There was a good deal of debating
about it. and finally the Committee of
Fifteen appropriated $3.50 to the flower
parade committee and washed their
hands of il with a giggle of relief.
The women Went to work IT pro-
gressed and unfoIded, slowly. and at
times labcriously. but surely and we'll
A car ride was given and it Melted
SO Mrs j. W F. Hughes was made
chairman of the ways and means COM
mittee and gave a musicale which
cleared nearly $50, after which she re-
signed.
Mrs C. S. sutton was elected in her
place and she raised $3.50 worth of
prizes for the parade. She raised other
money also with a society ball and an
entertainment or two and persuasive
voice, and in three or four months the
dcral committee, which had been so
dread fully poor that it didn't have
money to buy chewing gum with, had
nearly LOCO and several hundred dol
lars worth of flowers that its noble
women and their noble friends had
made While waiting for the water to
boil and for the children to wake up
There are enough of them to fill a
column. and every one of them should
be decorated with badge of honor
Perhaps the most faithful were Mrs.
g. o. Wilmarth. Mrs George Eanley,
Mrs pr. Raub. Mrs Loux, Mrs. Rem
ley Mrs. W.T. H. Wilson, Miss Emma
Banks, Mrs. G. Watson, Mrs. Wilkie
and Miss Ella Hayes.
Miss Hayes suggested the floral float,
but it was hard to raise money for it.
and finally the Topeka club took hold
Of it.
Mrs w. II. Wilson suggested the
1opelza and Kansas" idea
Mrs o. S sutton persuaded the So
eiety people to appear I'm the parade
with their carriages decorated some. I
Mrs. DOolrtle and Mrs. w. w. Webb
of this matter.
Miss Emma Banks attended to the
equestrian feature
pr. Guibor took charge Of the pony
children's portion.
You saw the parade yesterday You
We're dazzled. So We're the ladies' who
got it up. and knew all about it before I
hand. SO We're the reporters; and it /
takes a good deal to dazzle a reporter. !
What do you suppose it did TO the Wis
itors2
There were p floats. and nothing I
cheap about any of them.
There were nearly so carriages that I
We're almost solid banks of flowers i'm 4
designs that would make an old mas (
ter Writhe in his grave in very ecstasy. I
There were so people in the equestrian /
feature
There were little boys and little girls /
in pony carriages and on pony back
There We're bicycles dozens Of them. I
so beautifully ornamented that the 1
spectators clapped their hands without I
an effort.
The parade lasted for over a mTeand I
g half
Fifty thousand people watched it /
eagerly and yearned for more
Two New AoEk ortlra1ners were par