Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-15
WITH OPEN DOORS.
THE BIRMINGHAM CARNIVAL SOCI-
ETY. MEETS TUESDAY NIGHT.
All Interested in the City's Welfare In
yited to Be Present and Note
Its Progress.

4. It's Progress.
AS noted in these columns the Birming-
ham carnival society will hold an open
meeting on Tuesday night at o'clock
in the Commercial club rooms to which
everyone Interested in the welfare of the
city is cordially invited.
The object of the meeting is to let the
people know what the society has done
relative to the coming carnival and to
show their determination to make of it
a success which will result in great good
to the city.
President Emil Lesser informed a State
Herald. reporter that when the work of
the society will have been shown to the
people of this city he has no doubt they
will interest themselves in the success
OF the venture. While not parading their
movements before the public gaze the en-
tire membership of the society have been
slowly but surely working along in a
quiet way until now they have every
reason to believe the coming carnival
will rival anything ever undertaken eth
er by Mobile, the Mother of Mystics in
America, or New Orleans, close Sec
ond for this honor
1t is hardly fair to anticipate the
meeting Of the society, but this much can
be given out of what will be shown on
that night. There will be two night
parades, the first being in honor of the
visit of the King of Carnival. This par
ade will be had on mardi gras eve and
VIII consist of eighteen floats appropriate
TO the occasion Notwithstanding the
fact that these floats will be the grandest
and most gorgeous ever offered to the
gaze of a populace in Alabama, their
lustre will be dimmed by the magnifi-
cence and splendor of the floats which
will appear in the parade on mardi gras
night.
1t is whispered around that an effort
will be made to have two day parades
of a comical nature and If the effort ma
terializes it is foregone conclusion that
birmingham and her great concourse of
invited guests will have something great
to look at.
1t is the earnest desire of the carnival
society to have every citizen interested in
the welfare of Birmingham present at the
meeting where, as stated above, some
thing will be shown them beyond the
ordinary
BIRMINGHAM CARNIVAL SOCIETY.
Birmingham, Ala, Nov. IA, 1896.
To the Members of the Birmingham Car
nival Society, and All Public Spirited
Citizens:
When the carnival of 1896 had proved
such success, every one, without a dis
senting voice, admitted that the celebra-
Ito was one of the greatest advertise
tee was on every side the recipient of
congratulations on the success 1t had
achieved, and the Importance to our bust
ness interest of attracting such immense
assemblages to the city was so generally
recognized, that a universal desire was
expressed that the Birmingham Carni-
val" should be made permanent institu-
ton. Acting on the many suggestions
received, the birmingham Carnival So
ciety" was organized early in the month
Of March, 1896. Immediately upon Its or
ganization 1t set to work, quietly but per-
sistently, to prepare the plans and pave
the way for celebration In 1897 which
should in magnitude and splendor vastly
exceed the festival of 1896.
Much important work has been done
and the prellminaries have advanced so
far that the success of the next carnival
may be considered an assured fact. A
committee consisting of representative
railroad men has succeeded In obtaining
from the various railroads the assurance
of rates equally as favorable as those
heretofore granted to New Orleans and
Mobile, and arrangements for adVertis-
ing on an extensive scale have already
been made. A large number of brilliant
costumes have been purchased and are
now here, ready for use. A voluminous
correspondence was had with artists and
artisans in the different cities of the
south, and from the hundreds OF clever
designs received, the committees, after
careful deliberati ton, have made a selec-
ton and number of magnificent floats
are contracted for and work on their con-
struction Is now in actual progress
In fact, all preliminary arrangements
have been made and now 1t becomes nee
essary that the members of the Carnival
society as well as all other citizens who
feel an interest in the matter should
come together to hear a detailed report
from the different committees of the
nrlx q 6u a nd IN dn1i lnr TO y
them upon the steps which must now be
taken. Carnival day will come on Tues
day, March 2, and only fourteen weeks in
tervere, during which an immense
amount of work must be performed If our
carnival is to be a success We have
among us number of able and willing
workers, who are ready to commence on
their various duties as soon as their fell
low citizens shall have expressed their
approval of the work that has been done
and have been given their Endorsement
to the steps yet to be taken. For this
purpose it has been decided to call meet
ing, to be held Tuesday, Nov H. at d.
M, in the rooms of the Commercial club.
Let us have large, rousng meeting.
Let everyone by his presence encourage
the workers, who are disinterestedly CIV
ing their time and labor in matter
which is calculated to advance the gen.
eral interests of the city and advertise us
as we could In no other manner. num-
Der of private firms have already given
token of their faith in our work, by plac-
ing contracts for splendid displays and
many others are ready to follow, as soon
as 1t is made apparent that what is being
done in the matter of an official celebra-
ton. has the approval and support of our
citizens.
We earnestly hope, therefore, that for
this once you will make 1t possible to
meet with us and help us make a success
of'a celebration which from present indi-
cations promises to be one of which every