Omaha daily bee., 1896-09-29
FIFTIETH BIRTHDAY
Hawkeyes All Get Ready to Observe the
Jubilee Of Statehood,
REEVES MEMORIES OF FLINT HILLS
Progress OF the Great Agricultural
Commonwealth Through the Half
Century and Its Present Glory
to lie Paruded.

tthNuE ~ 80
to lie Parnded.
BURLINGTON, Ia, Sept. 2s.-(Special)-
Burlington is all in o futter over the APP
preaching semi-centennial celebration OF
Iowa's fifty years OF statehood, which begins
next Thursday, october 1, and lasts eight
DAYS. This autter is not alone caused by
the excitement attending the preparation for
the event, but is largely due to the uncer-
tain weather probabilities. For nearly a
month rain has fallen almost necessarily,
and with but few days Of sunshine the work
on the celebration grounds has been largely
conducted in the most miserable weather
imaginable. In spite Of these drawbacks,
however. splendid progress has been made
and everything will be in readiness for the
big event. Grape park, where the principal
portion of the celebration is to be held, has
taken on a very busy and p~opulous appear
ance. there being a small village of halls,
pavilions, stands and tents already In com
%pletion. The park is situated about two miles
south of the city on one Of the most pic
turesque bluffs along the Mississippi river.
1t Is literally ornamented with large and
handsome trees and the park commissioners
have spared no pains in the natural beautl-
flying of the grounds. Their situation AFFORDS
lovely views up and down the Mississippi
river, with glimpses of fair prairie and DUN
lands over on the Illinois side.
The chief building in the fair grounds is
the Coliseum. where all the indoor exercises
connected with the celebration Will be held.
1t is a handsome oblong wooden structure
with a hardwood interior finish, and painted
a rich olive green on the outside. 1t Is 1873
feet wide, 40 feet long and sixty feet high,
and has a seating capacity of 10000. one
of the pleasing features attendant on the
preparations for the celebration Will be the
grand concert and ball given in the Coliseum
on the evening of September 80, in dedica-
ton of the building and to raise funds to
pay for its construction. The affair Will be
of a high social nature, the leaders OF Bur
lington society having the matter In charge.
Although the park Is some distance from
the city, the facilities for getting to and
from it are ample to the largest
crowd that will probably come. The electric
street railway company has extended a double
line of tracks to the park and says 1t VIII
be able to handle $1,000 people an hour both
ways. In order to reach the park the railway
has to cross a deep ravine called the Cascade
because of a beautiful fall Of water that
tumbles over a high ledge of rock near the
point where the bridge crosses, The bridge
is a handsome steel truss over 600 feet long
and at the highest point is 100 feet above
the water line. The view from this bridge
is very picturesque and will be one of the
pleasant features of the park environments.
IowA'S GRAND MARCH.
The celebration proper opens: on Thursday,
October 1. This is Governors day. Gov
ernor Drake and his entire staff will be
present and they will be joined by all the
governors from the states adjoining Iowa.
There will be four companies OFF militia
present as escort, and the grand procession
Of the March Of Progress" commencing at
10 o'clock in the morning, will be one of the
features. The March of Progress'S consists
of floats and decorations indicative of the
advancement that Iowa has made from its
territorial government to the present time.
1t will be headed by twentyGTsma Indians
mounted on Indian ponies, and with all OF
the Indian paraphernalia that goes to an
Indian camp, including an Indian tepee,
birch canoes, etc. This will be followed by
a delegation OF mounted trappers and hun
tiers, a log cabin In the form OF a foat,
prairie schooners, etc, indicating the period
of Iowa's pioneer settlement. Then will
come floats showing the old state house, etc,
indicative Of the progress of our state from
its early history to its present proud position.
Over twenty large floats are used in this
parade. Reviewing stands will be erected
at principal points along the route Of march,
and from the governors stand Governor
Drake and his guests will review the parade.
Six famous binds led by the Iowa State band,
will take part in the parade. In the even
ing there will be a display of fireworks and
an Illuminated carnival on the river. One
hundred barges, boats and floats will be in
this feature, and all the steamboats, that are
here on this occasion will be handsomely
decorated and Illuminated.
The second day, Friday, Is Pioneers and
Old Settlers day." Ex-senator James Har-
Ian OF Mount Pleasant will be the presiding
officer of the day. There will also be q
parade in the morning and fireworks at
night.
The third day, Saturday, will be "Euca-
tional day" All the exercises will be in
charge of State Superintendent of Schools
Henry Sabin CT Des Moines, and Prof. Charles
E.. Shelton, superintendent OF the Burlington
public schools. Az night there will be an
other river carnival and the pyrotechnical
display.
The fourth day, Sunday, will be devoted
to special services concentrating the semi
centennial of the state In all the churches In
the city. Rev. H. w. Thomas, the well
known divine of Chicago, who formerly lived
in Iowa, will conduct services In the Coliseum
in the afternoon, followed by a sacred con.
cert in the evening by a chorus Of severaI
hundred voices, all assisted by the lowe
State band.
The fifth day, Monday, is Republican day
There will be a parade of marching clubs In
the morning and a procession in the evening
The day will be filled with speaking by prom
inent republican orators, chief Of whom viii
be Ex-Governor Foraker of Ohio.
WHEN H WOMEN TAKE HOLD.
The sixth day, Tuesday, is Woman's day
and the fair population OF Burlington ha:
been a unit in enthusiastic preparations fol
the event. They have prepared a program
of exercises that includes a number of thu
brightest women orators and workers II
Iowa, including Miss Mary Stafford OF Siou1
City, Mrs. Pauline Swain Of Oskaloosa, Mist
May, Rogers OF Dubuque, Miss Emma j. For
dyce of Cedar Rapids, and others, The ora
tor of the day is Rev. Caroline JsiBartlett O
Kalamazoo, Mich, who has a national repu
tation as a speaker and writer. I Aside from
these exercises there will be a grand labo
and trades parade in the morning, in which
all the unions of the city and many Of tn
e leading industries and factories will TAX
t part. wCy
4 The seventh day. Wednesday, will be de
voted TO secret societies and musical organ
Z ~izations. At 8 o'clock in the morning ther
: will be a grand street parade of secret socio
ties in tho state and 500 German singers o
: Iowa. In the afternoon there. will be ad
t dresses in the Coliseum by prominent mem
k bers of the orders. At 3 o'clock in the after
: noon there will be a grand musical festiva
in the Coliseum under direction OF Prof
t Sheets OF Burlington and Prof Reese @
: Davenport, In the evening there will be an