The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-06-14
FETE CHAMPETRE
ON SPENCER'S HILL
Italian Residents Of Dunmore Have q
Big Celebration.
IN HONOR OF ST. ANTHONY'S DAY
Open Air Festival Which Began
Saturday Evening and Continued
All Day Yesterday aud Late Into
Last Night--A Band and Shrine
and n Creased Pole Among the
Features ofthe Event--Lnrge statue
fWax Unveiled.

st. Anthony Of Padua is to the Italian
what st. Patrick is to the Irish and
st. Anthonys day Is celebrated by the
son of Sunny italy with all the ardor
and enthusiastic devotion that marks
the annual recurrence of the 18th of
March. Yesterday was st. Anthony's
day and the wide world over wherever
there exists a good sized colony of his
devotees there was some sort of an OBJ
servance in commemoration of the
event.
Up in Dunmore where the Italians
make up a goodly part of the popula-
tion, there was a celebration that pos
sibly was not outdone in point of gram
deur and eclat by any similar affair in
even Italy itself. 1t took the shape of
fete champetre-to depart from the
Italian-with the champs on the classic
heights above No. 6 known in local
geography as Spencer's Hill.
On a shaded plateau opposite the
Church of S. Antoni di Padua, on
Smith street, were erected for the oc-
casion a band stand, a shrine re-
freshment booths, creased pole and
other dixie festal appurtenances. The
streets of the Italian settlement lead
ing to the hill were gaily decorated with
flags and Chinese lanterns. The church
was also highly beautified in the inter
ior with flowers and ribbons and a
mass of vari-colored tin ornamen-
tation wrought in many a fanciful
shape by the colony's artictic and dex-
| ferrous tinsmith.
There, also, was a massive statue of
st. Anthony, a marvellous work of art,
| made entirely of wax and costing when
| enclosed in it's marble trimmed glass
case, over $500. One of the members of
the parish was ten months in making
| it. 1t is ten feet high and weighs half
a ton. The statue was unveiled yes
terday morning with appropriate cere-
monies.
ON THE FETE GROUNDS.
But it was on the fete grounds that
the art of the decorator reached its
height Evergreen and flags-Ameri-
can flags only-fairly hid the various
stands and booths. The shrine was
simply beyond a hurried description
1t was a three-sided affair, raised on
| posts entwined with evergreen and
built much after the fashion of a side
wing hand ball alley and quite as large
| Bunting and evergreen entered mostly
| into its construction, but its one par
ticular feature was 1000 homemade
paper lanterns of various hues shaped
like a pail and containing a small gaso-
line lamp, which when lighted at night
| presented a strikingly attractive ap-
| pearance.
The exercises began Saturday even
ing and continued until late last night
Thousands of Italians attended from all
over the valley and thousands of 9th
ers paid a visit for an hour or two tc
witness the spectacle, so at any time
except possibly the wee sma' hours OF
yesterday morning, there was an i'm.
mense crowd on the grounds.
The new Italian band, Roma Cor.
net band, of Dunmore, was engaged
for the OCCASION" and like all new
bands ii knew what it had been hired
for. 1t began playing at o'clock Sat
urday night and continued al
day yesterday and last even
ing. 1t rendered all the popu
lar selections and some tha
even Bauer or Lawrence, or the othel
crack organizations haven't got IL
their repertoire. One of these which
was given during the afternoon wher
the crowd was largest necessitated tn,
scattering of the musicians arounC
lnTOuBn the WOOuS anu up
trees and such like. From an elevated
perch on the band stand, the leader
with the aid of big baton which wa
kept in sight by the scattered bands
men, managed to maintain good tim
and harmony. 1t was certainly an en-
tertaining speciality and was loudly ap
plauded by every class of persons pres
ent.
THE CREASED POLE.
The most amusing feature of the oc
casion was the efforts of the athleti
young men of the colony to climb tn
creased pole, atop of which was a tel
dollar gold piece, three bottles of wine
two fiagons of whiskey, a box of cigars
three big cheeses and bunch of bolog
ma sausages each a yard long, all o
which was to become the property o
the first person to climb to the top. A
last reports the prizes were still swing
ing gaily from the hoop at the top @
the creased pole.
The booths did a thriving bushes
with their cheeses, fruits, candies
wines, etc., but everything was order
ly and everyone sociable and good-na
tured.
A similar event occurred year age
!, and it is proposed to make it an an
nual Onp