The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-08
STREETS DENsELY THRONGED.
AN IMPROMPTU CARNIVAL, FOL-
LOWING WHICH CAUSED
AMUSEMENT.
DISPLAYS ENJOYED.
Novel Features In Kaleidoscope
PrOfusiOn, Which Kept the In
terest to the Last.

mig in a blaze of glory and endlng IN
a veritable meteoric splendor, dazzied
$4,000 people who thronged the thor
oughfares of Minneapolis last night.
That vast concourse of the populace,
which for two hours was entranced with
the glory of the imposing spectacle,
certainly beheld the most gorgeously
panoplied pageant that ever stormed
the stars with challenging lights in lhls
city. Something of it's colossal dimen-
sions may be inferred when it is SAID
that in the parade were forty-hve mag
nifcent floats, ninety-three wagons ala
buggies representing different trades
$40 horses, eleven bands and a total or
over 1000 persons participating in the
parade But these figures even though
they give some impression of the great
ness of the event, will fail to express
that more significant side of the parade
its beauty.
It was Just o'clock when the great
pageant, headed by Chief Smith and
the platoon of mounted police swung
into First avenue and commenced their
march toward the bridge. The streets
at that time were so masSed with Cne
great, black crowd and crush of hu-
mainly that it was almost impossible
to clear a way to allow the professor
to pass Following the police came the
Danz band, twenty strong, and immedi-
ateIy behind them were the Flam6eau
boys, fifty strong. The Flambeau CLUB
were well supplied with rockets and
candles, and so rapidly did they IRE
them that the men were surrounded by
sparks to an extent tnat almost CD
secured them from view. They made
great appearance, right in the van as
they WERE and the crowd bestowed its
lustiest cheers of approval upon the
club. Following the Flambeau club
came the industrial floats, nearly every
large firm being represented, and the
splendor of their displays made the pa
rade one to be long remembered.
The excellent preparations made by
the police department for han iling the
crowds was we'll shown in the manner
in which the parade passed off. The
entire force of patrolmen on day duty
were stationed about the business dis
tricts, and this with the night force of
the First precinct gave ample protec-
ton for the crowded districts.
the parade the crowd began to as
Semble on the street, in the reviewing
stands, in store and office windows
and on the scaffolding of the reviewing
stands the small urchins were cluS-
tered like bees Shortly after Z a
wagon drove down the street which
pulled every boy from his perch on
the stands as though there had been
strings to them. 1t was the royal
biff'' wagon loaded with royal biffs for
everybody. AS the small, boys ap-
preached they were given a resound-
ing thWack with a Diff, and if they
were quick enough and could capture
the instrument of torment they were
allowed to keep them; if not, they
were compelled to submit to a second
hiff in order to get another chance az
the great prize. Those boys who sue
ceeded in getting their biffs first had
just little bit of fun with % others.
1t was not long, however. until the
stock ran out, but there were enough
in circulation and for the rest of he
evening the dull, sickening thud Of the
royal Diff could be heard on every
hand The biff proved a bicycle eX-
terminator very early in the game.
Before the crowd became too thick a
good many wheelmen paraded up and
down the avenue but every now and
then biff! bang! and the royal fell
upon the unsuspecting wheelman.
This kind of trea tment soon cleared
the street of wheels, and left the un-
wary to the mercy of the Differs, much
to the amusement of the curb-stone
souatters and the aristocratic in the
reviewing stands. Cat calls ana the
footing of horns testified to the pres
ence of the small boy, and helped to
make the evening hideous for the
kicker who couldn't stay away from
the crowd. even if he didn't like it,
and he was there, a good many OF
him.
On Hennepin avenue and First ave-
nue. south there were large numbers
of pedestrians and carriages as well as
vehicles of all kinds, and when the
parade started down First avenue the
crowds began to throng across from
Nicollet, but though hundreds rushed
over. the crowd on Nicollet did not
seem to be diminished a particle.
AS the parade approached down the
avenue the sharp Get back! Get
back!" of the officers could be heard,
as the crowd fell back to make room
for the advancing column, and it was
worthy Of note that while the floats
were passing the crowd was perfectly
silent unless there was something that
especially pleased them, when there
would be round after round of APP
| plause In this manner the various
features were loudly applauded.
The crowd expressed its entire ap-
, prevail of the manner in which the
business interests of the city were rep
resented, and the calls to the drivers of
the floats and joshing was all of the
/ most good-natured kind. In fact the
crowd was remarkable for its good
| nature. 1t was a typical Minneapolis
crowd, and the strangers being in Min