The Portland daily press., 1897-06-04
MARDI GRAS FLOATS.
They Will Be in Portland July
Fifth.
CELEBRATION COMMITTEE PLAN A
STARTLING NOVELTY.

| Citizens Committee Propose to Raise
Money by Subscription to Bring This
Feature Here-Fourth of July Cele-
~ bration of 's7 Will outclass Anything
Ever Attempted in This Part of
Country.
IT the plans of the committee on the
Fourth of July celebration can be carried
out Portland is to have celebration
this year that is celebration. 1t will be
unique in the history of this section of
the country and without exaggeration it
may be said that it will surpass any
thing ever before attempted in New Eng
land
The committee has long been figuring
On the possibility of being able to secure
for Portland feature that has never vet
been known in this part of the United
States. 1t will prove the greatest draw
ing card that this city has ever known
and by itself alone will bring to Port
land thousands Of strangers This feat
ure which the committee is trying to Sc
cure will be nothing less than the mag
nificent floats which were used at New
Orleans this spring by the Mardi Gras
festival. Every one has heard of the
carnival of New Orleans that rivals in
splendor the great carnivals of Venice
and Rome. This year the Mardi Gras
festival was the most elaborate of them
all and cost more than any other that
New Orleans ever attempted. Thousands
OF people journeyed from the North to
the city at the mouth of the great river
to witness the show, but those who did
not go and who would probably never
be able to witness anything of the kind
outsided of New Orleans again in hun
dred Years will be given an opportunity
on the fifth of July of seeing the whole
thing in Portland with many additional
features. 1t will cost pretty sum to
bring this thing about, but the city
government committee is now backed
by some of Portland's wide awake bust
ness men who do not wish to see a
chance like this go by.
In other words the city government
committee are now negotiating for the
purchase of thezfoats of the Mardi Gras
procession, those beautiful creations of
decorators and artists which cost the
city of New Orleans s50,000 to build.
These floats were designed by one of the
most celebrated artists and decorators in
the United States. They are of all sizes
and shapes. of all colorsIandss designs and
they represent many of the most striking
historical and allegorical subjects. The
costumes alone of which there are 100,
were made especially for the city of New
Orleans in Paris and cost over $1,000.
To describe these floats acknowledgement
fill columns of space. but it is sufficient
to say that never before has ANYTHING
like them been seen east of the Missis-
sippi river.
The Bunker Hill Association of Boston,
which takes upon itself the celebration
of June 18th, purchased these floats all
complete from the city of New Orleans
at cost of over $4,000. They will be
used in the procession at Boston on June
1t7h and after that will be brought to
Portland and exhibited here.
The committee on the celebration which
earnestly desired to obtain these floats
for our celebration, did not see their way
clear to bring this about. While they
were scheming overL thej matter and try
ing to figure out how their small appro-
priation was going to cover the expense
of obtaining this great feature, some of
Portland S representative business men
learned of the matter and last night ap-
peared before the committee with pro-
position of the most gratifying kind.
They propose to raise by subscription
among the business houses ofEthis city
money enough to bring the show here and
when they set about to do thing it is
has been chosen the head of this COM
mittee and he assures the city govern
ment committee that Portlands business
men want these floats here for July
fourth and that they must be secured if
possible.
Nor is this all that Portland will have
to offer on the Fourth or rather the fifth
of July. There is to be exhibited in this
city on that day the first successful flying
machine that has ever been seen. The
trade, military and civic and the carni-
val parade will be over two miles long.
The North Atlantic squadron is to be
here and the finest ships in the world will
float within our harbors for a whole week.
There is to be horrible parade in the
that will out class anything
ever before seen in Maine. There are to
be boat races, yacht races, band concerts
two big parades and any number of
things to interest the people and make
the day lively. Portland will see the
biggest show she has ever had and the
city will entertain thousands of people
on that day..