The Opelousas courier., 1897-05-08
The Tournament.


nothing but pleasant memory re-
mains to mark one of the most interest
Ing days III the Entertainment History
of the town. The idea was an original
one, and its execution was carried out
as near as it was possible for one per-
son to do. Our former typo, himself an
old stager. who has gone to the Nash
vile Exposition with an optical illusion
performance, declared frequently that
IN any live Western town the size and
importance Of Opelnusas, n guarantee
fund OF $4,000 could he secured between
daylight and dark to give an exhibition
| OF that sort, on the ground that it brings
people to town and people bring money,
besides advertising town as an attract
i've center. OpelOusas has a world of
talent-hlstrionic and muscal-more
so than any town we know of, and
yet of recent years 1t has more of rep
ntatlOn for cnck-fghtlng and debasing
forms OF amusement, than for reading,
literary and dramatic societies.
Had the people taken the interest in
this affair that they should have done,
| from the start. it wca'd have been as
great IL financial success as it was an
artistic one. The mntiye that led to its
conception and execution was this: The
Reform League had started IL move
ment to purify tn" moral atmosphere of
the town, hnt made no suggestions as
! to how the young men should be en-
| played in their Idle hnurs. To a man
| or the world 1t was apparent that it Il Sc
ries oil healthy aMusementS were not
offered, the boys from sherc emu, even if
| from DO more sinister motive, would
drift from grace. Now, it is we'll known
that outdoor athletic sports are condn-
Give to morality. Erotic thoughts can
find no loagment in the brain whjrling
with the noble excitement Of sport.
The prize boxer has learned this by ex-
pe,ience, and while preparing for the
fistic carnival, he leads pure and CON
tinent life marked by abstemiousness
in all things.
This, then, was the basic motive in
its execution the antl'nr attempted to
carry ont an idea thought ont by him
years ago. but never carried into exc
cuti0n, viz: t., teach Important events
in human history by an object lesson,
which would fix itself on the mind OF
the verricst du!iari, with the correct cos
tuning of the epoch represented and
incidentally devote the net proceeds
to educational aud charitable purposes.
With that object, the various ground
privileges were offered to all Of the diff
ferent churches and some Of our edu-
cational bodies. bat the only ones who
availed themselves of the opportunity
were the ladies of the Reading Circle
and the ladies Of the Episcopal church
who ran the ice cream, coffee, lemon
ade and pop stands. The gate receipts
were only 4S5 dollars. of whicI, 25 per
cent. was paid to the n. o. Crescent
City Ex. Club as :. bonus for giving the
excursion aud 16per cent. OF the 1st and
per cent. of every subsequent hundred
to the owners AID lessees of the track.
This left u very siaal ma4gin on which
to operate on. andS,ccouts for the de-
lay in putting up tha-n ltforms, pavil-
ions, etc; for had tSfs weather been in
clement, the wholly cost t1-sshe enter
tainment would awe fallen on the
shoulder of the designaf hsnd executor
The crowd present nVmbered all the
way from 1900 to 20QG, There was an
immense army of hea- iIaeatis and many
of the inevitable snail boys got in
through cracks and lotse piaDks in the
fence.
We regret being unable to give the
figures, receipts and expenditures, but
will do so next week, as they are inter
esting in serving as il guide to similar
affairs in the futnre. We understand
that an etfnrt will he made to start Il
Tournament Association on the order
Of the Mystic Crew Carnival Associa
ton Of New Orleans.
This is Il step iD the right direction
and should be encouraged 10y the citi-
zens of the town. 1t requires an organ
lied body to back a venture of this sort.
1t is not right that all the labor and ex-
pense Of an undertaking should be
borne by one solely pro bono publico.
An effort will he made this year to
bnild IA handsome new Catholic church,
which Will be all ornament tn the town.
Why not get mp grand FGte Cham
pete to raist. the funds for this praise
worthy intent for IL new church, it
matters not Of what denomination, adds
to the appearance OF the town backed
by the church, an entertainment like
last Saturday ought 10 net $500.
We have given IL synopsis of the play
already in our columns, and, doubtless,
there has been more looking into the
Spanish history in the last six weeks
than ever before in the history of the
1.-THE town. The copyright OF the play
Fbelougs to DR.. Mayer and was furnished
with his services gratis. The historic
unities have been preserved in the
piece. The grasping ambition of Ferdi-
nand for gold, the gentle piety of 1sa-
bella of CASTLE, the religious fervor OF
Colon, the mental anguish and broken
neafleQUGsS OI DUduulti-tio tdSt VI lte
Moresque Kings, were all faithfully
portrayed. Tie onlIA dramatic license
permitted being TIM introduction of
Don Caesar de Bazain Ap serve as Grand
Marshal, aud ti,e Caes4@es partieipa-
ting in the Tourney.
In the hands of professionals, where
every man could be ordered to his post
or discharged, the play could be made
as great financial hit as Buffalo Bills
Wild West Show; for the people of this
country crave for what they have not,
and that is tho relics of ancient ciyili-
cation A mediDyal play in carnival
costume appeals to the artistc instincts
of our people. :.
The visitors were very much inter
tested in the grand "Raquette" game
Hiunder the leadership Of Ion0re Fu-
seller.
The field sports, under the manage
ment of Arribaltrago, and the BIZ
cycle Parade, failed to material
ize, for want of entries; the creased pole
and pig and the gander pulling were not
iD evidence, and we presume, that as
there were no entries, the gentlemen
having these in charge were unwilling
to incur an expense which might have
been saddied on them, for it is not
every one who will do what DR.. Mayer
did-advance the money to run the
concern, trusting to. the gate receipts
| for its return, which might have been a
broken rail to lean on had the weather
taken an unfavorable turn.
The following young ladies served
as Maids of Honor: