Birmingham state herald., 1897-03-03

their chief.
 Grand marshal and couriers.
 Aides-de-camp to grand marshal.
 Band of music.
 Infantry, Birmingham Battalion Com panies c, G, K and l., and visiting troops, under command of Maj. Higdon.
 Troop D. First Cavalry Squadron, un- der command of Capt. J. B. Morson.
 Royal escort of princes.
 Band of music
 Float, subject: Boeuf gras.
 Prince of Timbustu, in carriage.
 Float, subject: His Majesty, Rex Vul- can II.
 Royal baggage vans.
 Prinz of Zumba, in carriage.
 EIGHT FLOATS ILLUSTRATING
 SLEEPING BEAUTY"
 Float: Celebrating Beauty's birth.
 Prince of Kolobeng, in carriage.
 Float, subject: The Curce of the Witch.
 Prince of Madagascar, in carriage.
 Float, subject: Sleeping Beauty.
 Illuminating float.
 Prince of Ondonga, in carriage.
 Float, subject: Awakening of Beauty.
 Prince of Jambesi, in carriage.
 Float, subject: Rejoicing in the Awak- ening.
 Prince of Kilmandjara, in carriage.
 Float, subject: Reception of Prince
 Prince of Janguebar, in carriage
 Float, subject: Marriage of Beauty and Prince.
 Prince of Mozambique, in carriage.
 Float, subject: Fantasy RainbowN
 Band of music
 Floats of private firms, individuals and societies, groups of character masks, mounted or in carriages, etc, etc.
 This latter was an exact reproduction of the trades display, appearing more gorgeous under the bright glare of elec- tric lights, aided by red fire.
 Review of allegOrical floats for the benefit of those who were not acquainted with the history of the allegorieal floats we reproduce the following, which ap- peared in the State Herald carnival edi- ton:
 "Once upon time there lived beauti- full princess, who was the only child of king and queen, who lived but for her. There was great rejoicing at her birth, and the king invited twelve fairies to be her god mothers. Unfortunately there was one wicked fairy, who had been omitted, and resolved to revenge the in- suit.
 "She accordingly attended the banquet where she had to eat from silver plate, the poor king only possessing a dozen gold ones This increa sed her rage (she wasn't silver man anyway and when all the fairies were endowing the little princess with the various gifts of beauty, amiability etc., she stepped forward and decreed that the child should die, the first time she pricSed her finger. Luckily in her anxiety to punish the offenders she had uSurped the time of the twelfth fairy, who now stepped forward and did what she could to ameliorate the dreadful fate of the unhappy child. She decreed that the child should not die, but sleep 100 years. (The first float portrays this interesting scene)
 "The poor baby, who in addition to all her other tribula ations labored under the disadvantage of having no name but Sleeping Beauty, grew up into a very beautiful, happy and good girl. The king, being a good man, had banished from the Kingdom all sharp-pointed in- struments, including pins, needles, spin dles and the like thinking that he might then guard his child against the bad witch's curse. But the wicked fairy was not to be so thwarted. Disguised as an old woman she smuggled a spinning wheel into the castle garret, and one day when the princess happened to be wan dering about there in search of something to amuse herself with, life being very dull at the castle, she came upon the old dame, and begged to be taught the use of this interesting thing. The old lady willingly complied, whereupon the prin- cess of course immediately proceeded to prick her finger with the spindle. CThis thrilling moment is the subject of another float.)
 'Thereupon she descended to her room, where she arranged herself in most be- coming attitude on her couch and went to sleep. CThe ravishing picture displayed by the next float will testify to her ex- cellent taste and knowledge of effects.) The other people in the kingdom, howev- CT, not having been warned by pricking their fingers had to go to sleep just as they were, and very funny some of them must have looked.
 ''At the end of a hundred years the twelfth fairy gave a flower and pair of wings to an eligible young prince with the injunction that he should seek a maiden more beautiful and sweet than the blossom he held. After many advent ures the flower finally guided him to the enchanted palace where the sleeping princess lay. At the sight of her wonder full beauty the prince was so overcome with delight that he bent forward and sleeping princess and all her court to new life. Each person resumed the oc-' cupation he had gone to sleep over a hundred years ago; the king went back to his dinner, grumbling that 1t had got ten cold; the butler finished drinking the wine he had gone to slsep over, in tho pantry; the kings valet finished making love to the waiting maid; and the princess finished in real life the dream of true love and the prince which she had been dreaming for hundred years.
 After they had had a good spring housekeeping to get rid Of the spiders, ing the hundred years, the king gave his consent to the marriage of his daughter, the prince took her to his own home and they lived happily ever after" REX BALL.
 Immediately after ehe night parade rr~4 NT..I. T