The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-06-10
Topeka Proposes to Open the
Lists for Queen
Who VIII Be Crowned Queen Of
Kansas
1T THE FALL FESTIVAL
To All the Towns and Cities in
Kansas.
Other Cities in the State Urged
to Take Action.

One hundred queens with flowing rObeE
and courtiers. That sounds like drama
but it is just what is proposed for Fes-
tival week in Topeka. 1t will not be
necessary to import any scions of en-
feebled royalty from the old world either.
The queens will represent the health.
beauty and vigor of Kansas They will
be the flower of Kansas women.
The plan proposed IS to have a queen
selected in every county in Kansas to ap-
pear at the Fall Festival How the
queens are to be selected has not yet been
determined. 1t has been proposed that
city councils in each county seat town
make the selection. Another suggestion
is that the selections be made by the wo-
men organizations in the various towns
in the state In cities of the first and
second class there would be nothing to
interfere with the selection of the queens
by the city councils. In some of the
smaller places such a proceeding might
be somewhat difficult, so the selection
might be left to the mayor.
The matter has not yet been formally
presented to the Committee of Fifteen. It
will be necessary for that organization to
take the first steps toward carrying out
this stupendOus but perfectly feasible
project. It will also be necessary to Sc
cure the cooperation and assistance Of
the Topeka council. If invitations are
sent to the councils of the cities they
should come from the council of Topeka.
A formal invitation to select a queen to
represent the city and county in the FAN
Festival would not be disregarded.
A committee of judges should decide
among the hundred queens which should
be Queen of Kansas, and whoever is Sc
lected should be appointed Queen of the
Fan Festival for the following year.
10
banner or several of them to be awarded
to other counties. The prizes should be
given to the queen making the next best
appearance including costume, retinue
and other accessortes-
A procession of queens and their at
tendants on Kansas avenue would be a
sight most gorgeous and never before
seen. 1t would be something that would
make Topeka's second annual Fan Festi-
val talked about in every locality in the
United States.
Topeka would naturally be barred in
this contest. To Topeka would belong
the honor of having the presiding queen
or empress.
The ingenuity of the people of the state
will be taxed for there will be limit
to the possibilities for decoration and
elaboration. The arrangements should
allow the counties to appear in the parade
with at least one float and upon this the
queen and her attendants might be seated
or the float might be used for other pur-
poses, and the queen and her attendants
might ride in front on horseback
All the details will be left to the COM
peting counties. If the queen has 100 at
tendants and a half dozen chariots and
floats all well and good. If she chooses
to appear with but half dozen attend
ants it would be satisfactory. The floral
idea could be used to advantage IN the
decoration of the floats, costumes and
banners.
It must be understood that the Topeka
Fall Festival is not for Topeka alone It
is for the whole state and for the people
of the state In a show of such magni-
tude it is no more than fair to give all
the counties representation and that can
be done in better way than by the
plan suggested. It may be that not all
the counties in the state will care to be
represented but if there should be but
fifty instead of 100 it would be far beyond
anything before attempted There is no
use for Kansas to talk of doing things in
small way. It never does. A matter
that originates in Kansas must be
grand success.