The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-09-11
Fun of the Mardi Gras Was Cycl0nc in It's Cen
tralization of Every One
i'm Town.
THERE WAS A MILE OF MERRY=MAKING.
Sixth Street Never Saw Such Huge Concourse of
Revelers-Mirth Was Everywhere, for Care
Had Fled the Padded Paws of the Feline 1t
Once Slew.

the like of which the president of the
Musicians union never dreamed OF.
Humpty Dumpty rubbed shoulders
with Jack, he of the beanstalk episode,
while Uncle Sam with deplorable lack
of dignity chucked the bronzed chin OF
the blithe Minnehaha.
MASKERS MAKE MERRY.
There were German burgomasters,
jolly Jack Tars, plantation darkies, all
mixed in together with Mephisto hold
ing aloof and showing an especial anti
pathy to the stalwart coppers along
the line whom some of the more YER
dant visitors to the city thought were
masked. The merry throng went down
Fourth to Broadway, then up to Sew
enth and up Seventh to jackson, along
there to Sixth, and then up the big,
broad street, where they passed under
the red, white and blue electric illumi-
nations, the whole making most at
tractiye scene. The weather was all
that could be wished for, and the
crowd was not slow in catching the
spirit of jollity which pervaded the
street. 1t was a great carnival OF fun,
and the spectators were sorry when the
merry throng reached ST. Peter street
and scattered Most of them turned
back and mingled with the crowd,
while the band went to the Ryan to
give programme of numbers.
REALISTIC FIRE RUN.
The crowd then surged up to st. Pc
ter street, and hardly had the city
hall clock struck when children began
to shout and make the most emphatic
demonstration. 1t was $50 and the
time set for the run of the fire depart
ment. Promptly on time Chief John
Jackson, in his trap dragged by pow
erful big bay horse, tore along closely
followed by engines, hose carts, supply
wagons, hook and ladder trucks and
chemical engines.
The gallant fire ladies dispensed
with bunting and floral decorations on
their apparatus, but the metal had
been FURNISHED to a degree, and the
sight was one to make ST. Paul people
proud of their department, and the
visitors delighted at the sight.
The intelligent brutes seemed to
know they were on exhibition, and the
speed which they put into the run was
enough to make one hold ones breath.
Engines and hose carts numbered
from one to nine were in the runs, as
we'll as hook and ladder trucks 2, 3
and T. and Chemical No. l. Assistant
Chiefs Martin and Cook were also in
evidence and made the dash in re-
markable short time and without the
pace at which the numbering apparatus
was lifted along from block to block
was a revelation to the people from
the rural districts.
THEN CAME DARKTOWN.
Hardly had the last truck passed
the finishing line when the excitement
became even greater, and the people
in the neighborhood of Tenth and ST.
Peter discovered the funniest thing
they had seen during the week.
1t was the Darktown fire brigade,
and it was also out for a run. While
the apparatus did not make as good
time as the real department, the ap-
paratus covered more ground, swerv-
ing from side to side as did the
queer affairs in the olden time in
their mad progress. Possibly a dozen
or two brave fellows with a plentiful
supply of burnt cork on risked their
lives in some relics of Harry Howard S
regime, and the crowd nearly fell into
a fit of apopleXy from laughter There
were hand pumps, with shaky-looking
wheels and long sweeps old-faShioned
two-wheeled hose affairs, which had
seen better days, and to all of them
were hitched horses which had every
appearance of having been fed on bar
rel slaves, and the slaves seemed to
be coming through.
One StOut-lunged black man held
on to the first piece of apparatus with
one hand and informed the crowd
through a megaphone in the other that
there was a fire on Wacouta street.
and there was where they were going
Down Sixth street they sped madly,
and sure enough when the place was
reached a huge log cabin in Smith
park was ablaze. 1t is not known who
started the fire, but there it was and
something had to be done. The Dark
town boys were there to do it, and
the crowd yelled itself at the antics.
When they got through the fire was
out, and the members of the brigade
were nearly out, and the crowd was
tickled beyond expression. Where the
brigade went after the fire is not
known, although it was surmised that
news of a refractory thermometer
hitched to the chamber of commerce
building led them to think it was liza
BILE to go up and ought to be attended
to-
At all events, when the rickety old
ramshackle affair which served as
their piece de resistance was rounding
the corner of Sixth and Wacouta, the
strains of the military band at the
Ryan were heard in "There'll Be Hot
Time in Old Town Tonight"
MASQUE BALL AT THE RYAN
Of the masquerade balls that at the
Ryan hotel, under the management