The Topeka state journal., 1898-09-17
1T WILL BE GAY.
The Casino to Be Beautifully
Decorated
For the Soldiers Reunion and
the Festival
ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
Thousands of TOpeka's Famous
Arabesque Lanterns
Will Be Hung Among the Trees
of Garfield Park.

The Committee of Fifteen is consider
ing propositions to decorate the Casino
at Garfield park as elaborately as cir
cumstances will admit for the G. A. R.
reunion.
Several propositions have been re-
ceived and referred to a special com
mittee of which A. w. Dana is chair
man. Mills, Adams & Co. have offered
to furnish the goods at cost and do the
decorating without charge. A Chicago
nrm has also made proposition to
decorate the Casino but on a much less
elaborate scale.
The entrance to the grounds will also
be decorated in the familiar colors,
red, white and blue. That will be an
end to the decorations of the grounds
except on Thursday evening when the
park will be lighted up with number
less lanterns made by the children of
Topeka.
The use of lanterns will make one
of the most unique iIluminatiOns ever
seen in Topeka. F. P Bacon of the
Committee who has charge of this fea-
ture says that he has reason to believe
that there will be thousands of lanterns
contributed by the children of Topeka.
Mr.. Bacon has issued the following
circular which has been distributed
among the school children:
The Fall Festival committee have
decided to illuminate Garfield park on
honor of old and new soldiers and the
return of peace. We will need. thou
sands of lanterns for the occasion, and
we ask the school children of the city
to make them. They are inexpensive
and easily made. The committee will
provide wires on which to hang them
in the park, and each lantern should
have a wire bail and hook at the top.
They should be provided with candles
to burn two hours or more. A little
asbestos in the bottom will prevent
taking fire. The lanterns should be
sent to the school rooms not later than
noon of Wednesday. The committee
will call for them. The following prizes
are offered by the committee, viz: Best
lantern, "a; second best, 50; third best,
81; and fourth prize, 81. The children
to whom prizes are awarded will be
given a place of honor in the floral pa
rade on Friday. Lanterns competing
for the prizes should bear some private
mark by which they can be identified
when prizes are awarded. Lanterns
can be returned to the owners by tag
ging with the name of the school from
which they come We ask the teachers
and children to interest themselves IN
this grand illuminations of the park
through motives of patriotism"
Frank Ellison was given the contract
for the sale of the privileges during the
reunion at a commission of 10 per cent.
Mr.. Ellison says that the privileges
have not sold well because the people
have not understood that all the enter
tainments during the week are to be
given at Garfield park
J. B. Doncyson of the Topeka wheel
men appeared before the committee
with a request to have a time fixed by
the committee when the wheelmen
could have some races at the park. He
said that if it would be agreeable he
would prefer to have the races in the
evening. Thursday evening was fixed
as the time for the races.
Chief Marshal H. L. Robinson re-
quested the committee to communicate
its desire concerning the line of march
for the parade on Friday.
Major Anderson said that some ar
rangement should be made for coun-
termarch He thought the parade
should countermarch on Harrison street
before it came onto Kansas avenue.
It was suggested that the parade
should be taken to North Topeka at all
hazards. The new bridge makes that
possible.
Major Anderson suggested that the
parade march to Gordon street to dis
band.
Mr. Robinson thought that would be
unsatisfactory to have the parade dis
band in North Topeka.
A. W. Dana suggested that the pa
rade should form on Second street and
march to Gordon, cOuntermarching on
Kansas avenue to Ninth.
This plan did not meet with favor
because of the fact that the arrange