The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-11-16

4 day and night of great rejoicing.
Yesterday morning the city OF Ralelgh
woke with a sort of holiday air, for 1t
was the day set apart for celebrating
the victory of week ago.
4 clear, cold, autumnal day-crisp ana
sunsbiny. Just enough wind to send
current of fresh air through the streets,
inst enough sunshine to make it comfort
able without an overcoat.
The day came in like Il lamb, but 1t
went out with lion-like roar OF VIC
tory, White Supremacy and Good Gov
ernment." 1t was a great day-and
night-a day that means much, great
deal. =.
Raleigh is not given to jubilees-polit-
ical jubilees, especially
But she never does anything by halves:
and when it was decided that the victory
of a week ago was cause for Il celepra-
tion at the State Capital, everybody
knew that it would be an occasion
worthy of the event it was to commem-
crate.
And those who came with this expec-
tation were not disappointed. 1t was a
display that was unforgetably fine. IL
was a festival of flame and feast OF
oratory which for absolute beauty ana
briIiancy has never been approached III
this town.
Nothing like it has occurred here since
the inauguration of Vance some thirty
years ago, and in every respect IL
eclipsed anything this city has ever be-
fore seen in this direction. The Ilumlna-
tions and fireworks We're never so Drii-
liant, the decorations never so artistic.
nor the street parade so picturesque.
The most elaborate thing In the way
of decoration was the splendid arcn
snanning Fayetteville street, in front of
the city hall. 1t was of white, decorated
by day with gally-colored bunting and
thousands of small flags BY night it
was n blaze of incandescent lights; while
all the principal buildings along the
street and the line of march on other
streets were decorated with national col
ors and illuminated by lights in red,
white and blue. These contrasting coll
ors and the cleaning white of the
triumphal arch made a scene of rare
beauty.
Then the marching men, the loud
huzzas. the tramp of horses, the flashing
most inspiring and picturesque.
Though elaborate preparations had
been made for the event, the early part
Of the day passed quietly enough. Even
had you been on the outlook, in the early
part of the day, you would hardly have
fancied anything special was going on.
But along toward noon people from the
country began to drop in. Then the
trains from the west brought pretty good
delegations from those sections and the
town began to take on "a lively air. The
afternoon trains were crowded and hard
" before one knew it the streets were
thronged with visitors, and home people
too. The crowd went up into the
thousands.
Especially at the hotels there was life
and enthusiasm, and the hours went by
with brisk swing There you We're
among the prophets, and the workers
and the campaigners and successful can
didates: the big guns and speakers foi
the night: our next congressman, mem
bers of the Legislature, judges and tho
like.
Now twilight is creeping on and Fay
etteviIe street is split from end to enc
with tin horns and bells and drums and
the shouts of enthusiasts. A little while
longer and lights are springing up from
n thousand tar-barrels. Now theAtorch
es are cleaning far down. the thorough
fare. The procession is forming, ant
men on horses are galloping hither ant
thither marshaling their forces together
II was o'clock before the procession
was formed and ready to start. Il
reached. packed i'll dense mass. from th'
CarrolIton Hotel to the Centennia
Graded School: and after it was starte'
many others joined in until there mus
have been several thousand people i
line Of these some hundred and fifty
We're on horseback. Every man had
torchlight which cleaned and biinked
like the eye of some mighty Cyclops
through the murky atmosphere.
In short, Fayetteville street. from enc
To end was filled with moving, shouting
mass of humanity, once the procession
was started. Indeed, to one standing OF
the arch in front of the city hall. II
looked not unlike a great. dark flowing
river on which a million lights floated
Tar barrels blazed. rockets hurtlet
across the sky. horns blew, bells rang
and men yelled like mad.
And thus it was until near midnight
Throughout the three hours of the dis
play there was a whole atmosphere ot
red. At one point thousands of incan
descent electrict lights made it a brilian
noon-day Further on in the line o.
march bursting fireworks reminded yo,
of night OF shooting stars Then came