The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1898-12-23
EnecinL Corresnondence.

Special Correspondence.
Often when one excitement is over
another soon follows, and SO it has seemed
here in this part of the sunny South this
fall. The soldiers, except few COM
panies left to gaard government property.
have been moved to Savannah, and one
misses now the sights that had become
so familiar on our streets.
For some time we had heard of the
great preparations being made for Gala
Week, and frequent notices in the daily
papers of the good things in store for the
people at that time kept them on the
qui vive. In November Of last year the
merchants of the city, by uniting their
forces in different ways, prepared week
of enjoyment. in which everybody, old
and young, entered most heartily. Ex-
cursions by land and water brought the
people from all over the State and the
venture was pronounced such success
thatit was decided to make Gala Week
an annual event. While Jacksonville is
rightly considered the gateway of the
State and her stores and facilities for
business in every way are second to none
in this far south land, many people liv-
ing elsewhere still feel that Savannah
is the place and that ie they can purchase
goods from there they are little better.
To remove all such impressions and en-
courage home patronage. the merchants
here have We'd with each other this year
in their arrangements for this event.
After witnessing the displays made
through the different business streets,
and in their trades parade, one could
not wonder they feel like claiming all
the trade The decorations all over the
city were very tasty and elaborate and
at night, when the many arches erected
on the principal streets were ablaze with
electric lights, it surely was a sight
worth seeing.
Attractions of all kinds were numer-
Gus during the day, and each night
crowds of people thronged the streets
for hours to see the grand parade. How
fully these Southern people give them
selves up to the present thing, whatever
it may be, and certainly everything gave
way to enjoyment during the week.
The schools were closed and the exer-
cises one day were given largely by school
children. The first night there was a
grand fantastic parade led by the king of
the carnival in his red chariot, and at
tended by gnomes aud imps. large and
small. He was followed by hundreds in
costumes representing many characters
from the old Roman knights, down to
the cake walkers of the present time.
The parade another evening was made
up of historical floats. beginning with
the landing of Columbus on American
shores, and including events in the set
Element of our country, the revolution
airy and civil wars and even in the late
war. The float representing the Red
Cross work in these camps, and another
that of Uncle Sans perplexity in receiv-
ing his new possessions, were especially
good.
Many, however, thought the Trades
parade the best. The ingenuity with
which all the different lines of business
carried on here. and illustrated by floats,
from a miniature of the steamer .'Kansas
City" on the Ocean S. S. line, fully
rugged, with crew and passengers out on
deck, to live mule in the process of
being shod, was certainly worthy of
great praise. Every evening before the
parade Paine's 'sBattle of Manila" was
hown in large park on the edge of the
city, and judging from the firing and
noise heard even at distance, those who
were near by or saw it, must have had
at least a faint idea of the real racket.
Magnificent displays of fireworks shoot
ing up in the heavens each night could
be seen by those far and near.
By no means the least of all attractions
that week were two Spanish gunboats
ea1nder command of Lieut. Victor Blue,
that were anchored here in the river.
They were on the way North, but be-
cause of having had a very rough sea
coming up from Key West, and the signs
of another big storm approaching, they
came up the st. Johns river for few
DAYS. Hundreds of visitors went on
board of them, and kodaks could be
counted by the dozen. We rowed first
to the 'sSandoval, the boat which was
thirty days under water and then took
our men as much longer to raise her
When the Spaniards found they must
lose her they threw everything over
D0aIQ dHQ lu6u 5QuA lAO OOA5s W 2 w CA0
told she was only three years old, but
either the month under water or service
somewhere made her look much older
than that. Here we saw a good collec-
ton of relics. Spanish machetes. Mauser
rifles; also a mine, taken from the water
thirty-eight miles out from Santiago,
and it was very interesting to listen
while its workings were explained.
We then rowed on over to the "Alvor-
ado,' which was captured before any
thing on board was lost, SO she was
equipped just as the Spaniards had used
her. Having been taken by the Texas, !"
the crew were all from that ship, and it
added much interest to everything to
walk about and talk with those men who
so lately had passed through those terri
BILE scenes. l talked with one who told
me much about the fighting on the water,
and referred to the incident Of Captain
Phillips calling his men on deck and
acknowledging his belief in help from
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