La Junta tribune. (La Junta, Bent County, Colo.) 1881-1939, 1898-06-25
puesLo.s ANNUAL FESTIVAL.



Pueblo. the second city In the state
OF Colorado as TO population. aud the
greatest smelling center in the coun-
try, takes well-earned pride In Its an
nual festival known as the Pageant OF
States and Nations. Though this Gus
tom is but a year old, the enterprise
is OF such popular nature that the
entire southern portion OF the state
has taken an interest In II. and Rocky
Ford, Colorado Springs, Denver and
several other cities will be represent
ed with floats. In Pueblo all the res
idcnts are organized into clubs OF peo-
pie having the same native state or
country. Thus there are the Pennsyl-
vanIa club, the Missouri club. the
Germany club. the Italian club and
even the Chinese club. Each club
tries to ouido the other In the grand
eur of its display. and the friendly RI
valry thus created results In fine eN-
hiblts, In addition 10 the clubs, there
is II central committee well supplied
with funds which looks after the fire
works. music and other special feat
ures.
The dates set for the pageant are
Sunday. Monday and Tuesday, July
3. ! aud .. During the winter just
over The Colorado Mineral Palace. the
mos wonderful building Of its kind.
has been completed. renovated and
surrounded by n park. That VIII be
the scene of all the indoor features of
the program. The pageant opens sun
day at 2:30 O'Clock In the afternoon
with sacred concert nj the Mineral
Palace, and the national hymns VIII
be sung by choruses composed of ma
-
panied by several large brnss bands
and stringcd orchestras. For that
evening there VIII be anusements nj
Mlnnclua lake and other music about
town.
With sunrise Monday opens the real
old fashioned Fourth OF July, the an
nIvcrsary Of the day when the liberty
beIl. from the belfry of Independence
hall nj Philadelphia. proclaimed the
message that the Stars and Stripes
were supreme. With thousands OF
men in the field fighting for the honor
OF Old Glory II Il not strange that the
patriotic citizens OF Colorado have
desire to celebrate the coming na.
iiOnal day with unusual enthusiasm.
A national salute viii announce the
day and then the fun begins in real
earnest. First thing on the program
Is parade OF all the bands, and that
Will merge into the Pageant OF States
and Nations. which forms at the Min
eral Palace at $50 n. IN. This event
gives promise OF celebration that
VIII rival the Mardi Gras Mt New or
leans or the Festival of Mountain and
Plain mt Denver. No more need be
said. Monday afternoon there VIII be
n display OF day fireworks. something
new In the field of pyrotechnics. There
will be fireworks In the evening OF
the kind that make the heavens bril-
liant with splendor, and 10 close the
day masked dance In front OF the
grand stand.
But that will not close the program.
for on Tuesday there will be an indus
trinl display such as can only he fur
nished by the home OF the Bessemcr
steel works. the Philadelphia smelter.
the Pueblo smelter. the Colorado
smeltcr, the Lannon foundry, the Iron
City foundry and a score OF other
plants which work day and night
converting the wealth OF the Rocky
mountains into commercial products.
With It all there viii be music. Tues
day afternoon the masked carnival
takes place. That evening the naval
combat viii take place on Lake Min
ncqua. This lake is three and one
half miles in circumference and has a
depth of thirty feet. An entire fleet
OF ships have been built. and eNplo-
sion OF all these Mt the grand climax
cannot help but remind the spectators
of the Spanish fleet after they met
Admiral Dewey in Manila harbor.
The program closes with dances nj
both the lake pavilion and the Mineral
Palace. During the pageant the Ro-
Yer Wheel and Athletic Club gives n
state bicycle meet mt their track on
Lake avenue.
on account OF the immense crowds
assured, the Colorado Passenger As
sociatlon has made very low rates 10
Pueblo for the celebration.