The Saint Paul globe., 1898-09-12

nished q Wisp for a Shetland
Pony-It Was the Cheapest ApoI-
oGy That Ever Donned tho Mask
O6 MOmus-Even Floral Night q
Frost.
Flanagan is sore. It may be mat
ter Of information to the general public
10 know that Flanagan Is the indi-
vidual who goes to the front in Mime.
apolis when the gambling push Is as
sessed for the benefit of the city. It
seems that When Col. Charlie" Haskell
conceived the idea of having q show in
minneapolis during fair week, he went
out TO collect some money. Flannagan
Is a good thing and he ordinarily does
business for the syndicate. It Is not
good form for the mayor or the mem
pers on the city government of Mime
apollS to know that there is any ganb-
ling going on in the town, and Flanna-
gan Is the Mr.. Jorkins of the gambling
syndicate. When Col. Haskell went out
TO see what could be done to promote
tbs local fake industry he got very
close to Mr.. Flanagan, and the result
was that the syndicate gave up the
sum OF $500 to promote the festival Of
takeS that was carried on last week
IN minneapolis. Up to date that $500 is
net loss. Last night it was given
out that there had not been suckers
enough In town to buy $500 worth Of
chips altogether, and Mr.. Flanagan
would like to get even. Mr.. Flannagan
declares that he was obliged to give
up a considerable sum for the enter
ta1nment Of the Elks a year ago, and
was obliged to subscribe again for the
festival. He admits that sometimes
there is money to be had by contribut-
ing to public subscriptions, but he
does not like the present arrangement
The festival Of fire and fake is the
most awful frost that even Minneapolis
has engaged in. Even the night of the
Horal parade, which was pronounced
the hottest thing Of the week, 1t was a
sore disappointment. The floral display
consisted altogether Of paper flowers
Even the people from South Mime
apOlis, who are ordinarily willing to
agree that anything that is done in
Minneapolis Is better done than it could
be done anywhere on earth except in
Stockholm, complained about it. It
was the most complete and penetrating
frost that has ever come off in Mime
apolis. eVen-and there have been other
frOStS.
1t is worth while to look into the
history Of the festival of fire and fake.
1t all grew out of a scheme that the
Flambeau club had to celebrate fair
week. The intentions of the club were
innCcuous. The members thought it
might be as we'll to make some sort Of
demonstration, and they exploited
their idea to such an extent that the
Commercial club, which was under
agreement with the Commercial club Of
St Paul not to have any civic display
during fair week, took up the scheme
and evolved a festival Of fire. Col
Charlie Haskell took up the scheme
and went to booming it. He got into
it further than he thought for, and
made it a business proposition. He
got committees out and made a can
vass Of the town, and the result was
that he collected between $4,000 and
$4,000 for the festival The Flambeau
club felt that it was matter Of club
pride and the members went out and
sold tickets until there was a. sum on
hand that would pay for the printing,
and Col. Haskell hired a press agent
and proceeded to get some returns out
OF the show. The money was spent in
advertising. There has not been an
event brought off in the Northwest that
was as we'll advertised. Money was
spent lavishly with the country press,
and L. N. Scott and Mike Breslauer
waXed fat on the sale of billboard
space to Col. Haskell. The dead walls
in St. Paul and Minneapolis were made
to glisten with the most remarkable
statements in English and other Ian
sUa ges that were supposed to set forth
the glOries of the coming festival. For
turately the people Of the state have
become accustomed to taking salt with
Minneapolis statements, and the ad-
Vertising was lost to a great extent
But when it was necessary to start the
festival it was found that the money
had been spent, generally, for adver-
tising, and there was nothing left for
a basis for the show except the ex-
position building and a couple Of dol
lars worth of Roman candles.
The various events Of the week Of
festival were given high-sounding
titles There was Civic night-that was
Monday, and the event consisted al
together Of a magnificent parade Of
Minneapolis aldermen, followed by
commercial bodies to the extent Of one
body. It was an awful affair." and it
cured pretty nearly everybody Of any
desire to see any more Of it. Then there
was Military night, and the parade
was very nearly reduced to a minimum,
for there was TO military.
The next night was Bicycle night.
That was featured as the great event.
There are a lot Of people in Mime
all invited to turn out and join the pro-
cession. They were too busy to turn
out
The good thing of the week was re-
served for floral night. The people in
the country were informed by posters
Of loud seeming and ununderstanda:bl BILE
English that the real event Of the cell
tury was to come off Friday night.
The result of the advertising was that
there were 1000 people from out Of
town on the streets Friday night in Min
neapolis when the floral parade event
uated The people massed on Nicollet
avenue. The street was packed. Rob
ert street is when there is an Ice pal
ace in ST. Paul.
1t would have been worth while to
listen to the comments Of those people
when the parade went by. There We're
several bands in the parade. Original
ly, the several bands had been the one
band, and the result of making a num-
ber of bands out of the one added
neither to the hilarity OF the occasion
nor to the melody produced. There
was a feature in the way Of a band
composed of young women. Fortunate
ly, this band could not make much
noise The wagon In which the mem
bers Of the band were seated was haul
ed q and down Nicollet avenue a half
dozen times. A number of wagons in
which were exposed the advertisements
of as many nurserymen also had a part
in the parade. The one attractive fea-
ture was the showing Of the fire de-
partment. The f1remen had decorated
their wagons and apparatus with real
flowers, and really made q fine show
ing. The exhibition of mounted and
foot police was also fins.
But it was a sore crowd. The people
complained that there was nothing to
see in the first place, and no comfort
in seeing it, If there had been anything
l., Il I'LL.