The Springfield herald., 1898-06-24
PUEsLo'S ANNUAL FESTIVAL.
A Wealth of Entertainment Extending
Oyer Three Days In July.

Pueblo. the second city in the state
of Colorado as to population, and 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 year old the enterprise
Is of such n popular nature that the
entire southern portion of the state
has taken an interest in it, and ROCKY
Ford, Colorado Springs. Denver ana
| several other cities will be represent
ed with floats. In Pueblo all the res
idents 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 outdo the other in the grand
eur of its display, and the friendly ri
valry thus created results in fine eN-
hiblts. In addition to the clubs, there
Is 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, 4 and 3. During the winter just
over the Colorado Mineral Palace, the
most wonderful building of its kind.
has been completed renovated and
surrounded by Il park. That Will be
| the scene of all the indoor features of
the program. The pageant opens Sun
day at $50 o'clock in the afternoon
| with n sacred concert nj the Mineral
| Palace, and the national hymns Will
be sung by choruses composed OF ma
| tiyes of the several countries. accom-
panied by several large brass bands
and stringed orchestras. For that
evening there will be amusements at
| Minneuua lake and other music about
town.
With sunrise Monday opens the real
old-fashiOned Fourth of July, the an
niversary of the day when the liberty
bell, from the belfry of Independence
hall at 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 1t is not strange that the
patriotic citizens of Colorado have
desire to celebrate the coming ma
tional day with unusual enthusiasm.
A national salute will announce the
day and then the fun begins in real
earnest. First thing on the program
is n parade of all the bands, and that
, will merge into the Pageant of States
and Nations. which forms Vt the Min
eral Palace at 9:3O n. m. Ihis event
gives promise of n celebration that
will rival the Mardi Gras at New Or
leans or the Festival of Mountain and
Plain at Denver. No more need be
said. Monday afternoon there will be
display of day fireworks, something
new In the field of pyrotechnics. There
| will be fireworks in the evening of
/ A.. Iii. t1,, I,nnv ht.iI-
liant with splendor, and to 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
nished by the home of the Bessemer
steel works, the Philadelphia smelter.
the Pueblo smelter. the Colorado
smelter, the Lannon foundry. the Iron
| City foundry and Il score of other
plants which work day and night
converting the wealth Of the Rocky
mountains into commercial products.
With it all there will be music. Tues
day afternoon the masked carnival
takes place. That evening the naval
combat will take place on Lake Min
nequa. This lake is three and one
half miles in circumference and has Il
depth of thirty feet. An entire fleet
of ships have been built, and explo-
sion of all these at 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 at
both the lake pavilion and the Mineral
Palace. During the pageant the Ro-
yer Wheel and Athletic Club gives n
state bicycle meet at their track on
Lake avenue.
on account of the immense crowds
assured the Colorado Passenger AS
sociation has made very low rates to
Pueblo for the celebration.