The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-14
Impossible to Garry Out the
Pafades With Success.
TOO COLD FOR THE COSTUMES
Terrible Weather Compelled the
PoStponement OF
MARDl GRAS CELEBRATION
Now Thought That 1t Will be Held in
May in Connection With the MI
steal Festival, Which Ha~
Already Been Assured
MARDl GRAS CELEBRATION

king Thermometer" and "Old King
Sneo' CHATS German for snow, crossed
swords with His Majesty Rex Vulcan ~.
and his hosts. The battle was fiercey
waged, lasting from Saturday night until
Monday morning
His Majesty Mister Thermometer secured
an underhold 'sneo" wrapped everything
in sight with his frozen mantle and thereby
hangs the tale of the utter defeat and rout
OF Rex and his plumed warriors
That is why "Shrove Tuesday" will not
awake to the sound of martial music and
laughter of thousands of masked men and
women. That is why King Rex is not now
in power with high carnival regning SUI
preme. That is why all Birmingham is sad
today and accounts for the woe-b egone
countenances of the many visitors who
have packed the hotels for week past in
anticipation Of the festivities
That is why the weather maker would
not be a welcome guest within the gates of
Birmingham. The failure Of the carnival is
attributed to this individual, and there is
thousand feet of rope, an hundred barrels
of tar and countless millions of tiny feath-
ers available for use if he comes to Bir-
mingham.
Did Not Look Like Mardi Gras
A dozen maskers looking very lonely and
shivering from the extreme cold was all
that reminded one of Mardi Gras in Biz
mngham.
King Rex was to arrive in Birmingham
yesterday afternoon, but under orders
of the carnival society his visit here is
postponed indefinitely.
Zero weather with three inches of snow
on the ground is not in keeping with a Mar
di Gras celebration When the cold wave
moved southwark Saturday and swooped
down on Birmingham early Sunday morn
ing the pulse of President Emil Lesser, of
the Carnival society, began to ebb. When
the shadows began falling Sunday night
with the mercury at least twenty lengths
in the lead in the downward flight, Mr.. Les
ser called a council of the leading workers
in Birminghams Mardi Gras celebration.
AT the Metropolitan hotel an informal con-
ference was held Sunday night. Almost
every one present was in favor of postpon-
ing the carnival there and then. but Mr..
Lesser hoped for a change in the elements
during the night He announced that no
definite action would be taken then, but he
be held at 9 o'clock, and he asked the gen.
| tlemen present to go to their homes and
pray for moderation in the weather.
Birmingham awoke Monday morning to
find "Old King Shaw" Chats English for
snow) still in power and the mercury bob
bling around 10 below the 0 mark. Members
of the Carnival society awoke to find water
pipes frozen, the supply of plumbers ex-
hausted, the street cars running very ir-
regularly and everything in general going
wrog. They muffled up In furs and big
coats and ploughed through the snow to
the Commercial club rooms There were
more than a dozen of the leaders of the
society present, and they decided that it
would be folly to have the carnival when it
would be impossible for people to wear cos
tunes and ride on the floats, and suicidal
for pedestrians to stand on the streets and
sidewalks to watch the pageant.
Major Wheelock stated that it would be
impossible to have the auditorium COM
Portable for the Rex ball. John w. Tom
linson thought the people should be given
something, and it was his idea for the
society to do the best it could to enter
tain the crowds considering the weather.
Mr.. Lesser said that it was his idea at
first to have Rex arrive today and as much
of the programme as possible gone through
with. The rest could be postponed until
today, hoping that more agreeable
weather would prevail Now he thought
perhaps the whole affair had better be
postponed. The weather predictions for
Tuesday were unfavorable.
Grand Marshal e. j. McCrossin was in
favor of carrying out the programme as
first Intended Rufus N Rhodes argued
that this would be folly
Voted to Postpone
The question was put before the gather
ing in the shape of motion to hold the
celebration, carrying out every detail.
An amendment was offered providing
that the celebration be postponed and that
the matter of selecting another date be
referred to the executive board. The
amendment carried and the news soon
spread through town to the disgust of the
thousands who had come to Birmingham
to make merry.
They soon took a philosophical view of
the matter and decided with the carnival
society that Mardi Gras was impossible
with the existing weather.
They were bitterly disappointed. but bore
up with good grace and proceeded to take
in that part of the carnival which the
frigid temperature did not interfere with.
Have 1t In May
There Is a strong sentiment now to have
the celebration in May in connection with
the musical festival. The Carnival society
has expended a large sum of money in pre-
pairing for the carnival and the feeling is
that some sort of celebration should be
held $50 ,iss.
Presi1ent Lesser said last night that he