The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1899-02-26
The Suggestion Struck a
Popular Chord.
FLOWER BEDECKED EQUlPAGES
Will Be Fully and Freely Discussed AT
Meeting to Be Held in the Com +.
mercial Club : News and
Gossip in Society.
by ANNIE KENpRICK WALKER

A1 HAN&AC "fADhhSAh
The present dangerous drift or social af-
fairs will anchor upon sea of flowers.
There will be a line of fiower-bedecked
equipages which will wend its way along
the avenues on fine sunny day in May
A meeting will be called in few days at
the Commercial club of the ladies and gem
tlemen who are interested in May-day
floral parade in Birmingham. Those who
have been discussing the matter are in
favor of the parade being made one of the
features of the delayed carnival. The mat
ter at present is entirely in the hands of
several prominent Birmingham young
women, the suggestion having been made
by Miss Mary Claire Miner, one of the
leaders in the smart set. Other>,promoters
are Miss Elizabeth Shelley and Miss Lucille
Smith. They have discussed the matter
with a number of ladies and gentlemen
all of whom favor a floral parade for Biz
mingham.
At the meeting of the Carnival society
tomorrow evening a discussion will proba-
bly, be reached in regard to the festivities
being held later in the spring, but in the
event that the idea will be entirely aban-
doned the floral parade will be made feat
ure distinctive unto itself. 1t could, how
ever, be arranged in connection with the
musical festival, since floral parades are
songs without words. The musical festival
will include a matinee on Saturday, May g.,
and the floral parade could be arranged
for the Friday preceding:
Eyes, there should be a ofira parade in
the festival week." said prominent club
man yesterday. 1.-THE beauty and possibili-
especially in this district in May, when
there are millions of roses that can be
built into arches and numberless decora-
tions for the horses and traps. Such a
parade should be confined to stylish turn
outs. There are any number of men who
favor such a parade and everyone of ar
tistic taste should begin to make a design
for the parade. Such parade is literally
moving procession of beautiful flowers,
and among the beautiful flowers will be
faces that are even more beautiful-the
fairest flowers of them all. There is moth
ing that is capable of bringing out so much
beauty as flower parade. Let one after
noon in the festival week be given over
to it,"
Those who have seen the floral parades in
other cities are enthusiastically in favor of
birmingham following this beautiful cus<
tom which has become an annual one in
many cities.
The number of handsome equipages here
and famous whips, favor the idea should
there be any reluctant decisions for fear of
inadequate equipments.
The suggestion of Miss Miner has struck
a very popular chord, and there is every
reason to believe that floral parade could
be made an artistic triumph for Birming-
ham-herself an opening blossom that has
not reached its full bloom
The southern climate that is usually per-
feet in May is suggestive of floral displays,
and one might say, demands an outdoor
festival, before the coming of tropical
summer.
The floral parades in the southern cities
have been extremely popular, and have
surpassed all other spectacles in beauty
The parade here would be made as elab-
crate as in other cities, with the exception,
of course, of those cities in the west where
natural flowers are used in the decoration
OF the carriages. The art, however, of
making paper flowers has reached such
perfection that the most elaborate and
beautiful effects are produced in their ar
rangement.
The promoters of the floral parade are
assured that it be made scene of
surprising beauty.
The call meeting will be announced later
through the papers. At this meeting a
committee on arrangements will be ap-
pointed and the details discussed fully
The meeting will be open to any one who
is interested in floral parades
Birmingham must have at least one
floral parade in advance of the automobile
era. There would be a serious obstacle to
the popularity of automobiles for floral