The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-04
PLANNING FOR A BIG FAIR.
COLOBED CITIZENS FITTING UP
MASONIC. FAIR BUILDING.

the Use OF III, ana an tatr Kermit
Was Secured at the City Elk
change-The Fair Was to Begin
Tonight and Last Three Weeks.
Residents I'm the Vicinity of the
Park Extension Up In Arms and
Acting Mayor Ticdemnn VIII Be
Called Upon To-day to Revoke the
Permit-Permission of Military
and Park and Tree Commission
Has Not Been Obtained.
The residents In the neighborhood of
Forsyth Park and the Park Extension are
greatly exercised over an announcement
which has appeared in the papers that the
colored citizens will hold three weeks
fair at the Masonic Fair building In the
Park Extension, beginning tonight
When the park residents saw this an
nouncement in the Morning News yester-
day they were at loss to understand it
and thought that surely some mistake had
been made. When any of the organiza-
tons among the white people of the city
have desired to secure this privilege 1t has
required considerable maneuvering and
lssome time to accomplish the object.
| Owing to the peculiar status of the Park
Extension it has been necessary first to
| secure the consent of the commanders of
the white military companies which con-
| trol the extension as a parade ground.
| Eeing under the Jurisdiction of the Park
and Tree Commission the consent of that
body also has to be obtained and after this
comes the approval CT Council, which is
necessary in order 10 permit the erection
of any building. In this case the building
was already erect d and this seems to
have been the SQUIRE of all the trouble.
When the Masonic Fair Association
made its final closing out sale the fair
building was sold tq4Mr. S. eKrouskcff for
the old lumber wHeh 1t contained with
the understanding that 1t should be re-
moved Immediately, the price being $50.
| instead of removing the building, as was
| intended, Mr.. Krouskoff has given rer-
mission to some of the colored citizens
to make use Of it for a fair Of their
own. 1t seems that an enterpfising color
ed woman, with an eye to business in
the interest of the church with which she
is connected, secured the permission from
Mr.. Krouskoff. The latter made TO charge
for the use of the building and it probably
did not occur to him that he had no right
or interest in the structure except as Sec
ond class lumber.
Having secured this permission the en-
| terprising churchwoman and her asso-
ciates proceeded to arrange for a colored
fair on grand scale. Circulars were DIS
tributed Throughout the city announcing
"Colored Citizens Fair at the Masonic
| Fair Building, Park Extension, beginning
Monday night, June 4. 1900, continuing
three weeks" II was rthe latter part Of
the announcement which caught the eyes
of the park residents. They might have
stood it for one night, or even two o.
three, but the prospect of a miscellaneous
negro fair for three weeks was not pleas
| ant.
The circular did not state that the fair
was to be held in the interest of any
particular church or organization, but dis
| tinctly announced that Amy CHURCH, So
ciety or individual desiring 10 rent booths,
can do so by applying at the building.
Music and dancing every night Admission
| 10 cents"
That this announcement had been freely
circulated among the colored people was
! evident yesterday from the number who
fiocked to the fair building during the day
and eagerly bargained with those in
charge for space for booths. The pros
pect Of having a big fair in the Park Ex-
tension where all the colored people could
get together and enjoy themselves was
evidently an alluring one.
The residents along Whitaker street
who had their doubts at first as to the
| correctness of the announcement, were
soon undeceived by the movements of the
colored people before their eyes. Then
they began to consult each other and to
hold impromptu meetings on their front
porches. They declared that an indignity
was about to be perpetrated upon them
| and the City Council, or whoever else
was responsible for ii would be made to
suffer. If nothing else could be done,
they would get out an Injunction to pre-
vent the fair they declared.
. INDIGNANT citfZQnS hogan innniriQe
among the Masons, military men and
others with the object of finding out how
| such a thing had been brought about I'M
der their noses and with no previous an
nouncement given Of any such intention
To their surprise both Masons and mill
tary men disclaimed all knowledge of the
matter and members of City Council who
| were appealed to said that they knew of
| no permission granted to such an enter
| prise.
A Morning News reporter, to whom the
| park residents told their troubles, start
ed out to find out something about the
fair 1t was easily ascertained that the
colored people had the building, and that
they also had permit from the clerk Of
Council to hold a fair. 1t was also evil
dent that they had got both without
consulting either the military or the Park
and Tree Commission. Mr.. Krouskoff is
in New York. but his son was called up
by telephone at his home Seventh
street. He said that it was true that
his father had given permission TO some
of the colored people to use the building
for fair purposes. making no charge for
it's use. A woman named Carson. he
said seemed to be the chief mover In the
i affair.
Acting Mayor Tiedeman was called up
and stated that no authority had been
granted by Council to anyone to hold a
fair in the Park Extension since the per-
| mic given the MaSOnS W.
possible that Mayor Myers might have
granted such a permit before leaving the
city but Mr.. Tedeman was doubtful II
such was the case. The acting Mayor
said that he would give the matter his
attention promptly this morning.
The solution of the assurance displayed
by the colored people in the matter was
reached, when Clerk of Council Bailey
was inquired of. Mr.. Bailey said that
ii was true that a permit had been given
10 some of the colored people to hold n
fair. and that the applicants had stated
| hof bCA he II