Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-10-11
CAPITAL CITY PLANS MAMMOTH
STREET FAIR.
WILL RIVAL MARDi GRkS
Opens With Republican Day and
Closes With Football Game-A
Midway and Hundreds of Free
Observation-Disclosures Carnival One
Night.

Parade Of eight militia companies, and |
the university battalion at $3.50 p. IL. |
Wednesday, Oct. 17-Democratic |
day-John F. Finerty of Chicago
speaks at 2 p. n.
Torchlght procession AMI speech by
George Fred. Williams Of Boston att
1870 p. m.
Thursday, Oct. 18-Madison day
Flower parade at $3.50 p. m.
Illuminated flower parade at 1880
p. m.
Horseless carriage parade at $50
p. m.
Friday, Oct. 19-Dedication Of new
state historical library at 10 a. m.
Cardinal illumination and masked
carnival parade at 1880 D. m.
Saturday, Oct. 2o-Football game be-
tween University of Wisconsin and
University of Upper Iowa.
The Madison carnival and street fair
is to be the most pretentious demon
stration ever attempted in the capital
city. In the language of theatrical
paper, it is to be a $4,000 show and
the carnival committee is determined
that for once Madison shall do itself
proud. A fund of about $4,000 has
been raised for the purpose of securing
attractions, decorating the city and adj
vertising. In addition to this comes
the decorations ana displays to be
made by the individual merchants and
other business men. There is to be
every conceivable form and style of
clean, legitimate amusement and en-
tertainment, from circuses and high
class vaudeville to athletic tourna-
ments and football games. The rail
roads have granted half fare rates
from all points within 100 miles. and
it's command to secure large attend
ance Of citizens throughout the state.
To this end it has sent advertising to
every newspaper published within a
radius Of Is miles Of the capital and
has posted bills in every town and
hamlet within 100 miles of the city.
The people of Madison are proud OF
their city, of their university, of their
lakes and of the natural beauties Of
the city They feel that the citizens
of Wisconsin should know more Of the
capital of the state, and for that rea-
son every Madisonian is anxious for
the success of the carnival. If the
people of the state take advantage of
the generous provision which is being
made for their entertainment during
the carnival it is quite probable their
visit will result in much good to both
visitors and visited, because Madison,
for a small place, is a city Of sights
sights which to the people of Wiscon-
sin should be Of great interest as the
institutions and buildings here are
supported by the taxes which these
people pay. There will be less of
grumbling about over taxation and an
eXtravagant use of public money when
the taxpayers have once visited the
university and other institutions so
that they may see for themselves
something Of the wonderful work that
is being done. This has been one of
the main reasons for holding the
carnival
Another has been a desire to dispel
the idea that has so long been preva-
lent throughout the state that Madison
is not a business city and that if the
capitol and the university were to be
removed nothing would remain except
the lakes. It is not widely advertised.
bII+ tho 1occ +,,11n To
with its nine diverging lines OF rail
roads is one OF the finest shipping
points in the Northwest It is in the
heart Of one of the greatest dairying
districts in America. it is the principal
shipping point in the Wisconsin to-
bacco belt, Dame being reckoned as
the second tobacco producing county
Of the United States) and is also the
greatest farm machinery market in
the northwest. It was to advertise
and emphasize these facts that the
enterprising business men of the city
conceived the idea of street fair and
carnival The hustlers felt that no.
ordinary demonstration would do the
capital city justice, and accordingly
I1ICy IlcINS 1GISGu d 1d1 sc lulIu anu dI Z
elaborate preparations
The plans for decorating the city
provide for a lavish use of cardinal
bunting and flags. The cardinal is
used because of it's being the adopted
color of the university. The commit
tee on decorations reports that over
5000 yards of bunting will be used, as
it is intended that every telegraph, |
telephone and street railway pole IN |
the principal streets shall be wrapped |
in the university colors and draped |
with flags.
The entire city will be Illuminated |
from the railroad depots to the dome |
of the capitol. Over 5000 incandes- |
cent electric lights and several hun
dred extra arc lights are to be used |
in illuminating the principal streets, |
so that the main part of the city !
shall be as light as day. The great |
white dome Of the capitol building is
to be studded with 1000 electric lights
"a sight which is worth going miles |
to see. Then there are to be 81 |
electric arches. All in all. this will |
be the greatest Illumination ever seen
in the northwest with the single ex-
ception of the Administration build
ing at the Worlds Fair. In addition
to the blaze Of electric lights the
committee has provided an elaborate
pyrotechnichal display for each even
ing in which 500 boxes of Greek fire
will be used at one time This is
called the cardinal illumination.
Booths in the Streets