The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-23
THE ElKS' CARNIVAL.
1T HAS BEEN DEFINITELY SETTLED ON
FOR OCTOBER 1919.

Bring Its m Aggregation TO
Wilmington.
The ELK carnival and street fair is
no longer to be classed as a PROBABILITY
but as an event nat is fixed. The
executive committee on yesterday
closed a contract that definitely settled
the matter and named the date for
this novel attraction for Wilmington
October 18th to 18TH
In response to a telegram frem the
Eaks' carnival committee. Mr.. Victor
ID. Levitte, manager for the mammoth
Bostock-Ferrari Corporation, of Buff
falo. ". Y, arrived here yesterday TO
confer with the committee.
Mr.. Levitte offered his great aggre-
cation from October 14th to the 18th,
the only date which he had not filled
in, and required a guarantee of $4,000
for bringing that world famed attrac-
ton to Wilmington 1t had been con-
templated to have the carnival and
street fair in November. but the COM
mittee jumped at the Bostock-Ferrari
peoples offer and closed the contract
with Mr.. Levitte yesterday afternoon.
The closing of the contract effected two
things-it settled the question that we
will have a carnival and it mad it GER
tain that the greatest attraction of it's
kind on earth is to be it's main feature.
Mr.. Levitte, after closing the deal, left
the city leaving on the Z O'Clock rain
bound north on the Atlantic Coast Line.
The Bostock-Ferrari corporation is
an aggregation of European attractions
and carries 200 people, requiring 16 cars
for it's transportation. 1t will be
brought in its entirely as 1t exhibits in
Richmond at the carnival to be held
there mex month 1t embraces Colonel
Francis Ferrari's wild animal show
which gives not only cage exhibitions
but an arena performance of 80 lions.
This show will be the same as that now
at the Pan-American Exposition, eX-
cept on a smaller scale. 1t carries a
great many famous artists, and among
it's attractions is a troupe OF nv Jep-
aneSe who give astounding slide for
life and ~posturing acts. 1t also has
the greatest crystal maze IN existence.
1t embraces fifty-two mirrors seven
feet high by five feet wide. Then there
will be "'a trip to he moon and We
will see the flying Oma a grand
curiosity, streets Of various nations,
and a variety of trapeze. and
COnIOrIlOnlSIS dClS anu SduUcNlllt pei
formances. With the show IS Mrs.
Murphy the monkey b~alloonlst, which
goes up in a balloon n makes a para
chute leap to earth just like a human
being. There is also a dog, pony and
monkey show for the enefit of chill
dren. There are also many features
that it is impossible to enumeIate with
out a bill.
1t will take twenty blocks Of the
streets of Wilmington to exhibit this
show alone. The ElkS' committee is to
designate the points at which the ex-
hibitionS are to be made but 1t is more
thar probable that it will be on Front
street from Walnut to Orange street,
and on Market from Water to Fifth
street. In each angle of the streets
crossing Front street and Market street
the features of the show will be locat-
ed. In addition to the BOStOck-Ferrar1
company'S shows to which admission is
charged they give nine free exhibitions
including the thrilling act of Professor
Grant in riding on a bicycle over a hlgh
electric wire. He will wear an electric
suit. the wire will contain electric
lights, and his wheel will be ablaze
with electricity
The Bostock-Ferrari people make low
rates with the railroads. and they get
a low rate everywhere they show. They
will begin negotiations at once and it
ID q Z l. NAAoN liz W."
tina will overrun Wilmington with
people. The entire aggregation is to be
brought here from Richmond, and 1t
will be the same that created such SEN
sations in Brooklyn, Baltimore, aVan-
nah and Atlanta Everywhere it shows
h people of the various cities are sure
to secure it for another season
Besides the attraction mentioned
above the EIks will secure nan
others, and of course many Will come
without being invited. The Elks will
furnish the features and attractions
and the people will do the rest. The
merchants will be given the privilege
of erecting booths in front of their
stores for the purpose of displaying
and selling their wares. These booths
will extend from the pavement nearly
to the street car track, allowing SUI
ficient room for the cars and vehicles
to pass. This booth feature VIII be one
of the most attractive of the carnival
as each merchant will decorate and vie
with the other in making his booth
attractive.
Street fairs have been great successes
everywhere and the lnvariable rule is
that when a city has one, Its citizens
readily subscribe to nave them again.
Richmond's carnival was a great sue
cess last yea and we understand that
the merchants of that city will sub
scribe 5000 0 this year to have a carni-
val to eclipse that of last year.
Charleston, Augusta. Macon n At
lanta all will AVE carnivals again.
One who knows, says it is the biggest
thing out for a city and certainly the
biggest thing for the merchants.
The Elks will ask the Board Of AL
dermen for concessions to use the
streets but there is no doubt but that
they will get all they want. The object
of the carnival will be to augment the
Elks' charity fund. so they Will be in
a position to aid the o again this
winter. It will never be forgotten how
the Elks distributed their charity last
when the city was wrapped in ice
and snow, the members Of the order
themselves paying for and hauling
wood TO hundreds of distressed families. |
The Elks have gone into it deep now, |
and they propose to make their carni-
val a great success. While it will be
managed by h Elks, it will be Of two
fold benefit will benefit the order
and be a great benefit to h city from
the great crowds it will bring here to