The semi-weekly messenger., 1902-09-23

The "Pythian Carnival and Mer-
chants Trade Festival is a certainty.
Mr.. Bert Hoss the business manager
OF the Layton Carnival Company, re-
turned TO Wilmington yesterday. and
last night he closed the contract with
the Pythian Committee for the twenty
four shows Of his company 10 be in VIII
mington November 3rd to sth-
At the recent meeting OF the Pyth-
ians' general entertainment committee
to make arrangements for an entertain
ment TO raise funds TO furnish the ele-
CANT new Pythian castle hall. in the
Murchison National Bank building. a
subcommittee was appointed TO make
the best possible contract with the Lay
ton Carnival Company. The sub-com-
mittee consists OF ex-Mayor ;. H Fish
T. D. Meares and Messrs- L. b. Rogers,
B. o. Stone, H. E. Bonitz and w. +.
Perdew.
The subcommittee met at the Orton
last night and after going over the
matter with Mr.. Hoss, they closed
chairman of the committee and Mr..
Rogers secretary, and all were present.
The date fixed for the carnival was
November 3rd, 4th. 5th, 9th, Ith and Sth.
and it was decided to have street falr
similar to that of the Elks' carnival
last fall.
The Layton Carnival Company will
be at Raleigh during the state fair the
last week IN October and IL Will come
directly from there TO Wilmington. Ii
has the reputation of being one OF the
best companies of the kind in the
United States, embracing twenty-four
shows that are guaranteed to be clean
and up-to-date. In bringing this ag-
gregation here the Pythians have guar
anteed over $1,000 expenses, ana the
company agreed to come only upon con-
dition that they could bring their great
pyrotectic reproduction of the eruption
of Mont Pelee This is a free exhibition
and the Pythians had to give SooO TO
get it. This is said to be the grandest
and most thrilling piece OF fireworks IN
the world, showing Mont Pelee In the
great cataclasm that overwhelmed St
Piere and blotted out its 10000 inhabl-
tants The scene shows a fac-simile
of the mountain and the city, and 1t is
said that when the realistic pyrotech-
mics are in display, the people of st
Piere can be seen frightened and fieE-
| ing in their panic as III one were look
| ing on the real scene. The Layton
Company was at Portsmouth the latter
part of August and the Norfolk papers
| saw $4,000 people witnessed the mocf
eruption of Pelee. During the carni
val in Wilmington, this free exhibitor
| will be given on the water front, th'
pyrorechnics to be fired from scow'
| anchored in the river.
| The railroads have assured the Pyth
ians of a low rate for the people u
| come to the carnival, and they propoS'
| to make it the most notable event eve
| seen in Wilmington. There are 80
| Pythians here and they are enthusiast
| over the affair,
All that is necessary now to get grea
| crowds to visit our city during the car
| nival is for our merchants TO en-
| courage the committee by liberal SUB
| scriptions. Yesterday the finance com
| mittee went out a while and thoug
| the subscriptions were not up to thel
| expectations, the merchants were rlgn
| generous The committee Will start ou
| in earnest tomorrow and 1T is hope
| our merchants will not lose the oppor
| tunity to benefit themselves by bring
! ing a tremendous lot of people TO Sc
| the carnival.
We learn that the merchants are get
| ting enthused on the subject, and tina
! already there is a movement on 100
| among them to refund the railroa
| fares of all visitors who trade certa1
| amount This will bring to the cit
| many country merchants who Will tax
the opportunity to lay in their holida
goods.