The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-24
9TH OF DOWNS.
Annual Event in Northwestern
Kansas on Saturday.
The TWenty-fOurth Anniversary
of the Towns Birthday.
GIRLS BAND CONTEST.
Phillipsburg, Smith Center and
Downs Musicians Will Play.
All the People in That Corner
of State Go.
GIRLS BAND CONTEST.

Downs is preparing for her annual
celebration 1.-The 9th of Downs to be
held on Saturday. To anyone who is
acquainted with the way things are
done during the annual Downs carni-
walls this statement is enough to give
very good idea of the festivities that are
to be held in that town. But for the
information of the ignorant it may be
announced that this is one of the big
events of the northwest part of the
state.
The novel events of the celebration
will be the concert contests by three
young ladies' bands from Phillipsburg,
Smith Center and Downs. Other bands
have been secured but the interest will
congregate about the feminine must
clans. balloon ascension by Prof.
Murphy of Omaha, is to be one of the
important attractions. For some reason
or other the small town never loses in
terest in the balloon ascension. 1t has
come to be almost inseparably connect
ed with the Fourth of July or other
celebrations and seems to lose no flavor.
The day will close with fireworks by the
Downs Flambeau club. The ADVERTISE
ments announce that there is oceans of
shade and ice water will be free
The day the town was organized, July
27, 1879, the citizens celebrated the fact
that the municipality had been declared
a city of the third class. On each an
niversary since they have celebrated be-
cause the town was year older. AT
the first celebration the population of
Downs, about a hundred perhaps took
part Since then, year by year, the
celebration has grown in Importance
and the crowds have likewise increased
until it is not unusual for eight or ten
thousand persons to attend the celebra-
ton and one year the estimate of the
crowd was $4,000 which is about fifteen
times the present population of the
town. 1t makes no difference what the
size of the crowd is, the people man.
age to accommodate them in manner
which brings the visitors back year
after year.
Downs was happy when that happen
ed and celebrated the event for the first
time in 1879, when Judge Joel Holt, of
the Fifteenth judicial district decreed
that Downs was incorporated as a city
of the third class. AT the first celebra-
ton Senator John ]. ingalls, was the
speaker of the day. Since then many of
the most prominent speakers, statesmen
and politicians have spoken there. At
first they had to be induced to speak at
Downs Now the management of the
annual celebrations has to thresh the
scores of applications that come from
politicians who wish to speak there
The wheat is separated from the chaff.
The good ores are accepted.
On the 9th of Downs the town puts
on gala attire. The lines the surveyors
made for the streets are gone There
are tents and pavilions. All kinds of
amusements from the speakers and the
dozen bands down to the merry-go-
rounds and the toy balloon men are in
evidence. In the grove on the banks of
the Solomon speeches are made.
The days events will include a large
variety of amusement features, almost
too many to be crowded into one days
programme but the Downs people have
managed in the past to get around to an
equal number Conditions are favorable
to the most successful celebration of the
| towns history and experience of the