Evening star., 1903-07-02
OPENING OF LAWN FETE
UNITED SOCIETIES OF PATRIOTIC
WOMEN IN CHARGE.
Numerous Attractions Found All Over
Sherman Square-The Grounds
Prettily Decorated.

The lawn fete of the United Societies of
Patriotic Women of the District of Column
bia opened last evening on Sherman square,
18th and Florida avenue. The whole square
is in use, being covered with tents and
booths to the number of twenty-five, all
gaily decorated with bunting and flags, and
hung with bright-colored lanterns. 1t was
a veritable scene from fairyland last even
ing. From the 14th street gate to the top
of the hill, where the booths are arranged
along a wide street reaching to 18th street
on the east, is an over-arching arrangement
of coored lanterns. The big trees are hung
with bunting and great flags fly from the
tops. The whole effect is very pretty, and
when crowded. as it was last evening, with
hundreds of handsomely dressed women
and children, and very large sprinklng
of men, the grounds presented a sight
worth seeing.
The Engineers Band, julius Komper.
bandmaster, rendered fine musical pro-
gram throughout the evening. Martial
music will be furnished while the fete lasts.
A tinrikishaw, drawn by a gaily attired
Jap, is one of the midway attractions, and
a patient burro vies with the queer car
riage- gon" in affording amusement for
the children. After skirting the grounds
they draw up at the Japanese tea garden,
where very charmingly attired young Ia
dies, in belted kimonas, serve tea, stumble
over their queer robes and pile up shekels
for the National Auxiliary of the Spanish
War Veterans.
In the southeast corner of the fete
grounds were grouped the various corps OF
the Department of the Potomac, w. R. c..
q great arch bearing the sign in big, black
lettering, and hung with flags announcing
the location. Inside the arch. in hand
somely decorated tents George H. Thomas
Corps will serve dinner each evening from
4 to 7:3O, and ice cream. coffee and sand
wiches the remainder of the evening. Lin
coin Corps has a regular mess table,
where pork and beans, sandwiches and
coffee are served. Or, passing on little
further huge signs announce ice cream
and cake, and a Klondike. Yet another
beautifully decorated stall, where all kinds
of little tricks, fancy and useful. are on
sale. Burnside Corps serves most any
thing in the eatable line that anybody may
happen to want, from ice cream to hot
coffee. They have also fancy table with
many pretty things. Farragut Corps has
many toothsome dainties on sale. All the
corps headquarters are made gay with
lanterns and flags, plenty Of seats are
provided, and the little Relief Corps village
was one Of the busiest in the grounds last
evening.
The Other Booths.
The Legion of Loyal Women have
very handsomely decorated headquarters,
and serve ice cream and deviled crabs, or
hot beans and hot coffee, pie, plum pud-
dlng-ln TACT, anything tnat may StIlke tne
fancy can be found there, steaming hot
or Ice cold, just you like
The two circles of the Ladies of the
Grand Army of the Republic have most at
tractive booths, and the same can be said
of the Ladies of the Union Veteran Union,
and the Edith K. Roosevelt Auxiliary to
the Spanish War Veterans. The last named
auxiliary has a dancing pavilion in con-
nection with the other attractions.
There are "Klondykes" connected with
each organization. where fortunes may be
had for the digging in the sawdust and
the fortune tellers and palmists are legion
Soft drinks are found at every table. and
marrionettes, ball throwing and various
other minor attractions are numerous.
The moving pictures are one of the very
pleasing features of the fete. and 1t is quite
the thing to carry dishes of ice cream out
to the little valley where the pictures are
shown every few moments, and to locate in
parties of half a dozen SO, on the soft.
velvety turf, and discuss the frozen dainty.
your neighbors and the pictures at one and
the same time.
The fete will be continued till midnight
Saturday night. Saturday will be open
day" and the Fourth of July exercises,
which take place at 2:3O p. m, promise to be