Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1903-12-17
The Louisiana
Purchase Deal
NOTABLE FESTIVITIES. WHICH
BEGIN TODAY IN ST. LOUIS.

BEGIN TO-DAY IN ST. LOUIS.
NEW ORLEANS, La, Dec. lT--The
presence OF the warships Of three ma
lions and the attendance OF scores Of
prominent visitors from various parts
of the country give promise that the
celebration OF the Louisiana Purchase
centennial. which begins tomorrow
and continues three days. will surpass
in scope and brilliance the most san
guine expectations of its promoters.
Visitors are already arriving in large
numbers and the crowded streets and
public places resemble the Mardi Gras
throngs.
New Orleans Il particularly pleased
over the presence of the Spanish man
#ofsWar Rio de la Plata, which is the
first Spanish war vessel 10 visit this
country since the Spanish-American
war The new French man-of-war
Grayiere is also here, while the United
States navy is represented by the
cruiser Minneapolis and several small
er vessels.
During the three days OF the cele-
bration there will be civic, military
and religious ceremonies, a colonial
exhibit and naval parade. Though
there will be several parades and other
spectacular features. the program in
its entirety has been SO arranged as
to appeal more to the student of his
tory than to the ordinary sightseer.
Conditions are favorable to this ar
rangement, as all the old baildings
connects. with the transfer a.e still.
standing in very much the same con-
dition as they were century ago.
Thus The main ceremonies will take
place in the Cabildo, the government
house under the Spanish and French
regimes, now the supreme court build
ing. 1t has been furnished exactly as
lit was on the day of the transfer.
The exercises will include the reading
of the original transfer, and Loussal,
Claiborne, Wilkinson and other com.
missioners will be represented By
prominent citizens In the costumes Of
1.-THE times.
The religious ceremonies III ~, Sc
Louis cathedral will be Identical with
thsle Of hundred years ago. and
| the salute will be fired from Jackson
Square. formerly the Place d'Armes,
and from a cannon a century old
The colonial exhibit will remain
open a month in the Archipelago pal
ace, formerly the Ursnline convent
the oldest public building in the Mis-
sissippi valley. The exhibit will include
q large number OF interesting relics
which have been preserved by the
Creole families Of New Orleans
The program as finally completed
will be opened tomorrow evening
with a reception and ball in the Ca
sbildo. The celebrated beauties of
New Orleans will dance the minuet
in costumes duplicating those Of colo
NAL days. ami an old fashioned New
Orleans supper viii interrupt the
idancing al midnight This event Il
| in charge Of the ladies OF the Histori
cal society, It's patronesses repre-.
senting the best and Oldest families
of New Orleans.
Saturday morning the commemora
tive exercises will be held In the Ca.
bildo. at which there will be address.
es by Governor Heard and the French
and Spanish ambassadors, followed
by military parade and naval 70
view before the city. In the evening
the guests Of the city will attend .
special gala performance at the French
opera house.
Sunday. which will be the real cen.
tenary day of the transfer. the day
will begin with high mass and Te
Deum In the old cathedral. after
which. at the hour when the actual
transfer took place, there will be an
Grafton from the balcony Of the Ca.
bildo and the national colors will be
raised amid the booming Of cannon
In Jackson Square.