The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-11-18
BRILLIANT SCENES IN CRESCENT CITY Transfer of Louisiana Purchase
 Will be Celebrated AFFAIR WILL BE ELABORATE Exercises VIII Take Place In Historic cabIldo, and the Noted Beauties
 of the Old Town Will
 Dance a Mlnuet.
AFFAIR WILL BE ELABORATE

New Orleans, November 1.-The state of Louisiana, which has appropriated stOo, 900 to cover its share in the St. Louis Purchase Exposition next year, will hold transfer commemoration exercises of its own December IS to 20 next.
 The Louisiana Historical Society, the members of which have long been work ing on such celebration to take place on the date of the actual transfer, have Just announced the programme of the exer- cises. The affair promises to be one of the most elaborate ever held in the south and the officers of the society announce that no pains have been spared to make 1t a fit commemoration of the transfer.
 In Historic Cabldo.
 The exercises will center about the his- toric cabildo, the city hall of the days oi the Spanish domination, and the building yet stands practically as when 1t was used for the formallties of the turning over of Louisiana to the American com missioners. Both New Orleans and the state of Louisiana have agreed to ult- mately turn this celebrated building over to the use of the society as a permanent home of the society's magnificent his torieal collection of books, paintings, manuscripts and records, but as it is yet in use by the state supreme court the dedication of the building for this pur- pose must be delayed until the new court buildings are completed.
 Three Nations Represented.
 At the time of the celebration the cabildo will be given over to the use of the society and there the principal exer- cises will be held The French and Spanish ambassadors will be present, man-of-war from each of those nations is expected at New Orleans at this time and a portion of the Atlantic squadon will aid in giving formality to the event.
 The three days programme will be opened Friday evening, December IS, with a reception and ball in the cabildo, which is 10 reproduce as far as possible the ball given one hundred years ago in honor of the American commissioners, Claiborne and Wilkinson.
 The celebrated beauties of New Orleans will dance the minuet in costumes dupli- eating those of colonial days, and an old-fashioned New Orleans supper will interrupt the dancing at midnight
 Old Families Will Participate.
 This event will be in charge of the highest historical society it's patronesses representing the best and oldest families of New Orleans. The next morning there slill be commemorative exercises in the caoido, at which there will be ad- dresses by Governor Heard and the rep resentatives of France and Spain and the United States, followed by a military parade and naval parade before the city. The temporary museum in the cabildo will be formally opened, medals will be struck, and in the evening the guests of the society will attend a spe- cial gala performance at the French opera house.
 On Sunday, December 20, the real cen- tennial of the transfer, the day will be- gin with high mass and Te Deum in the old St. Louis Cathedral, after which the hour when the actual transfer took place there will be an oration from the bal cony of the cabildo and the national col ors will be raised with salutes in the Place d'Armes.