Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-26
It WAS EUROPE'S
MADDEST CARNIVAL
Bincte's Two Thousand lnhabi-
tants SweIIed to Thirty Thou
sand Merrymakers
WINDOWS ALL BARRICAOED.
Everyone Compelled to Wear a Mask
And Costume Under Penalty Of
Being MObbed,
Special Correspondence.

Special Correspondence.
IN RUsSELS, March li-When the
* editor told me TO go TO Binche, In
II ] Belgian Hainault, to.describe the
- carnival, knew was going TO
see something interesting. for even
-the emotlonless guide book terms 1t
celebrated" but was In no way pre-
pared for such scene as | saw, and
which well merits description.
left Brussels on the Monday pre-
cedlng shrove Tuesday so as to get
well behind the scenes before the fun
began next day, and started with as
decorous looking a lot OF fellow pas
sengers as one would wish, What was
my surprise, when at the end of two
hours train run, TO see emerge from
the carriages a number Of merry'an-
drews. some masked and cloaked, some
in fancy dress, nay, even some men
that had started with smart top hats
and immaculate overcoats emerging
from the station with garments turned
inside out, and their heads tied up In
handkerchlefs!
| had a letter OF introduction TO a
Belgian family, one of whom came TO
meet me and pumped me right into Its
kindly bosom Immediately on my ar
rival, begging me to run for the car
rlage as fast as could,
"Why2" ! asked with the mingled
curiosity Of woman and journalist.
You're not disguised" was the reply,
"and If the masked men catch YOU
run! rum" and taking my hand my new
acquaintance raced me TO the carriage,
where | had just time TO pop In before
whack from bladder in the hand
OF one of band OF masked and domi-
noed men fell heavily on the carriage.
This Is a nice way to receive Il
stranger" said breathessly, what
does II mean? Surely carnival does not
begin till tomorrow"
Carnival began yesterday immedi-
ately after mass" said the young wo-
man, whom | shall call Miss Belgium.
and who was, | noticed now In a doml-
no herself. 1T Is the law here that
from midday Sunday till Ash Wednes-
day every one IN Biuche must wear car
nlval dress. Look out and see what hap
pens 10 those who do not obey
] looked out and saw two strangers
gazing ruefully at new hats smashed to
shapelessness and new coats a mass Of
confetti and sand.
"Our frst visit must BE- to the cos.
tuners" said Miss Belgium, and there
we went.
As 1t was hopeless to attempt 10 vie
with the elegance OF my new friends Il
found II was the correct thing to have
a fresh domino each day, eliminating In
elegance on Tuesday, when a harder
mask was also worn for obvious rea-
sons) did not attempt il, but hired u
black domino with a smart blue tassel
that dangled from the hood, and a pink
tarlatan bonnet with yellow "nxings."
A black mask was the last item, and
having shed my ordinary garb there
and then ! sailed forth with party
Of about 20 persons, | found the town
TO consist of one fine wide street ter
minatlng in Grand Place slightly ele.
waited. and here, as II for safe keeping
and company, stood the park, the
church, the town hall (XVI century
and beautifully restored), with the
houses OF the most important citizens.
Every window In Binche was, to my
surprise. covered with temporary
grating, even 10 the topmost story. All
the mirrors In the cafes We're boarded
up,and apparent preparations for stand
ing a siege had been made, This looked
alarming,
Before 20 farther ought to say that
the specially Of the Binche carnival lies
In its Giles q group Of men number.
Ing about 200, who, dressed In q partlc-
uar fashion, revive every year an old
festival organized by the Spanish gov
ernor OF the province when Spain held
the Netherlands in a bloody hand. The
suit Is gray, with lions crowns, and such
unlikely things as comets and stars ap-
plique in yellow and red with little
black.
All the coats are stuffed with straw
10 give the wearers the appearance OF
being humpbacked,and each Gille wears
an extraordinary hat whose style Is
said 20 have been suggested by the
headdress OF the Inoas OF Peru, for it's
stove-pipe shape Is covered with flow
ers and filigree and Its turned up Visor
Is surmounted by ring Of magnificent
ostrich feathers of the finest quality
over yard high. These hats are Of all
colors, 10 suit the fancy OF the wearer,
whose collars, sleeve trimmings and the
decoration at the bottom OF his trousers
In alternate rows Of lace and frilled rib
bon correspond In hue with the hat,
From the headdress float six wide
sashes OF ribbon. a wax face mask In
worm Sabots cover the feet, and round
the waist on leather belt hangs row
Of copper oowbells, a large grelot adorn-
Ing the chest
The linery is only donned on Tuesday,
but on the Monday afternoon / ac-
companied the GILES and the entire pop
ulation dancing through the streets 10 n
humps" thoroughly enjoying myself
and wishing my own special friends
could see me, the Giles were masked
and oloaked, and II was evidently n
solemn ceremony. Every four of these
important personages have their own
drummer, whose duty II IL never TO
stop rub.a-dubbing, night or day, and
the noise with lnnumerable bands play
ing theold world tunes associated with
the fete was quite bewildering.
How do you like it?' said Miss Bel
GUM. when we had with linked arms
ana eight ABREAST pranced up ana down
the street, merely pausing to take
breath when the musicians dashed mad
~ into drinking place,
well, ] think as n ballroom floor
cobble stones leave much TO be desired"
replied ruefully, for my feet felt soro
and bruised; but | found | had said
quite the wrong thing, for TO the Bin
chois the carnival IL the acme Of en-
joyment II Ia the one event IN the
70 months for them, and they live on
anticipation one-half the year and on
recollectsn the other half,
hoped when night fell that dancing
might cease and that | might be able 20
steal 60 my hotel, hut not bit Of II.
Torches were lighted and away we went
again, When at last begged q retreat
and crept home, worn out With the
novelty and fatigue OF public dancing,