Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1904-03-26

Sunday till Wednesday at carnival time.
Az the shops Keep open, and as my ho-
TEL was In prominent part and my
window looked on the main street [
carnivaled very unwillingly all night.
Al o'clock such drumming rang In
my ears that | at first thought OF SOL
diers passing next, Wild clash of
bells made me think OF goats, when |
remembered Binche and its carnival,
and, half asleep, tumblcd out of a bed
so high and so unnecessarily prominent
In the frame that | damaged myself ali
over getting out and In.
1t was barely O'clock but the drum.
mers were going round to tell the GILES
TO dress, ap operation In which the
whole family takes part, though there
are professional straw packers, like
fashionable coiffeurs, who 20 from one
house to the other TO form good humps.
To have a Gille in family is to boast
luster that Is not for all. since before
any young man can join the noble army
OF Giles he must have registered his
name at the town hall, where II is serl-
ously considered whether he has suf-
ficient means to carry out the part prop
erly.
To be Gile is Indeed no Joke for II
requires a splendid health and powers
OF endurance as we'll as a well.lined
pocket. The costume is expensive, the
hat alone costing s4O while only to hire
a get-up obliges a Gile TO spend at
least s25 for his days amusement. The
dance, which, ~ addition to a queer,
Jerky step, requires that the performer
shall learn TO double and undouble his
body In such way as shall set all his
bells ringing at once, is carefully re-
hearsed
Til o'lcock those terrible drums new
er stopped, exciting me TO make fran
tic dashes TO the window TIL | was
nearly frozen with the cold while | be-
came mass OF bruises from my con-
slant duel with the bony bedstead All
the morning the Giles paraded the town
with their bands, dancing, but without
their hats. which are enormously heavy,
They gradually collected behind them
the whole town, and the immense
stream OF visitors pouring In from all
over Belgium and France ran the 1000
inhabitants up to temporary 10000,
All these were either In fancy dress or
masked, and the scene In the sunshine
was quite indescrbabe,
At o'clock procession formed Of
number OF societies that had arrived
from all parts to compete for the hand
some money prizes offered for the best
costumed party, and OF which there
were about fifty this year. Perhaps
the best group was that OF the students
OF the Catholic college, who turned out
In yellow and white satin, the papal
,,tlsh .ginlnt .at.yat atnalfu apI
feathered caps. A gang Of assassins,
In the traditional SLOUGH hats, dark
wigs. enveloplng cloaks and carrying
wicked looking daggers, was very good.
Fifty Frenchmen who dressed as
schoolgirls, with flowing yellow hair,
came along rolling hoops or skipping
ropes, being dressed In plaid frocks and
Holland pinafores. They were very
amusing. All the costumes were new
and most were handsome.
But when the GILES appeared IN their
turn, with feathers tossing, hats blaze
Of sheen and color, bells jangling, rib
hons waving, wooden shoes shifting the
hard stones with rhythmic regularity,
the effect was really remarkable The
crowd went hopelessly mad with de-
light, though this Is an annual event.
As they advanced dancing | noticed
thSt each Gille carried deep basket
filled with oranges and that a fresh
supply was carried close AT hand.
Look out" cried Miss Belgium sud
denly while | was wondering what the
oranges were for Look out" and
she wlsked me in from the front-door
step, whence | had been studying the
a all IN tha afa qhalfpr
OF protected window. Then
understood. The GILES were hurting
with a fine energy the yellow fruit at
friend and foe In every direction, Here,
there and everywhere the ripe balls
wre falling fast
This example was taken as signal,
Every one produced oranges, and soon
the air was filled with thousands OF
them, crossing and recrossing like rock
cts Within five minutes, too, every
child in Binche had ~ mouth full, and
while all were dancing wildly to the old
tunes the fruit was smashing on bal.
comics, against shutters or unprotected
faces and leaving the air full of It's
penetrating odor,
In front Of the Town hall the GILES
formed an immense ring and performed
a wild war dance, after when the Whole
cortege partook OF wine offered by the
mayor and municipality. Then on with
the fun and the unceasing dancing UNI
I'll Ash Wednesday stares one so plainly
I'm the face that II Is Of no use pretend
Ing that Lent IL not here,
At last the poor GILES, absolutely ex-
hausted with their efforts to amuse
their fellow citizens. creep home to be
we'll rubbed, to be rolled In hot blankets
and 20 take warm drinks. The straw
that is removed from the humps Is al
ways wet and matted with perspration,
and many poor Gllle has been known
TO die Of his days dancing, Tor, llkn
Punchinello. once started, ne nusl
dance, II he collapse under IT, For
tunately this does not often occur,
though the heavy hat dragging the
head backward. the light leather belt,
With It's ponderous bells, and the heavy
wooden shoes impose, / was told, Il
nerfect martyrdom, There are but two
IDEAS I'm Blnche at carnival time-to
dance and refresh the inner man so as
10 20 ON dancing. But drunkenness,
Il is only fair to say, IL rare
Americans who happen to be In Bel
gium Mt carnival time should not mss
the Carnival OF Blnche. II u slgnt
not 10 be seen elsewhere The niue
town is quaint and pretty, ana us VIDE
street at holiday time, filled with us
singing, swaylng crowd Of 10000 gally-
dressed dancers, looks like some heav-
ing ieweled sea, J II, WHlTBY.