Los Angeles herald., 1905-12-31

best comes tomorrow.
The stage Is already set, the actors
are in their places and the call bell Is
ready to signal the raising of the cur
tain on the scenes Of the seventeenth
annual Tournament OF Roses.
The principal streets of the city are
mass of brilliant color, residences
ana places of business along the pro-
iected line Of march are putting on the
most elaborate decorations OF flowers
and fern fronds and red and white
hunfing and welcome sunbursts and
everywhere there is a hustle OF prep
aration.
The report has gone out that the
Crown city is TO be short OF flowers.
thing inconceivabe at this important
lime of The year, and the result IS that
citizens feeling the city's reputation
at stake have gathered together and
piled up even greater numbers OF the
beautiful blossoms of a Pasadena win
ter. Visitors need not fear Pasadena
tournament without flowers, at least
not this year. 1t is everywhere be-
1leved that the display will this year
surpass anything made along this line
previously. The business streets Of the
city lend themselves freely to the hands
of the decorator and today they amaze
the beholder with the bewildering riot
of color. From side to side stretch at
frequent intervals lines OF three cor
nered StreamerS in the tournament COL
ors, red and white.
American flags and special tourna
ment banners surmount the electric
light and trolley poles and the poles
themselves are almost hidden with long
and graceful fronds from the date and
fan palm The blank walls of the
buildings along the street are buried in
bright bunting, arranged in myriad
of shapes.
Some OF the store fronts are covered
with the trailing branches and red ber-
ries of the pepper tree, others display
the national colors caught UP with
blossoms; others make use of flowers
exclusively; some have a mass of feath-
cred fern or palm as a background for
artistic arrangements of bright hued
blossoms
The boulevard lights are not yet in
position, the task proving too great
even for the public spirited gentlemen
in charge and this expected feature of
the street decoration at night and the
myriad of white globes by day is dis
penSed with. But as they have never
yet been used they will not be missed
and the richness and fullness of the
floral and plant and foliage decoration
will still be q revelation to the stranger
within the gates tomorrow.
Annual Festival
New Years day, 1906. will mark the
seventeenth annual flower festival
given by the Crown city, series of
ever increasing difficulty for the men
and women charged each year with the
management of the tournament.
When the members of the Valley
Hunt club began the series and after
the flower parade made joyous fox
hunt, the leading attraction they had
little idea of the marvels they were to
open to the gaze of the future years.
In 1896 the present Tournament of
Roses association was organized, with
G. ID. Daggett, a leader in the Valley
Hunt club, as president. Each year
the affair grew until this recurring
festival has become one of the best
known advertisements of Pasadena
throughout the entire length and
breadth of the land
1t Is known everywhere as the only
open air flower festival on New Years
day in the world. Each year it has ap-
peared as though the real high water
mark of perfection had been reached,
but the new officers for the next year
have taken off their coats and man
aged to improve in some way upon the
splendid work of their predecessors.
The great floral parade has always
been the leading feature of the day.
although from time to time some other
event of interest was placed upon the
program. One year it was champion
ship football game between rival giants
in the college world east and west.
Up to few weeks ago such another
game was planned for the forthcoming
tournament.
But the Pacific coast champions
would not meet the great Michigan
team and this was with regret put on
the waiting list for another year.
Plan Chariot Races
Three years ago the representation
of the famous old-tiIne Roman chariot
races was picked as likely feature
and for two years twelve thousand
people crowded around another arena in
this western world and felt their blood
tingle as the four horses running
abreast drawing behind them the olden
chariot and the human driver sped
around the course and won the prize
from the beautiful queen of the tour
nament.
Last year one of the teams became
ilnmanageable and was with the utmost
difficulty kept to the track until quiet
was restored. This chariot race will
be reproduced again this year. Last
year there were motorcycle races, with
these and they did their share toward
making holiday for the enormous
crowd. This year the several heats of
the chariot races will be relieved by
Mexican or cabellero races and by polo
pony races, for splendid prizes in cash.
The tournament association has never
been niggardly in their prize giving
and this year offers $500 in cash for
the chariot races, $1,000 for first, $500 for
second, $500 for third and $10O for
fourth. There are four entries, so that
each is assured OF a prize. For the
fioral parade there is hung up $135S
In prizes and number Of splendid
trophies, two OF which at least are
worth 800 each
IT is planned to start the great
parade promptly at 1890 a. m., and SO
perfectly organized is the affair that
There should bo little If any delay.
The arrangements for the formation
of this parade are as follows First