The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-08-22
pALERMANS HONOR ST. GIRO.
OLD WORLD FESTAL DOINGS AT
ELIZABETH STREET SHRINE.
Andrea DIVA Wins the Contest OF the
standard for the Fourth Time In
Spite OF His IL Chlltiren-Weird ORer.
inSs in Wax--PrOcessiOn Of the Candles


inss in Wax-PrOcessiOn Of the Candles
The Italian quarter in Elizabeth street
was gay with many colored flags and
streamers yesterday, and the narrow street
was thronged with hoidaymakers dressed
in their best. For two days they had
been celebrating the feast of the good
ST. Giro patron OF those who come from
Palermo, Sicily. On Saturday there was a
parade of the loyal sons Of Giro and Sunday
there was high mass in the church of Our
Lady of 'Loretto, but yesterday was the
climax Of the feast and every one who could
by blood or marriage claim the protection
of the saint left work, deserted the banana
stand or the hand organ and made merry.
The center Of the festivities was the shrine
ofthe saint placed not far from East Houston
street in the heart Of the quarter. Nearly
as high as the roofs it lowered, and the deco
rations of silver paper and tinsel streamers
caught the sun as it streamed into the mar
row street and made a halo for the saint.
Saint Giro himself is of solid silver, the work
Of the we'll loved sculptor, Raineri The
saint is credited with many cures and the
shrine was decorated yesterday with weird
wax representations Of legs, arms and other
parts OF the body that had been placed there
by sufferers in gratitude for relief accorded
through the intercession of the saint.
A majority of the devout also laid sum
of money on the shrine to be used in good
works in the saints honor
Almost every one who passed, and there
were hundreds, dropped piece of money
nthe plates before the shrine and by night
fall these were heaped high with coins of
all denominations. Near the shrine the
fire escapes of the four story houses were
hung with flags and Chinese lanterns, and
these mprovised balconies were crowded
with the women of the quarter and their
guests. Before the shrine candles great
and small smoked and guttered in the
wind, looking strangely out of place in
the full light Of the street.
The crowds grew with every moment,
and the bands-several of them-played
almost increasingly. The people were
gathering to watch the contest of the
standard" queer trial of strength and
skill which each year shows on whom the
saints favor has fallen. pole 81 feet
long, 4inches through at the butt and weigh
ing 100 pounds, bears the andard a richly
embroidered banner dedicated to the saint.
and tipped with gilded Cross.
The committee of judges, conspicuous
in their sashes and badges and headed
by their chairman, Michelangelo Calderone,
cleared space for the contestants, and
the standard was borne in to the sound
of martial music. Man after man jumped
into the ring and each was appauded from
the flag draped balconies. Then one after
the other they grasped the pole which had
already been placed upright in the center
-. i tod l.,
It, Some balanced the pole on q shoulder,
shifting it from left to right, while Others
set it upon their chests and, leaning far
backward, danced slo WY to the music.
1t is no small trick even to lift the heavy
pole, into the air, and all the contestants
received rounds of applause at the end
of their trials.
After all had had chance, last years
champion stepped into the ring and was
greeted with a tempest Of cheers. He is
short man and not very heavily built, but
wonderfully agile, and tho way he threw
most athletes, He lifted it high in air,
holding it with both hands, then shifted
It to one and lifted that one even higher.
The crowd went nearly mad with appre-
citation and shouted Andrea! Andrea!" for
1t was Andrea Olivia who had won the
approval of the Saint for three years, and
behold, he was as strong as ever. Andrea
responded to the cheers by holding the pole
on his teeth and then balancing IL again
on his chest and dancing wildly while the
drums rolled and the band blew with all
its might.
1t didn't need the decision of the Judges
to tell the crowd that Andrea was again
the victor, but they cheered him to the
echo. and when it was announced that he
would give the prize, a ten dollar gold
piece, to the good saint who had given him
strength for so many victories in the con-
test Of the standard the enthusiasm was
unbounded. Andrea bowed to the bal
comics and smiled.
Il am not so young as when I held the
standard in the old country" he remarked,
-and have now a great many children,
eleven of them. 1t should please the great
President.
Andrea is full Of the glory Of other DAYS
in Palermo when the standard was much
longer and heavier than that of Yesterday
and there were strong men to make a real
contest.
"There were giants in those days" sighed
Andrea, only he di at put it quite that way
After the contest was over the crowd
wandered through the quarter buying the
large chestnuts and strange gingerbread
figures for the sale of which hundreds of
small stands had been erected.
At dusk the lanterns on the balconies
were lighted, and every one, big and little
IN the quarter was provided with q candle,