Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-02-15
THE MARDI GRAS LsOFLASTDRIVE
MUCH INTEREST THIS YEAR IN
PosT-LENTEN FESTIVITIES
AT NEW ORLEANS
"RoyaI Procession Of; Rex" Star Fea.
ture of Americas Greatest Carnival
Entry of King Into City Followed
by Grand Paeeants.

Several Ottumwans are planning to
be in New Orleans during the Mardi
Gras, the great American carnival and.
1t is claimed that the celebration this
year is to be on an unusually elabor.
ate scale.
Mardi Gras Is the French express
sion for Shrove Tuesday, which being
the day preceding Ash Wednesday, or
the beginning of Lent, makes it easy
to follow the analogy of, its literal
translation-Mardi, Tuesday. and
gras, fat--when the further fact is
considered that In It's application It
also stood for the last day Of the tcar-
nival;" the latter signifying in this
same connection, farewell to flesh
meat" and finding expression in gala
days OF revelry. Common usuage. how
ever, in the case Of the Mardi Gras at
New Orleans, has somewhat !. broad.
ened Its original application, so that
to at least the layman. 1T ia .synony.
nous with carnival, except that there
Is always the Mardi Gras day. which
Is not only the last day OF the so-called
carnival week, but the great day of
them all. In it are eliminated the
grandest efforts, and the entire day is
given up to continuous round OF gay
pageants, masking and merrymalsing
feasting and terpsichorean assem-.
blies. From what has already been
said. 1T follows, Of course that Mardi
Gras day always occurs on the Tues
day preceding Ash Wednesday, and
consequently on Feb. 81, Of the year
1906.
Americas Greatest Pageant.
From its small beginnings of parades
OF masQueraders, the carnival of today
has developed into pageants far sur
passing in extent and grandeur all sim
liar events occurring elsewhere in the
world. This last on the judgment Of
unprecedented spectators qualified by
travel and experience to render such
an opinion, and owing to the fact that
through 1T all, coupled with lavish e4-
pendlture, there runs thorough sys-
TEN or organization, as complete in It.
self as that OF a we'll disciplined army.
This splendid characteristic of organi-
cation, as we'll as the special features
OF the carnival, is brought about by
secret societies, formed for the sole
purpose OF celebrating the Mardi Gras
and carnival week. Keen rivals are
these societies, although cooperating
to a single end: and so secret are
their proceedings that even the person
mel of their membership Is unknown
| outside the council chambers. But they
work the whole year through, and they
spend for such purposes fabulous sums
Of money. The result is brilliant sue.
cession Of costumed tableaux, masked
and unmasked balls and street pageant.
The feature of the latte are floats. or
cars, on which is i'll: strated in spec
tacular gorgeousness some well chosen
subject.
The subjects OF these pageants are
changed every year, and are kept a
profound secret until their actual APP
pearahce in the streets. So, of course,
| 1t will be impossible to announce those
for 1905. The reputation Of the past,
however, will be sufficient guarantees
tof their splendor and interest.
The King cometh.
Varying slightly from year to year,
as to the societies participating dur
| ing the carnival week, the latter Is,
nevertheless, one OF activity and gen.
| eral festivity; as also, in. fact, Is the
season for weeks preceding. During
the present year, for weeks preceding
the Mardi Gras, there will be numer-
Gus masquerades end tableaux
throughout the city, and on the day
before the Mardi Gras day, Monday,
comes Rex, king Of the carnival, &C.
companied by his mobiles and attend.
ants In waiting, to his "lnuch-believed
capital" His proclamation, long be.
| fore posted throughout the country,
and familiar to many, shows excellent
| ly the mock assumption of regal pow
ler, and the spirit in which the festivi-
ties of Mardi Gras are carried out
| and heartily received by the populace
of New Orleans Rex usually, al
though not necessarily, makes his
| journey tosthe city by way Of the river
on his "royal yacht escorted by the
royal fotilla which royal yacht and
royal fotilla varies, according to his
whims, from private yachts to visiting
war vessels Of foreign nations, with
accompanying tugs and merchant
| steamers. The arrival of the gaily
decorated fiotilla amid the booming
of cannon and the loud sounds of mu-
| sic, is to the stranger an interesting
feature Of Mardi Gras, and should not
lbe missed. On landing, Rex and his
retinue, in brilliant military and civic
procession, escorted by his especially
selected bodyguard usually some