Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1906-03-08
Letter From the South.

LellcT fTOm lle SOuln.
Dear folks: Mardi Gras for
1906 is over now and every one
around here seems to be glad
Of it. We enjoyed it to such
an extent that / lost my voice
last night and haven't been able
to even whisper today and it
makes it so hard for me to
make people understand me.
But my cold seems looser to-
night and am in hopes it will
be better. Such a jam of people
as has been around here since
Monday. They estimate over
100000 visitors and for my
part | think there were at least
100000 and nearly all of them
stepped on my feet or threw
confetti. Monday noon we
went down to the steamer
America to see King Rex ar
rive. All of the boats on the
river, profuslly decorated in
flags got in a string and follow
ed the kings boat to the pier.
Every boat blows its whistle
and the Texas" fired salutes
for fifteen minutes. never
heard such a noise in my life.
The king finally landed and the
parade formed and came up to
the city where the keys of the
city were delivered. We had a
great experience. Our rooms
are directly across from the
city hall where all the ceremony
takes place and | told you be-
fore we had been invited to use
the balcony. Well, after the
king landed we followed the
parade down Canal and hap
pened down the north side of
street. There was such a ter
rible jam it was simply impos-
sible to make any time. When
we came to our street we start
ed across and found that it was
roped in and that people were
not PERMITTED to go from one
side of the street to the other.
You can imagine how sore we
were when we were in such a
jam we couldn't see and this
dandy balcony waiting for us
We got in one crowd that was
simply terrible. If it hadn't
been for some young man |
would have been absolutely
.jammed to death but he forced
me in a store door. Aunt EN-
was nearly suffocated but she
crowded under the rope and fin
ally got out. Two women faint
ed and it was simply awful.
We stood up from one thirty
until four o'clock before the
parade came. l never was so
near past going. The weather
around here is so changeable.
We put on our summer clothes
Monday and by evening it was
awfully cold. | think that is
the reason l caught this terrible
cold. The parade Monday was
more in the shape of military
manouvers. The sailors from
all the war ships and all the
cadets were in the parade. One
good thing everybody is good
natured and no one seems to
get sore at anything. Monday
evening they had another pa
.rade but it was almost like the
Ak-Sar- Ben parades only the
crowd is about six time, as
large. Tuesday there was
parade in the afternoon, OF
rather it was supposed to have
arrived at eleven o'clock and il
came at three. Last night was
the last of the parades and it
sure was fine. The floats are
all designed by a young lady
and were simply beautiful. One
especially named "Circe's Par
SEN" It was made of red pop
pies with red lights all over it
Everybody simply went wild
over it. After the parade we
went down on Canal street and
of all the excitment. Every
body was throwing confetti.
This is the first year for six
years they have been PERMITTED
to throw confetti and the way
they threw it was simply awful.
They would buy five and six
sacks at a time and throw it all
on one person. We came home
at ten thirty and they were just
getting a good start when we
left. don't know what time
they quit. Today we went up
to the museum and went all
through it, it certainly was in1
teresting. We have met a.
dandy lady and her husband