Waterbury evening Democrat., 1907-09-20

ish Isles at the present time, and it
 would not be at all surprising if the
 craze for the brilliant shows, illus
 trative of historic incidents, would
 spread to this country. In fact among
 the spectators of these spectacular l celebrations there are none more en- | thusiastic than the American visitors
 to England, and they go away asking the question: "Why should not Ameri- ca have it's historic pageants, too?"
 To be sure, Americas history does not go so far back as England's, but what
 there is of it is extremely picturesque Slnd by no means lacking in thrilling
 scenes. There are no armor-clad nights concerned in it, but the red skins in their war paint from spec tacular view would be just as effect i've.
 Historical pageants have become so popular in England that though the first of them was held only two years ago, no less than dozen have been given this summer in as many differ
 ent towns of John Bulls tight little
 island. Next year there probably will
 be twice as many. Before many years
 have elapsed it is likely that every
 town in England with any claim to
 historic renown will have held its open
 air theatricals, depicting memorable
 scenes in it's annals.
 The secret of the popularity of this
 form of entertainment is not far to
 seek. They afford realistic glimpses
 of the past such as can be obtained
 in no other way. They present les
 sons in history in the most attractive
 form. They encourage civic pride
 and local research into the manners
 and customs of old times. They are far more interesting than ordinary exhibitions" with their monotonous repetitions of things most of us have seen before.
 The matter of fairs and expositions has been rather overdone in America,
 and it is certain that any new form
 of popular entertainment would meet
 hearty approval, and why not the his- toric pageant. As we have said, America has not the long line of his toric incidents from which to choose material for such spectacular shows,
 but surely the early settlements on American soil, the Indian fights, the colonial wars, the revolution, the war of 1872, afford wealth of material for vivid tableaux of fascinating interest which would present an epitome of progress and development we'll worth seeing.
 The making of the necessary cos. tunes for American pageants would be much simpler and less costly un- dertaking than making them for Eng fish pageants, because the folk who have made American history were not given to putting on style. At the same time their costumes were by no means lacking in picturesqueness.
 It is estimated that the 12 pageants which make up this years program will cost s1,250.O0O. The Bury St. Ed | munds pageant continued through six | days. The ancient town is so chock full of history that it could provide | far more episodes than the seven | treated by Mir. Louis Napoleon Parker the dramatic author, and the origi- nator of the historic pageant idea. They begin with scene representing the N.,la Faustini and the revolt of Boadicea. They continue through the story of the martydom of King Ed mund, the tale of the great monas- tery and the negligent secular priests fin whose keeping the body of the sainted monarch was intrusted. Here It is shown how Canute comes to Bury, dispossesses the secular priests. antroduces the Benedictine monks, and founds the monastery, with Uvius as first abbot Later is interwoveu ,he story of the famous Abbot Sam bon, dealt with by Carlyle in Past and Present" After the meeting of the barons al Bury, where they swear to force King John to ratify the charter of Henry l., comes the mur. der of Humphrey, duke of Gloucester. The last episode. entitled The Dawn of New Age" brings the pageant up to 1850. It shows Mary Tudor pres ent at St Matthews fair. Later it deals with the dissolution. the dis persal of the monks and the sale of the abbey for s2.Oss: also with the foundation of the first of King Ed ward vIs 90 grammar schools.
 Liverpool has just celebrated the seven hundredth anniversary of its foundation with pageant The an- ciezt toEn of St AIbans, which suf- fers from an embarrassment of riches la the matter of historic associations. also had It's pageant. as did Csrfs-