Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1908-03-03
The Oriental Hakurankwai.

Decidedly Oriental was the appearance
of New Hall as transformed for the
Hakurankwai of the Universalist Good
Cheer Society of Wednesday and Thurs
day. The decorations were largely
Japanese umbrellas, lanterns and fans,
and other things japanese. A number
of booths were arranged about the sides
and corners of the room, and in the mid
die circular booth contained several of
the departments of the fair. The "fve-
cent grab" was presided over by Uncle
Sam, and the manner in which the red,
white and blue and the Japanese decora-
tions were mixed would have given Hob
son and the other jngoes nightmare.
Hakurankwai-well, if you happen to
be reading this aloud you can skip 1t or
call it Jerusalem. 1t is understood to
be a Japanese word meaning festival.
People don't pronounce it, they call it
the Good Cheer fair. And like all the
Good Cheer fairs, 1t was great success,
this year no less than in previous years
The departments of the fair were
about the same as usual, ranging from
potatoes to pies, from aprons to the most
elaborate and most useless fancy work.
Sale was good in them all, and very little
was left anywhere when o'clock Thurs
day afternoon came. Wednesday even
ing the hall was packed, in spite of the
more than dubious weather. Music for
the three evenings of the fair was fur
nished by the orchestra composed of the
Misses Dean violin and piano, Ralph
Penfold cornet, Howard Shaw clarionet,
with the addition of Myron Watson with
trombone, and George Soper and c. E.
McArdle drums. They were also songs
by Mr.. Bartlett Wednesday evening.
The doll awarded to the girl under
twelve who should secure the most
money went to Miss Verna Howe. The
two unsuccessful candidates, Miss Gladys
Spiller and Miss Marie Newton, received
each less valuable doll as consolation
prize. This contest produced over fifty
dollars, the successful candidate bringing
in over twenty The quilt which
was given away went to Mrs. Everett
Farrar, without contest.
Thursday evening the five-act drama,
"The Country Minister" was presented
to crowded house. The cast of the
play was as follows:
Rev. Ralph Underwood, the country minis nj. $3.50
Gregory Heath Of the world at irfs, n.,ss.
Jud Pardoe. wreck on the ocean Of life,
Timothy Hold, who would rather white
pea saan Pcter, ajust rie HERMIT
$'sE as?:y kids sss
Meen n1s AZ alCm the city Miss NJ
Jerusha Jane Judkins, the postmistress,
Roxy, ia fresh air Kid" Mrs. /. +: Andrews
Granny Grimes MIS-. a. a. Holmes
The play presents variety of scenes
and characters, rural and urban, rich
and poor, sanity and sinful. In some
of its features it is pretty strongly melo-
dramatic, and in others it has all the
sweetness and simplicity of the most
truly rural drama. In its acting it was
fully up to the high standard establish
ed for South Paris performances. The
cast was an excellent one, and while
space would not admit of particulariza-
ton, it may be said that there was not a
spot in it subject to adverse criticism.
It went with the smoothness of pro- |
fessional performance, and without any |
of the artificiality which sometimes mars
the professional, and added another to
the list of successful local dramatic
events.
Specialties given between acts were q
song in black face by Fred Hall, and
songs and dances by Ralph Andrews and
Marie Newton, both of which were
heartily encored. /
Friday evening the play was repeated
to another full house. The specialties
were varied by the Introduction Of a
trombone solo by Mr.. Watson in place of
Mr.. Halls song.
For number of years the Good Cheer
Society has made an average net amount
OF about $500 from its fair. Though |
there were some indications that the
amount would fall off this year, 1t has
/ not done 80 materially, but the net re.
ceipts will be not far from the usual
amount.