Gilpin observer., 1908-06-11

committee which numbers about 200
members, nearly all OF them special
lists in their particular lines, it Is rea-
sonable to expect something surpass-
ing any pageant ever given in this
country.
The contrast between the very high
character of the pageant next October
and the one % years ago is likely to
be striking. The advance made here
in all lines of art and decoration and
not to say knowledge has been such
during the quarter century which has
elapsed as to warrant the assertion
that those who witnessed the display
in 1882 and who see that OF next
autumn will at once recognize the
superiority of the latter.
The celebration in 1882 was ar
ranged with as much skill and as
much art. as was then obtainable. 1t
was notwithstanding its enormous de-
fects the most ambitious display of its
kind that had been up to that time
witnessed in this country. The pa
geant, however, was not generally re-
garded as a success. In the first
place It was shown at night, and dis
plays which now would be easily alb
tainable were not even imagined then.
The 81 floats which comprised the pro-
cession were shown in three divisions.
The first of these dealt with the past
history of Philadelphia. The second
was sort of Mardi Gras show Of the
famous women of history and the
third an even more foreign addition,
as it depicted scenes from the life OF
Rama.
Clearly It was because the imagina-
tions of the persons in control could
not conceive more than ten ideas for
Philadelphia historical floats that
these excrescences were brought in.
They were solely lugged in to length
en- out the procession. and as was evil
dent to every one had nothing to do
with the landing of Penn.
Illumination was provided by the
method then much in vogue for night
procession, the calcium. There was
one calcium light to each float. either
preceding or following the float as the
case demanded. There were also men
walking alongside of the floats with
Bengal lights. which did not always
provide the kind of illumination de-
siderd. Then, too, the characters on
the floats appeared to have much diff
fculty in maintaining their position.
and the float representing Penn re-
ceiving the charter from Charles ii
suffered most from this difficulty. In
deed, many of the floats in actual
use were almost ridiculous in effect.
Nearly all these floats were provided
with short posts reaching to the hips
of the characters and intended to
provide the latter with a purchase"
The attempts of the characters to
keep from falling off some Of the
wagons amused the small boys, who
occasionally shouted words OF encour-
agement to the participants. That
part of the pageant which had moth
ing in common with the event cele-
brated seemed to most please the
crowds. The reason for this lay in the
fact that on these the characters u.s.
ually were shown in seated position,
which they could maintain easily and
gracefully while the numbering trucks
bearing the floats rumbled over the
street pavement.
In the first division of the pageant
the scenes represented were Penn re-
ceiving the charter; the landing Of
Penn at Philadelphia, forming the
great law or frame of government at
Philadelphia on April 2, 1853; Penn
discussing the boundary with Lord
Baltimore: the treaty with the In
dians; Bouquets battle with the
Indians at Bushy Run in 1853; the
fight around Chew's house during the
battle of Georgetown; Washington's
army marching to Valley Forge, and
last, delivery OF beaver skins at
Windsor castle i'm 1880. This latter
event was the last acknowledgment
of fealty Of the province Of Pennsyl-
vania to the mother country. The
final float in this division was sym.