The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-10-10
GRAND PAGEANT
/. N PHILADELPHIA
CELEBRATION or FOUNDERS
WEEK CLOSES WITH A RE.
i. MARKAsLE DISPLAY.
STORY OF DAYS LONG AGO
10 pspieted by 20 Mammoth Flosts
Manned by 5000 People Dressed
in the Costumes Of Ye n,l
oIden Time.

Philadelphia, Oct. 10.--Like pages
out of the past, torn from the great
book of history and laden with the
memories of 225 years, the living
scehes OF the first great historical
pageant ever planned In this country
werR unfolded Friday before a con,
course OF 100000 people. In this
drama Of the centuries, the culminat
ing feature of Philadelphia celebra.
ton Of founders week, there we're g..
600 men and women in costume.
There were 20 mammoth hoats faith
full TO the last detail in their portrayal
Of the scenes selected from the long
span, of years.
All the romance, all the legendry,
all the rugged history of the days of
long ago were grouped in this notable
display. People fought to get a
glimpse of It aud hundreds. of women
we're taken crushed and fainttng from
the oongested corners. Every ambu.
lance in the city WIS brought into play
and every hospital was filled. The
eight miles OF grand stands, covering
practically every foot on either side
of the route tr3yersed by the pageant,
were fairly stormed by ticket holders,
while. speculators reaped harvest At
exoebitant prices.
AS the pageant, heralded by
trumpeters and standard bearers,
moved along II told the stories of city
and country from the time OF the ar
rival OF the onrust, the first ship to
enter the Delaware, in 1916, down to
the present day, with q concluding
scene Of prophecy and civic pride rep
resenting the "city beautiful"
Following the scenes of early set
tlement there came the period Of Will
liam Penn and the Quakers Benjamin
Franklin soon followed Penn upon the
scene. II was not long until the spec
tators found themselves gazing upon
Washington, Jefferson. Lafayette, John
Paul Jones and Rochambeau in their
patriotic activities. They looked upon
Betsy Ross as she toiled upon the
flag, they saw the voting upon the Dec
larstion of Independence in the old
state house; they saw the Virglnians
coming to congress with Washington,
JEFFERSON and Patrick Henry at their
head; they saw the New Englanders
arrive with John Adams, John Han
cock, Samuel Adams and Robert Treat
Paine riding in the lead, and then, out
OF all this pageantry OF make.believe,
there came touch OF real history.
It was the old Liberty bell On a
carefully guarded truck and partly
buried in straw, the old relic was
shown as st was being hurried away
to Allentown In a hay wagon for safe
keeping In ,1777 -ss
On, the heels OF the departing bell
came the entrance OF the British
troops into Philadelphia under Sir
William Howe and Lord CORVALLIS,
both Of whom were pictured in the
parade. The advent OF the relocated
troops was an imposing feature of the
spectacle. There were about 1000
well drilled men in line and all were
costumed in the period of the revolu-
tion.
Following this came the march OF
the Americans to Yorktown. Another
thousand men made up the Cont.
mental troops. Rochambeau and the
French allies, In resplendent uniforms
added further interest TO the revolu'
tionary period. ,t.
The period of the civil war gave an
other opportunity for military display
The Sons OF Veterans pictured the de
psrture of the troops and in uniform
and equipment they complied with his
toric accuracy. The selling OF wal
loans by Jay Cooke was followed by q
visit OF Lincoln to Philadelphia and
lastly by the return OF the soldiers
Members OF the Grand Army of the
Republic volunteered for this feature
OF the civil war period.