The sun., 1909-05-30
BRONX HISTORY ON VIEW
p,GEiNT TO AID LAWRENCE
UOSPIT VI 4 SCENIC SUCCESS.
B,ran Win the Arrival OF Jonas Bronck
and Ended With Washington Irving
at Sunnyslde-N More Than 400 Anna.
teur Actors In the Big Outdoor Show.


uen srd Women. come We all.
And little children. hasten ye.
Come al the silver trumpct's call
swift unto our pageantry!
ieaye o maidens and sc boys
the hurry OF the day, and noise.
Plvup with us Times rushing stream
1'oa SIN bank where ye may dream.
Dream. waking. OF the days OF old
when ladies loyal, soldiers bold.
Rough po neers and vcuturous saints
srfed the ,crrors and the plants,
And with high hearts and souls elate
Buit the tron c walls OF the State.
These and further remarks OF simi-
lar pnrport constitute Mr. elders "Ipvi-
,stjon to the Pageant" meaning of course
the Westchester county historical
nseeant. which was first unfolded before
the ewes OF an audience yesterday after
noon at Bronxville. In case you didn't
know about it before this and so missed
the first performance yesterday there is
vet time to see il. for there will be ano thtr
matinee tomorrow afternoon at $50.
when Gov. Hughes and his stafr will he
present. Subsequent to the performance
the Governor will be entertained at din
nsr. and later in the evening will visit
the costume ball at the Hotel Grama-
tan. with which the festivities will con-
clude.
The pa geant is for the benefit OF the
Lawrence Hospital. which was built at a
cost of Sl5O, 900 and presented by William
v. Lawrence to thet own Of East Chester.
PREPARATIONS for it have been going on
for some weeks. About 400 individuals
Participated in the show beforeit was over.
All Of them were amateurs and nearly
ali we're residents OF the county with
whose history the spectacle concerned
itself.
The pageant was on view high on the
ridge above Bronxville in the midst OF
the De Witt woods that adjoin Lawrence
Of turf ringed about by shady trees.
Little knols constituted the wings of
this sylvan stage. No dressing rooms
we're needed, The actors dressed in
their homes and came to the woods ready
10 play their parts. The consequence
the streets OF Bronxville looked as IL
there must have been resurrection
therea bout to let many a dweller in for
mer times come back. clad as OF yore.
to view the scenes that once he knew.
About two thousand spectator saw the
first performance from the big grand
stand that had been built in the woods.
gagged it was good performance:
Eugene Sanger bossed the job as actual
stage manager and the results he got
we're remarkable. When you come 10
think of il, it's no sinecure to drill 400
amateurs in an outdoor performance
previous theatrical experience. and
especially when good part of them own
hunters and automobiles and things
like that and are not likely to take kindly
10 rigorous discipline. But it is to be
said to their credit that they toed the
can't They took tEeir work with much
seriousness and what they did was worth
seeing.
The outline Of the performance was the
work of Violet Oakley and the tableaux
presented sketched roughly the mos t
important phases Of the history Of West
i1buted the tsxt, Tudor jerks writing !
The Coming of Jonas Bronck," the first
Of the Dutch settlers; Miss Oakley writ |
ing of the arrival Of tho English and the
hard fate of Anne Hutchinson. who fell
a victim to the treache,ry OF the Indians;
Mrs Henry Tuck sketching the founding
Of Westchester Town and grant Of
Thomas Pell; Miss Marguerite Merington.
a playwright Of note. writing OF the es-
care Of the Bennett family of Huguenots
from France.
There was a lot Of state about the pa
geant Each OF the seven episodes was
announced by q trumpeter whose trump
eting was followed by the appearance
Of heralds who proclaimed the ensuing
episode and gave brief outline thereof
And from the time of the first trumpeting
tho woods were peopled with quaint old
Dutchman. their English rivals, Con-
tinental soldiers, Hessians and British
troops. horsemen. couriers, Indians per-
sons in all kinds Of uniforms. gentlemen
in pegtops and lowered waistcoats and
clawhammers. ladies' in curls and crir-
olines. II was in fact panorama OF all
the peoples that have lived and wrought
in Westchester county since the red men
saw the frat white man there.
The pageant made the Colonial period
Particularly picturesque. showing the
Provincial Congress on horseback with
sIch dignitaries Of the time az Col. Pierre
Van Cortlandt. Gen Lewis Morris. John
Jay. Gouverneur Morris and Col. Gilbert
Drake. business OF importance being
Congress sat and voted in their saddles
in the middle of country road Espe-
ciav lively was the scene attending the
reading OF the Declaration of Inde- |
pendpnce from the sters Of the White
Plains court house on July II, l776. at
which ceremony there WAS present a |
young woman who acted as cheer leader !
with m enthusiasm that Yale or Harvard
would give good deal tn have at the big |
football ganes. It's pity the programme
omitted her name. -..
Military events in the countys history |
then crowded the shady stage. In |
camp near Gen. Washingtons head
quarters at White Plains the General |
himself appeared in the person OF John
T. Carpenter. accompanied by the MEM
bers of his stafr, detachmepts OF Con.
hnental troops, including some field
pieces commanded by Capt. Alexander
Hamilton, Perhaps said the General,
'the New Englanders' fears have null
bas ths enemy Sos Se bey 's BE- 1
strong. Our dangers great. the greater
other part Of the field showed Gen. Lord
troops and detachment OF the detested
Hessians.
The sketch about the famous capture
Bisland; who himself appeared as Andre
and didn't remember all his own lines.
All the accepted circumstances OF this
famous incident are set down. even to
toe attempt Of the British officer to hribe
his rustic captors. And mot for 10000
guin"as. says the faithful Paulding in
nlsnantly. shall you stir one step TO
liberty, Ry heavens. no! Remount To
sands Mill and captivity you go!'
lhe final episode was from the pen
o. huth McEnery Stuart and was entitled
Washington Irving at Sunnyside. 1t
represented the famous author as re-
eelvlng distinguished guests on the