Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-10
KING SCORES
DISTINCT HIT
Ak-Sar- -Ben's Festival Comes to Its
Close with Success Written in
Large Letters.
EXPANSION is NOW THE SLOGAN
japanese Tea Garden Splendid Climax
in the Festivities.
LITTLE FOLKS SUPERB IN SHOW
They, Like the Coronation, Raise the
Standard Of Ceremony.
OLD HIGHWAY RINGS TO LAST
Popular Playground where All Kings
Subjects May Go Holds Its Charms
Despite the Ugly weather on
Closing Night.
lae,Y4o lse,ese lls,s7s
Totals


Totals ISs74o lss,sss lIs,s7s
Ak-Sar-B Ben's festival is over for 1902
Reaching a splendid climax on It's last
day In the children's ball. or Japanese Tea
Garden, at the den yesterday afternoon, II
was concluded on Kings Highway last
night by a large and happy throng. who
feared not the lowering clouds with their
threatening showers and the chill. pene-
trating atmosphere.
In many respects this festival has been
regarded the most successful. Con-
ditions, such as the street car strike, mill
tated against a maximum attendance, and
yet the attendance from out OF the city
was large. large enough to make every event
successful insofar as crowds figure as an
element OF success.
In other respects the festival ecllpsed
any other yet held. The coronation ball
was admittedly the best, most beautiful
| and impressive; the Japanese Tea Garden
surpassed the chldren's ball Of last year,
Kings Highway, as a whole was a ma
terial Improvement over recent midways
and the presence and participation OF the
officers and soldiers of the Department
of the Missouri formed one distinctive
feature which no Ak-sar- Ben festival ever
has possessed. On every hand the verdict
is the same as to the part played by the
army-a splendid feature. The military
tournament Thursday afternoon was the
most imposing street demonstration and
struck such popular chord that there has
sprung up n demand for a larger military
display next year. The maneuvers at Fort
Omaha every day in the week was ap-
piauded by the thousands that regularly
attended and the part the officers took
In the coronation ball was a rich element
in the success Of that impressive function.
General Morton and his fellow officers
are being praised by every knight OF
Ak-sar-B Ben. and that includes all Me-
braska.
In a word, Ak-sar-Ben OF 1909 has been
so successful that the Board OF Governors
is advocating a radical expansion In the
scope Of the festival for next year. a re-
organization that will make possible a
capitalization OF $4,000 and perhaps S1OO,-
900, instead OF $4,000 as now And fur
ther, this scheme OF expansion contem-
plates real exposition, including a vast
military tournament and an extension Of
the period Of festivity to two weeks
Finish of the Fun.
It's all over
The crowds have departed from the
Kings highway; the confetti barrel is
empty and the showmen have folded their
tents and gone TO other fields-and the
board Of governors OF Ak-Sar- Ben saw the
| finish with smiles 1or the carnival has
been success financially and otherwise
The figures have not yet been compiled
but Secretary Penfold announced last
night that the Kings highway had been q
paying institution.
And the last night was a rip-roaring
good one The crowds dwindled In slowly,
but gradually the grounds filled and then
the shows began to do business. Splelers
announced exhibitions at bargain counter
prices and many who had held onto their
dimes and nickels for ten strenuous days
gave them up gladly on this last night
And frequently when a regular came
along he was grabbed and yanked into q
tent without cosS and without ticket
While It was a farewell, the parting was
a Joyous one, not because any one was
glad to see the finish-except the police
who had to stand for the confetti without
coming back with handfu-but Just be-
cause the crowd was out for fun and
thought not OF the morrow or yesterday or
the day before The crowd was an old
time Omaha bunch. Mingling with the
home folks was a delegation OF soldiers
and what they did not do to help things
along could be published in a very small
spaes.
The KinEi The KinRi
THE king, the king" some one shouted
as rotund looking Individual rounded a
corner OF the grounds.
Immediately the king was surrounded
and pelted with confetti and foolish ques-
tions But It was not the king, though he
had a lordly bearing. 1t was merely a gov
ernor Emil Brandeis. ana the way he
hustled from the crowd indicated he is III
for marathon.
Some OF the boys in their glee attempted
TO start the sob squad. but failed, amid the
good -natured jeers of the crowds. They
lined up in front Of the Big otto animal
show and began TO sing Home Sweet
Home" drifted into Annie Laurie" and
the doxology. but their voices failed to
harmonize sufficiently to create any ex-
citement except with the lion on the inside,
who persisted In roaring In on the chorus
The finish OF the carnival was like the
finish OF others that have gone before. Men
who had given up good JODs to work ten
days In a position Of some responsibility
began to think OF the cold gray dawn a
coming The tents began TO fall as the
whistle sounded at II o'clock and almost IN
a jiffy the jig was up and the grounds
were cold and lonesome and deserted.
No Question OF Success.
That the carnival has been a grand sue
cess Is attested by the large attendance
under circumstances with which no other
carnival here has had 10 contend. So far
as heard from there has been no dissaus-