Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-06-17
RlP0N Pageant
REVIEWS PAST
HISTORICAL INCIDENTS ARE RE
PRODUCED IN NATURAL AMPHI-
THEATER ON CAMPUS.
COSTUMED ACTORS NUMBER 500
Founding of Republican Party, Coming
of the Phalanx and College
Founding Are Shown.
GREAT AUDIENCE SEES SPECTACLE

RIPON, Wis, June 14.-[Speciall-
Ripon's historical pageant, prominent
feature of the commencement exercises
of kIpOn college, was given this after
noon. Over 500 costumed actors took
part IN a realistic reenactment of some
Of the events in the early history of the
Fox River valley, together with certain
turning points in the life history of the
town of Ripon. An audience Of 1000
persons viewed the spectacle given On
the slope of the college campus, which
formed natural amphitheater.
The pageant opened with The Com
ing Of the White Men" in three scenes.
The first pictured the visit Of Nicolet to
the Winnebago Indians at Green Bay.
a large Indian encampment was shown,
and NIcolet announced to the natives
that he came as a peace messenger. Fol
lowing his address and one by the chief
OF the Wlnnebagos, the pipe of peace
was smoked
In the second scene Marquette and
joliet were shown meeting the Indians
at Portage. Here were given some of
the incidents in the picturesque and dar-
ing journey Of these two friends which
found its goal in the discovery of the
NJ lssiSsppi
The tnal scene represented a legend
ana ana an episode typical of the pioneer
lie or the early days. La Tour, an adj
yenturesome Frenchman, while travelling
through the country was captured by a
band of rowing Indians after q hard
hight. While the prisoner is being tor
tured by his captors he is rescued by an
Indian maiden and the two escape on
horseback
The chief performers were: Burrell o.
RaulSton, Bruno Glaubitz, Lowell Good
rich, William Finnegan, Emmitt Hassett.
Carleton Sperry, Lauren Duffie, Malcolm
'Pfunder, Carl Utgard, Miss Elizabeth
EggleStOn.
Coming of Phalanx.
Part second, the founding of city and
college, opened with the coming of the
Wisconsin Phaanx, the band of pioneers
from kenosha who attempted to build at
Ceresco, now a part of Ripon, an ideal
community. The party consisted of
nineteen men, their wives and children,
who drove on to the arena in prairie
Schooners drawn by oxen. Coming to
the beautiful valley of Ceresco, they
made camp, and the men set about
preparations for the building of the
Long house; An evening with the -Four
lerItes, as the settlers styled themselves,
showed the merrymakers in songs and
dances in gay attire, for which the vii
lage fiddler furnished the tunes.
The laying of the corner stone of East
building of Ripon college is set forth in
the last scene. G. T. Homer took the
part of David 2. Mapes and Roy Reed
that of Alvan E. Bovay. Andrew Gill
was represented by G. S. Miliken and
Rev. f. G. Sheriff. by Rev. r. NJ. Hig-
gins.
Republican Genesis.
Part three in three scenes showed the
stirring days of struggle, opening with
the meeting which resulted in the per-
manent organization and naming of the
Republican party. The band of enthu-
slaStc Rlpon citizens were shown meet
ing in the little schoolhouse now on
the college campus and stirring speeches
were made. The actors were l.. G. Kel-
logg, Roy Reed. l.. w Thayer, J. l..
Stone, A. A. Lopez (son OF Amos Loper),
and J. w. Wright
The second scene depicted an anti
slavery meeting, at which Sherman M.
Booth was the speaker. Booth is in
terrupted by deputy United States
marshal, who attempts to arrest him.
The officer is roughly handled by the
audience and in the confusion Booth is
spirited away. Howard Anderson, as
Sherman Booth. was the principal per-
former, and George Kingsbury acted as
presiding officer of the meeting
The departure of the soldiers for the
Civil war was made fitting closing of
the pageant. Here was shown the com
pany before leaving for the south after
being eneamped on the college grounds
A flag presentation to the young ladies
OF the college was made by Col G. W.
Garter. in which he used the same
speech he made on the day the soldiers
left for the war, he being then ensign
or second lieutenant of the company.
Alter the presentation Miss Helen
Mulch responded and Miss Ella J. Hazen
presented flag to the soldiers as q
parting gift Capt. P w. Thiel, i'm
personatlng Capt. o. II. La Grange, re-
ceived the colos for his company
Tableau Is Finale.
The epilogue consisted Of two scenes.
the picture The Growing Of the Col
lege Graduate" being produced in tab
leau and the closing scene represented
the return of the local military company
from the Spanish-American war
The various scenes Of the pageant
cidental music was furnished by the
college orchestra and band.
The Ripon pageant, like other similar
spectacles IN this country. had its origin
in the pageant revival in England in
1907. The movement which brought
about the production Of the outdoor en-
tertainment came from the senior class
of the college. Later, q committee from
the college faculty and the Ripon Com
in the undertaking and it was decided
that a RiDOn Historical pageant worthy
of the name should be shared by town
and college alike. Prof. ]. II. Taintor,
who had witnessed a pageant in Eng
land, was director-in-chief of the affair
and was assisted by committees from the
womens' clubs Of the city, the local
alumni the student body, the college
faculty, Ripon Commercial club, military
company and Grand Army post.
Houco Hlocac