St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1911-04-29
HUNDREDTH
Anniversary
St. Tammany Parish Cele-
brates this Event.
Bogue Falaya Park Crowded
With Celebrators.
A Monster Cake Distributed
Among the Children.
Speaking, Music, Drills and
Songs, Entertainment.

The celebration of the one hun
dredth anniversary of St. Tammany
parish, which took place at Bogue
Falaya Park last Monday, April "a,
1911, awakened an interest unpre-
cedented in the history of public
celebrations in the town 70 Coving-
ton. 1t is true one hundredth an
niversaries do not come every day,
but in the present instance the re-
variability is not so much in the
large number of people that gather
ed as in the enthusiasm that was
manifested and the large number of
children that attended from different
parts of the parish and from both
protestant catholic schools. There
were at least six hundred school
children, most of them dressed in
white, and those who engaged in the
exercises wearing red, white and blue
sashes from the shoulder to waist.
The sight of this large number of
eager children, with the glow Of
health and life and happiness, could
not but be inspiration of our respon-
sibility for their future and a re-
minder that the present celebration
was an installation of patriotism that
would linger with them in after
years.
BY 2 o'clock, the time for the
exercises to begin, the immense pa
vilion was crowded to it's fullest ex-
tent and many were unable to get in
side. Some sat in carriages outside
in an effort to catch the remarks OF
the speakers on the stage, difficult
thing with all the buzz and futter
of such a large gathering. The band
of the St. Joseph's Academy fur
nished the music for the occasion,
which was much enjoyed by every
one. The selections played were:
York Town, The Mocking Bird,
Massa's in the Cold, Cold Ground,
Daises Wont Tell, Red, White and
Blue, Red Wing, Princeton Quick
step, Oregon Quickstep. The mem
bers of this excellent band are:
Father Egler, director; Harold Ger
niger, F. A. zeringer, eornets; Father
Thomas, pieola; Father Joseph, bari
tone, Louis Toups, clarinet; liz Gail
louet, first alto: l.. Aucoin, second
alto; M. Hebert, trombone; A. Bern
ard, bass; o. Lyons, tuba; Ben Nut
ter, snare drum; B. Didier, bass
drum.
The ceremonies were opened by
deaf mute pupils of Chinchuba. While
some of the Sisters sang America"
the mutes kept time to the music,
reciting the lines in the sign langu-
age and keeping excellent time.
There were about thirty of them,
boys and girls The girls wore uni
forms, consiting of blue caps, white
waists, red, white and blue belts and
red skirts with three white stripes
at the bottom, recitation of q few
spoken lines was quite distinctly
made by several OF the pupils.
The exercises OF the pupils from
the different schools were conducted
on the stage of the pavilion, on which
were seated large number of promf-
nent citizens of St. Tammany parish
and some from Washington parish
also, as well as the speakers who
were to address the gathering. The
Chinchuba exercises were first put
on because they wished to catch their
car for the Institute, and the speak
Ing vas delayed until afterWards.
We have not space for the speeches
made, for while they We're all sun=
posed to be three-minutes talks, some
Of them were much longer, They
abeunded in patriotic sentiment and
historical recital and were all ap-
plauded to the echo. The speakers
We're: Judge Thomas M. Burns,
Sheriff T. E. Brewster, District At
torney l.. l.. Morgan, Hon. Jos. B.
Lancaster, Supt. H. B. Messick, Geo
Koepp, Jr., president of the Police
Jury, and D. H. Mason, editor of the
St. Tammany Farmer
The following was read by Hon.
Jos. B. Lancaster:
Chairman, Covington Centennial
Celebration:
Dear Sir--Although not a resident
of Covington, am a frequent Visitor
there, SO have written the folloMins
poem OH the park, and hope yeu ear
use it at the celebration:
DEDICATION OF BOGUE FALAYA
PARK.
'Tis here one hundred years ago SC
long,
That Lord and Lady Covington die
live,
Where nature filled the air with
birds sweet song,
And beauty did her fair attraction
give.
Before the rumbling trains rushed
swift and wild.
To break the foreSts's peaceful
silence deep.
These English people sought this
climate mild.
A vast estate of grandeur here t.
keep.
And soon village by the manel
grew,
While visitors came here from
every side,