The Topeka state journal., 1911-09-13
GREAT is KANSAS
Fifty Years of Progress Told in
Glorious Pageant.
History of State Typified in
Beautiful Floats.
PARADE MILE LONG.
Passes in Review on Kansas Ave
nue. Before Thousands.
Greatest Crowd Ever in Topeka
Lines the Streets.

The great pageant representing
Kansas historically and industrially IN
the past fifty years. the spectacular
feature of the Kansas Semi-Centennlal
celebration Tuesday night was bril-
liant spectacle and was seen by at
least 5000 people
Bv 6:3O o'clock prospective onlook-
ers began to gather along tie line OF
march and Immediately prior to the
arrival of the cavaIcade at sixth ave
nue. in its march from Third street
south in the direction of the ialr
grounds the blocks on Topeka's mann
thoroughfare from sixth TO Ienth
avenues was one mass of excited hu-
The mounted police heading the pro-
cassfou had some difficulty in clearing
a passag geway for the parade Not
onIv were the streets iammed, but
every available window space in store
buildings was occupied and many even
sought the ''high places the roofs OF
business structures
When at $40 o'clock as an an
r,ol1ncement of the approaching of the
pageant the White Way lights flashed
out in dazzling brilliancy a cheer Went
up from the mighty throng- Ihe scene
furnished the best testimony of the
states DrOgress Everything went on
without a hitch and the success of the
event exceeded all expectations,
Great credit is due to Albert T.
Paid under whose direction the his
torical and industrial floats were de-
signed and Major Arthur Mills, VINO
had entire charge of the parade TOR
nation and who rode at the head OF
the procession
Pretty Girls Cheered.
The sixty pretty girls representatives
of Kansas towns graced the historical
floats, 3nd Kansas has reason TO pc
proud of the feminine beauty OF Whlch
the state may we'll boast TheY were
ave-
nue. to the other.
The parade was a mile and hair
in length. and it was about $3.50 When
the last float was admitted to the fair
grounds. At that time thousands of
persons were admitted free to the
grounds. One BY one the floats passed
in review in front of the grandstand
on the fair grounds and it was bril-
liant spectacle with the big search
light illuminating the features of the
pageant. Here the visiting girls alight-
ed and took seats in the grandstand,
which had been reserved especially for
them, and it is we'll that the seats
" ere reserved for there were people
there ten thousand strong Every seat
in the grandstand and bleacherS was
taken and sitting room on the grass
in front of the stand was at pre-
Wher- the procession reached Tenth
avenue it turned west and marched to
Topeka avenue and thence south to
the fair grounds. All along the line
of travel the streets were lined with
people, and on either side of the main
street in the fair grounds there was a
string of humanity fifteen feet deep
Thousands of persons took their
suppers on the grounds and awaited
the arrival of the pageant
Order of the Parade.
The scheduled order of parade was
as follows:
DIVISION NO. l.
I. Mounted Police.
? Topeka Troopers.
3. MarshaIl's Band.
4. Indians.
g. Stage Coach
6. Freighter-
z Beecher Island Scouts.
8. Cowboys.
DIVISION NO ,.
l. Drum Corps
2 Battery A.
8. John Armstrong. Topeka's oldest |
citizen.
DIVISION NO 3.
I. K. & L. of S. Band.
. FIOat-Tndian Days.
8. Fort Leavenworth 1927 Float.
4 Cowboy Days Float.
3. Steamboat Float.
DIVISION NO. 4
l. Modern Woodman Band
2. Float-Modern Woodman.
g. F1oat-Old Wind Mill of Lawrence.
4. Float-Westward Course of Civil
ization.
8. Float-Great Seal of Kansas.
DIVISION NO. 5.
L A 0. u W. Band.
2 F1oat-A. 0. L. W.
s. F'loat-Burning of Lawrence.
4. F'loat-Grasshoppe Days.
s. Float-Spanish String Band.
DIVISION NO. s.
/. Holton Band.
2. F'Ioat-Redmen.
8. Float-Prosperity Producers.
4. F'loat-Cerea.
5. Real Estate Dealers Auto
DIVISION NO. Z
R11rlirpar,na Rand