The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-08-26

procession from Frisco to Topeka with
every newspaper in the land taking
photographs and printing columns
Didn't the Karnivalists send to Tiff
fany's in New York and hire a dia-
mond crown and a diamond necklace
for her queen that was valued at $50
900 and was guarded by police Didn't
the old guard have the costhest gowns
in the history of the United States up
TO that time made for her carnival
queen?
ASK anyone who was acquainted
with conditions in Topeka at that time
and they viii throw out their chests
and yell-"Yesl
What would that young fellow Of the
present Karnival Knights say if he had
kncwn these facts. His sneers would
have given way to wonder.
The First Karnival knight Call.
The first call to be sent out in To-
peka for an organization of karnival
Knights was issued on September 16.
1895. This call to arms was signed by
the following men, many Of whom are
well known in Topeka at this time:
Pick Smith. D w Mulvane. c. c.
Baker, Z. L. Copeland. w. n Hall,
Edward Henderson. G. K Holiday,
jr. w. S Haskell. Walter Noble.
Remus Atwood. Robert Pierce c. h.
Sampson, Charles P. Adams, William
NldCltlIdus r y. lllOIndEt u. A. Glenn
ents, A. P. Shreve, and Paul Torring-
ton.
Here is the way the call started out:
Say. boys. you all want to ginger
up bit-don't YOU think?
And here is the last sentence:
Lets push it along so that future
generations will resound with praises
and our youn gst ers will say-oh what
a night our dads must have had Oct
A. D. 1885,
This notice went out to 500 young
Topeka men. They We're to meet at
Hamilton hall-a garage is there now
and Marshalls band was to play.
Tom Anderson's A1odocS were on deck
to sing. Speeches We're to be given by
the crack orators of the town" who
were designated as tom McNeal,
Johnnie Waters, JOhnnies pa, Charles
Holiday. Tom DOran, Charles Fuller.
A. Il. Rod gers and ". l. Haskell"
Crowd Too Big for Han.
Nowadays Topeka business men
point with pride at a. meeting called in
formally that will net more than 100
men. What do you suppose occurred
the night Of the Hamilton hall meet
ing They had such a crowd of young
men out that the big hall on Quincy
street wouldn't hold the crowd. They
had to have an overflow meeting out
side.
Ii IIle SldL6 JOuIAdi next Qc1o
headline eight inches long containing
fifteen decks told about the meeting.
October was a great day for the
knights. The famous Committee of
Fifteen carried out the arrangements.
It was estimated that the cost of zen
tertaining Kansas that festival was
$4,000 and the committee made this
report.
LORNA. the Unknown Queen.
The name Of the queen was 10
rina" Few knew who she was until
many days after the event. She was
kept in secrecy always. In the columns
of the state Journal she was called
LORNA and Her Train of Fairy Frol-
ickers, Her Retinue Of Robust Rollick-
ers. Her Joyous Jingle of Jenuine but
Jentle JOlliers."
The queen as it turned out to be was
Miss Edna Best, who long ago married
and left Topeka.
They had a dragon float that night
it was made by Prof. Harvey Worral.
It was the most massive piece of work
ever seen on Kansas avenue. This
dragon was 2SO feet long and it took
so men to put 1t in motion. Fire shot
from it's mouth and eyes.
Railroad officials of the Santa Fe,
Rock Island and Union Pacific said the
next day that they hauled 10000 out
of town people to the big events.
The Committee Of Fifteen-the men
who arranged for all events. was com
posed of Major T. J. Anderson, L A
Strauss. w. c. Stephenson. L. L. Kiene,
w. o. Rigby, ]. S. Coe. Fred Chase. F.
p. Bacon, H. A Heath. T. B. Brown,
A w Dana, John c. Waters, Charles
x. Holiday. John F. McManus. T. F.
poran. DR.. H A. Warner. The person
mel changed as successive festivals
were held but most of the members re
manned on the committee.
Necklace Cost $50. 900.
In 1897 the festival was better than