The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-29
FOR
THE co MIN
PAGEANT
PerfeCting Plans For the Big
Historical Event.
COSTUMES WILL BEAFEATURE
Special Efforts Being Made That the
Reproduction May Be True to
Respective Periods

Shadowy lines of men cheerfully
marching, wheeling, countermarch-
ing, hating and, after receiving kind
ly criticisms and instructions, patient
ly and willingly resuming their man
euvres in compliance with stern com
mands issued by figures hardly dis
tinguishable in the darkness of Nor
gan park; the smiling but determined
faces of children who to lively strains
of music, while being taught the steps
of the folk dances, and young men
and women studiously endeayoring
TO acquire the lofty mannerisms and
to faithfully impersonate the stately
personalities of the Colonial and
Revolutionary days and of later peri
DDS are some of the many and care
fully supervised rehearsals that will
insure the success OF one of the great
est historical pageants ever given in
New England
Everybody is rehearsing If you
are not out trying to become a mod
ern Ethan Allen, Seth Warner, Sarah
Story or any OF the other equally ia
nous and interesting personages. you
are not one of the select. Fat men
are being pressed into service as inn
keepers and are made to oil positions
the chief qualification of which is
wealth Of ayoirdupois Tall, thin, ser
iOus and ministerial men are wanted
as parsons. judges and statesmen. A
number OF pretty young women were
required but this of course was found
10 be an easy task in Bennington, and
a large number have been secured.
The celebration of the l50th anniv-
ersary OF the settlement OF Benning
ton is 10 depict the early days Of
Bennington. and. for that matter. the
whole state. for the early history of
Vermont is largely the history of
bennington, It Is the presentation
OF the Battle of Bennington, which
will be the first time a battle has ever
been presented in an historical page
ant: IL is the impersonating OF num-
erous famous persons and the por-
trayal OF many historical scenes. II
is. in short, the Historical Pageant
OF Bennington
One of the big problems in a cele-
bration OF this size is 10 obtain the
costumes. AS a large number Of
persons will participate, and as
scenes from Eve different periods-the
J Colonial, the Revolutionary, the
Eighteenth, Ninteenth and Twentieth
: centurys-will be represented II is
obvious that many costumes will be
required The square cut coats and
I knee breaches OF coarse h0mespun
cloth and cooked felt hats of the men
and the killed skirts. tuck over dress
es and mob caps OF the young towns
women OF 1851. the time OF the first
/ settlers. will be represented The
/ costumes OF the Indians. the Contin-
| entail and British soldiers the bril-
/ liant and elaborate dress OF the court
OF King George III In 1856. to whom
Samuel Robinson went TO present the
/ grievances of the New Hampshire
claimants. OF the later eighteenth
century days. and OF the Union sol
/ ders In the Civil war will be repro.
duced with painstaking eXactness.
The spectacle OF so many beautiful
and varied costumes will be very
pretty. aud the contrast in the rich
and elaborate dress OF the English
courtiers and the plain. sober and
almost severe dress OF the Americans
OF the Colonial days viii show at
once the difference In the aims and
Ideals and the manners OF these two
peoples. Aside from the narrating OF
the history. the costumes alone will
be highly interesting and education
al.
In the prologue. the scene for which
is laid In Old Portsmouth. New Hamp
shire. the quaint costumes OF these
times will be worn. This scene
which Is In two acts. shows the old
inn on Queen street with its heavy
swinging wooden sign on which u
painted the portrait of the Earl OF
Fairfax. Gathered about the inn and
discussing the happenings over IN
York state or the latest news from
the mother country. England, are
number OF townspeople dressed In the
curious costumes OF that time. The
women wear homespun Killed skirts
tuck over dresses and polk honnets
while the men are dressed IN ions
square cut coats OF coarse material
baggy brooches OF the same clotl
with large bows at the knees ant
large cooked felt hats.
Standing at one side and also dis
cussing the same topics Of interest
the news from England but not deigl
ing to notice their more humble
neighbors. a group of the gentry
Their dress Is very elaborate an,
elegant. The men are attired In vel
vet coats OF various colors, with knee
hreeches to match. With q protusiol
of white laces. both at their neck
down the front OF the waist and a
the wrists they presen
a nne appearance. Ant
indeed. By their exaggerate'
manners. they seem to b
entirely conscious Of Il. The ladie