The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-06-13
Civic Bodies Asked to Aid
the Perry Centennial
Next Year.
SEEK HOSPITALITY FOR FLEET
Celebration to be Most Unique Ever
Planned for Lake Cities Commercial
Club to Take Lead in Arranging for
Kenosha End of Big Celebration.

Joseph McG. Bell Of Milwaukee,
secretary of the Wisconsin Perry Cen
tennial Commission, is in Kenosha,
The object Of his visit as to interest
civic, patriotic organizations and the
public schools in the big celebration
which is to occur next year.
Wisconsin is to take prominent
part in the commentator of the fam
Gus victory Of Commodore Perry on
Lake Erie and it is desired that Keno
sha shall be one of the cities to view
the naval parade which is to travel
the Great Lakes next year.
This parade, which is to consist of
an imposing array of vessels, will in
every probability stop at Kenosha for
at least half a day, on it's way down
the lake to Chicago. Mr.. Bell states
that the commission is DESTROYS that
Kenosha should arrange a celebration
W lidlh CHG NlSIb VI Uulo uloGUIlC pd-
rade to this port and invite the sur
rounding country to participate. He
will take the matter up with Mayor
Head, superintendent Of Schools
Bradford and other prominent persons.
Mr.. Bell says that the scale and
character Of the celebration as it has
been discussed at the interstate meet
ings md by the Wisconsin commission
will require ample fore-thought and
preparation and for that reason it is
considered that the present summer
should be devoted to preparing the
public mind for the participation that
local committees are expected to take
in it and the pleasure and profit that
they will undoubtedly derive from it.
The war of 1912 is spoken Of by
many historians as the war which re-
ally established the independence Of
the United States. Since thu time
we have enjoyed practically one humid
red years Of peace with Great Britain.
Ten states are interested in this cele-
bration and each state has appropriate
ed quarter of million dollars
toward the permanent memorial which
it is/proposed to locate near Perry S
Lookout, on Put-in-Bay Island Of
Lake Erie.
But this is only a feature of the
celebration and the people on the lake
shore cities, where there is port, will
take interest in the naval parade. It
is proposed to show by this feature,
in the most striking and instructive
way, the enormous development Of
lake traffic and tonnage during humid
red years since Commodore Perry pur-
chased three of the largest merchant
schooners he could find to make gun
boats of them. Fifty to sixty tons
displacement was their burden and
now we have leviathans on which a
man might work up an appetite for
dinner, walking from the forecastle
to the dining room.
By diligent search and some expense
OF re-ha bilitation, it is intended to
have representative in the proposed
parade of every important step in the
lake marine progress, from the little
wooden schooner or sloop of Perry s
time, to the monster steel ore and
grain carriers of the present time.
There will also be included the gov
eminent revenue cutters, gun-boats
and light house tenders, steam and
sailing yachts of all descriptions and
there is no doubt but that if arrange
ments, are made for the parade stop
ping here the people will be given a
sight that will pass into history as re-
markable.
The Wisconsin militia is looking for
ward to the event with interest. There
will be historic floats and the partici-
patton Of the school children is to be
an important matter. From time to
time Mr.. Bell will keep the people Of
Kenosha posted on the big celebration.