Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-02-16
PENSACOLA MARDI GRAS
BEGINS FEBRUARY 18TH


Mardi Gras season proper opens on
Monday, February 19, at high noon
when King PTiscus XIII. will make
his annua! appearance before his 10y.
al people. Amid the shrill notes from
hundreds of deep-toned sirens, the
booming of cannon and cheers from
the thousands that await his arrival,
King Priscus steps from his Royal
yacht 'Rosepen,' at high noon on the
date mentioned, at the foot of the
wharf called Palaiox. King Priscus
spends the whole year, with the ex-
ception of two lone days, in Daho-
mey, or on some other islands in the
Sea of Knownotwhere. On the Mon
day before Shroye Tuesday the day
preceding Ash-Wednesday, the begin
ming Of Lent, King Priscus makes his
periodical bow to his subjects. He
remains until Tuesday midnight, when
he beats a hasty retreat to parts
] known only to himself and pages.
At high noon Monday King Pris
Gus is greeted at the dock with sol
! ders from Forts Barrancas and Pick
ems, companies of Florida National
! Guard, sailors from battleships, and
i city, county, and state officials and
officials of the carnival association,
| all in line; the officials of county,
city, state and carnival, all seated
/ in handsomely decorated automobiles.
| From the dock His Royal Highness
is escorted up Palafox street to Ear
ragossa, thence east to Jefferson,
! thence north to a point in front of
| Pensacola's elegant new municipal
building, when, on a beautifully dec
GRATED stand, Major Frank Reilly
turns over the keys to the gates Of
the city to the most welcome of all
visitors, His Majesty, King Priscus
Kill At this point the King gets
his first look in the entire year at
| his beautiful Queen and her gorgeous
ly dressed, handsome, fair attendants
! who are seated in a balcony filled
with sweet-scented flowers in the
center of the building in front OF
which the King stops to receive the
keys.
The festivities are then on in earn
I est. The turning over of the keys
by the Mayor signifies that it is the
time for fun-making proper to begin,
and no time is lost in taking advan-
tage of the opportunity. Everybody is
everybodys friend and everything is
looked upon in the spirit of fun and
enjoyment
Confetti, the chief and foremost of
the fun-producers, is in evidence by
the tons. The two other cities hold
ing carnivals simultaneously with the
Pensacola Mardi Gras do not have
this feature of the celebration, and
this alone will be instrumental in
turning hundreds that might have
otherwise have visited the other
places to Pensacola.
The throwing of confetti grew out
of the ancient custom in the old Lat
in Catholic cities, when, during Mardi
Gras, rose petals would be thrown
upon each other Mardi Gras first
originated in Italy and afterwards
spread to France and thence TO This
country, first in New Orleans, which
city is known as the Paris Of Amer
lea. From New Orleans it spread to
Pensacola cad Mobile, these three
cities being the only ones in the
United States holding such celebra'
tions. Pensacola S carnival, while 1t
hot &c
on such large scale as in one OF
the other of the cities, is conceded
to outrank the others so far as gran
deur is concerned. 1t grows better
with each year and one might rest as
sured that the greatest and grandest
Mardi Gras that will have ever Deen
witnessed here will be held this year
on February IS, 10 and 20.
Features of PensacoIa's Mardi Gras.
On Monday afternoon one of the
! most imposing feat lures of the celebra-
ton will take place. Between one
hundred and two hundred gorgeously
decorated automobiles will be seen in
| the line of parade over the principal
! streets of the city. Nearly every au-
| tomobile owner in the city and many
( from points in West FLORIDA and
| South Alabama have agreed TO allow
! their cars to be used in the process
! sion this year. That it will eclipse
! all former ones, goes without saying.
Each automobile will be handsomely
! decorated n carnival colors, flowers
and beautiful faces of the far sex
Prizes are given to the most beau
tifully decorated cars, the winners
being decided upon by six competent
Judges who will sit at some point by
which the parade will pass, Much IL
valrv is always shown between the
owners of machines and all do their
very best to capture the prizes that
are offered by the Pensacola Carnl'
val Association. This fact gives as
surance of an automobile parade, the
like of which is seldom ever equalled.
Another feature of the celebration
of no little significance is the Do-Do
ball, which takes place in the spa
cious Armory hall on Monday even
ines This is also a permanent plllar
in the carnival program ana is al
WAYS productive of no small amount
of fun to the dancing public. All
who attend and who care to dance are
dressed in Mardi Gras costumes OF
all descriptions: their faces covered
with every conceivable kind Of mask