The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1912-07-12
FOUR THOUSAND PEOPLE
CELEBRATE AT WELSH.
Largest Crowd Ever Assembled In
The City. Celebration a Grand
Success.

Conservative judges estimate tina
not less than four thousand people
were at Sportsmen's Park enjoying
the celebration last Thursday The
recent rains had permitted the create,
portion OF the planters to shut down
their pumps for few DAYS, and this
TACT together with the additional ones
that the dav itself was ideal, and the
Welsh celebration had been thorough.
Nv advertised brought out the larges,
crowd that has vet assembled to par.
ticlpate in the splendid celebrations
mat have come to be an annual event
In this city. While practically every.
body In Welsh and the surrounding
territory were at the celebration the
crowd was by no means limited to the
home people, for despite the fact that
celebrations were held at Jennings,
Lake Arthur, Elton and Lake Charles,
strong delegations from these as well
as all OF the other towns OF the parish
OF jeff Davis were here and took part
in the events OF the day. Aside from
those who came in buggies. wagons
and by train, there were more than
sixty automobiles on the ground,
which speaks we'll for the celebration
and the prosperity of the community
as we'll.
Promptly at Ii O'Clock, Hon. L G..
Lewis, Mayor of Welsh, delivered u
short address of welcome to the as
semble throng, welcoming them to
the city aud its inequalities.
DR., B. j. LaCour also addressed
the assembly in French, which he
speaks tiuentlv extended to all hearty
welcome.
Hon. John w. Lewis of Opelousas,
the principal orator Of the day, de.
liSered a splendid address, aud Incl.
dentally complimented Welsh and
indicated that he had advanced his
knowledge of geography by coming
here. In this connection he said that
heretofore, while he had often heard
of Welsh he had always looked upon
is simply as q spot on the map, but
when greeted by an audience which. he
declared could not number less than
four thousand, he realized that Welsh
was one of the coming towns of South
west Louisiana.
Many compliments were given the
Welsh Band for the excellent music
they furnished, one gentlemen, who
comes from the extreme northern part
of the parish asserting that the excell-
ent music, and splendid shade Of the
park, in themselves we're sufficient
compensation for the long trip made
to attend the celebration.
Two ball games were played. which
resulted most satisfactory for Welsh.
The first game between, Lake Charles
and Roanoke, in which Roanoke won.
The second game was between the win
ner and the Welsh team and resulted
in decided victory for the home team
Two very comMendable features OF
the dav were the absence of the annoy
ing fire cracker, which SO often causes
accidents and ANNOYANCE on these
occasions, and also the almost absO-
lutte absence of drunkenness and rowdy-
ism. there being to our knowledge no
arrests or occasion for them during
the entire day. Welsh and her citizens
may we'll feel proud of the celebration
of July Fourth. 1919, from every
point OF view.
The festivities OF the day were closed
nv she big dance held at the Globe
arehouse, where the youth and
beauty of Welsh aud neighh0rine
towns, tripped through the fleetina
hours to happy strains OF music fur
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