New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-08-31
DAR|EN JOYFUL At
HISTORICAL PAGEANT
Commuters Gather on Shore OF
Lake to Witness Episodes
in Riot OF Color.
LAUGH AT N0RWALK WAR
Distinguished Sons of Town
Revivified in Persons of
Descendants Who Still
Love Old Place.

Iron, star Correspondent OF The Tribune
Darien. Conn. Aug 30-Darien proved
oonclusively this afternoon that IT occu-
pies strong position among New Eng
lands beautiful towns. the occasion be
ing the first Of It's three-day historical
paeeant. denominated on the official pro-
sramme as "The Pageant Of a Residential
Community given Where Goodwives'
River Flows into Gorhams Pond The
pageant. which was to have opened Fri
DAY. had been postponed because Of that
Beelzebub of all merrymaking. Jupiter
PluVius. but to-day the sun shone out
and Darien and its children and friends.
some Of whom mad travelled for the oc-
casion from as far as beyond the Missis-
sippi, awoke rubbed their eyes and
smiled.
The pageant. for which the words had
been written by William Chauncy Lang
don, president OF the American Pageant
Association. and the music by Arthur
Farwell, had been in preparation for more
than d year. and the result more than re-
paid the expectations of its projectors
The spot chosen for its presentation was
ideal a meadow on the shore Of the
lake, densely wooded hill rising on one
side. quaint old graveyard on the other,
with the high banked seats for the spec
tators films IN the gap These seats
were occupied by an audience that re-
rained interested throughout.
The pageant was IN twelve episodes
each one representing either an allegor1-
cal story or an incident in the life Of the
town OF the three hundred persons who
participated. there were several who i'm
personated the characters Of their own
ancestors. The Rev. Moses Mather. the
towns clergyman during the Revolution.
resolved himself into life In the person
Of his great-great-great-gr grandson, ste
phen r. Mather; Daniel Gorham was
perpetuated by J G.. Gorham; Moan
Brown, who built Perry's victorious fleet,
by his great grandson. FRANKLIN Jones
ir. During the two hours that the
pageant lasted the onlookers watched the
unfolding OF the towns history, from its
purchase from the Indians. through the
arrival OF the railroad, TO the commuters
home Of to-day. the whole closing with
an apocalypse Of the ideal Darien.
The pageant itself was q riot Of well
OTOtI6u IOlOI Ait4N ntAV NAA N'@+4 ''-~''
and naldens half-naked Indians. soldiers.
British. French and American there were
demure young girls Of the forties' in
hoopsk!rts and bonnets. accompanied by
beayer-hatted dandies. there were carts
drawn by oxen, and stagecoach looking
as II It had just rolled out of page of
'Pickwicli", and, 10 cap the climax. there
was a ballet Of 80 young girls and chill
dren. dressed as water and WOOD nymphs,
led and trained by Miss Bertha Knight,
who danced out Of the woods and back
again until t became quite impossible.
10 believe that IL was the year 1919, forty
odd miles from the City OF New York.
But that the pageant might not seem
too full Of statelness and solemnity OF
purpose, Mr.. Langdon had injected into
the episode Of the war between Stamford
and Norwalk a humorous touch that
quite warmed the cookies Of the hearts OF
tho Darienites IN the audience. In fact
the selectnen Of Stamford might be fully
justified in suing for an injunction re-
straining their neighoors Of Darien from
presenting their ancestors in such an ex-
ceedingly unherolc light. Though double
in numbers to the one Of Norwalk, the
army OF Stamford performed series Of
retreats and side-steppings such as were