The Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1912-1917, 1913-05-16
WISCONSIN IN THE
! PERRY Centennial
oTATE CONTRIBUTES TO INTER
STATE MEMORIAL AND
GENERAL PROGRAM.
Four Central Celebrations in Wiscon-
sin, With Attractive Programs and
Statewide School Participation
Prize Essay Competitions-HoI-
iday Bill i'm Legislature.
BY Joseph McC. Fell.

The Wisconsin Perry's Victory Cen
tennial Commission was appointed by
the Governor in accordance with chap
ter 467, laws of 1911. Wisconsin will
contribute $4,000 to the construction
OF the Perry memorial at Put-in-Bay,
which will cost, when completed, ap-
proximately S1,000,000 and will be one
of the most beautiful historical mon
uments in the world. The national
government has appropriated $250,000
toward its construction and will take
1t over and maintain it after compile
ton.
The name of every state which con-
tributes to it's cost will be cut into
the granite frieze of the historical mu-
scum building which is one of the
principal features of the design, and
space will be reserved to each state
within the building, for permanent
historical and educational exhibits
which may be sent to augment the
national exhibit that will be placed
there. The memorial will be for all
time patriotic mecca for the travel
message of American prowess and
valor, of historical association, and of
the prolonged and growing period Of
peace since the close of our second
war with Great Britain, to the passen-
gers on every steamer that passes up
and down the lakes.
Put-in-Bay Celebration.
The plans OF the Interstate Board
OF Perry's Victory Centennial Com
missioners, have always contemplated
central celebration of the Centen-
MAI at the scene of the battle, on the
anniversary of the battle, September
10. which will include the ceremony of
defeating the memorial. The
celebration there will include a pro-
gram of notable speakers, (amongst
them in all probability the President
OF the United States), the removal to
the memorial crypt of the remains of
British and American officers killed in
the battle and now buried on the is
land. naval and military demonstra-
lions on a large scale, the inception
of the Peace celebration; and many
features of less historical significance
but Of great educational and recrea
tional interest, covering a period of
several days.
Central Celebrations in Wisconsin.
Those who are fortunate enough to
visit Put-in-Bay during these cere-
monies, will doubtless be fully repaid
for the effort and it is expected that
special arrangements will be made to
enable large number of Wisconsin
people to make the trip economically
However 1t will not be necessary to
leave the state in order to fully rea-
lie the significance of the centennial,
TO take advantage of it's opportunities,
or to enjoy the celebration. The Inter
state Board is arranging for tour of
the Great Lakes by a>centennial fleet
of naval vessels, escorting the GEN.
fury old flagship of Commodore Perry,
now undergoing reconstruction for
this tour; and this fleet with it's in
teresting convoy will visit Milwaukee,
Green Bay and probably Superior,
Wisconsin, each of which places will
have several days of centralized cele-
bration on scale fully comparable
to the celebration at Put-in-Bay.
These celebrations will begin with
the arrival of the fleet in each harbor
respectively, and the feet will re-
main during the celebrations. The
Milwaukee dates. as at present fixed,
are August 3rd to It'll inclusive; and
for Green Bay August 10th to 10th
inclusive. The dates for Superior have
not yet been definitely fixed. 1t is also
confidently anticipated that there will
be an important celebration of the
centennial at the capital of the state,
possibly on the anniversary of the bat
tie, September 10th, or near that date.
A bill now pending at Madison pro-
vides that September 10th, 1913. shall
be legal holiday, which would give
the schools and citizens generally an
opportunity to gather in public places
and listen to historical and educational
addresses, to decorate their cities and
villages in honor of American valor
and prowess, to express their graft