The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-25
LIVE WIRES TO PLAN /
SALE OF BUTTONS
About 200 Will Gather at
Luncheon Tonight
WILL OPEN TOMORROW
Fifteen Thousand Potlatch Buttons to
Go on Sale Tomorrow Morning at
8 O'Clock-vigorous Cam
paign Among Churches

Tonight in the banquet room of the
Hotel Hilman the whirlwind campaign
TO sell the potlatch buttons and hatpins
Will be launched. General Chairman of
the Chamber of Commerce Committee
over hundred acceptances to the 200 in
vitations mailed out to the live wires
of the chamber late last week.
1t is expected that many more viii be
received today and that the 200 live wires
invited will be present almost to a man,
Out of these men Chairman Turner to-
night will organize his campaign teams,
to be composed of few men on each
team, to canvass the city and sell the but
tons and hatpins with the potatch em-
blem on them for 81 EACH
To Serve Luncheon
A Dutch luncheon will be served dur
ing the meeting tonight while the plans
for the campaign are being made and
the working teams organized. The cam
paign will open tomorrow morning at 8
c clock and every one of the 1900 but
tens and hatpins are expected to be sold
by not later than Thursday night. The
committee has decided on spending s15,-
COO upon the celebration and the sale of
the 150oO buttons and hatpins at 81 each
is the way this sum is to be raised.
The festival is to be held April "A and
25 to celebrate the prosperity of the city
and district, after an old Indian custom
which the red men called THE Potlatch' -
The buttons and hatpins are designed
with an Indian tripod from which is ex-
tended boiling pot over a camp fire,
emblematic of the feast and joys of pros
perty.
Interest in the sale of the buttons has
reached a high pitch. The buttons are
for the men and the hatpins for the wom-
en-. The button with the membership
certificate and the two coupons upon
which to cast ballots at the two cleo
tions have been on exhibition for the
last two days in some of the downtown
show windows. They have been the
cause of much favorable comment, as
they are very artistic in themselves. No
one can secure admittance to the last
grand festival OF the celebration on the
night of April % unless they possess one
of the buttons or hatpns and a men,
bership card In the order of potlatch
The membership certificate and the two
blank ballots are to be given free with
the buttons or hatpins, all for the 81.
1t is indicated that the election as
to the most popular church or charity
organization and the most popular frater-
nal or labor organization is going to be
one of the most vigorous contests ever
staged in the city. Several of the churches
and some of the other organizations are
already planning campaigns to secure the
votes of their friends. The ballots given
with the buttons are to be used In these
contests, one ballot for each contest
To Award Prizes
The two winners on the last night of
the potlatch will be awarded wampum
belt each, each belt being lined with
$40 in gold double eagles. AS it will
he possible for any man to give his bal
lot to his friends or to vote for any
church or other organization eligible
which he pleases, the contest promises
some real excitement In the next few
weeks.
The election will be started just as soon
as the whiriwind campaign to sell the
buttons and hatpins IS closed. ard viii
continue until tho last day before the
potlatch opens, April %.
Hundreds of requests have been received
from persons all over the state for the
privilege of buying the first button. Il.
p Gutter of Ensley, however Is the
fil ST man who has put up the money
and his order is the first mail order for
buttons received. Mr.. Cutter yesterday
wrote the chamber headquarters enclos-
ing s. and asking for two buttons and
two hatpins. The buttons and hatpins
viii be mailed to him early Wednesday
MOI ming Mr.. Cutter Is assistant super
intendent OF the Barret manufacturing
COMPANY.