The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-15
POTLATCH PLANS
RAPIDLY FORMING
Grand Ball Will Be Held at
East Lake
AN INDIAN VILLAGE
Proposed to Have Village Across Lake
From Park-Buttons Expected
to Reach Here March 20.
Interest Growing
AN INDIAN VILLAGE

Plans for the big potlatch festival April
"a and % are progressing rapidly. The
potatch buttons, the emblem of the order
and one of the most important features
of the big celebration of the prosperity of
the city, are expected from the manufac-
turers by March 90
The last grand event at which will be
staged scenes of Indian life in many diff
ferent phases and which will take the
form probably of grand ball, is to be
held at East Lake park. The committee
is considering building an immense bon
fire across the lake from the park and
there have an Indian village, which could
be seen plainly after night by means of
the bonfire. Here scenes of Indian life
are to be portrayed by people in Indian
costumes and as the pantomime show ends
the Indians will enter canoes and row
across to the crowds while the band
plays Indian war songs. Then the feast
or dance or whatever is decided upon
will be commenced.
These plans are under consideration
and before their final adoption will have
many interesting features added to them.
some of which will not be made public
until they occur and then be sprung as
surprises. In order to facilitate the work
cf the executive committee, which has
the potlatch in charge, man has been
placed in charge Of each different phase
of the preliminary work. Hill Ferguson
has charge of the grand combination day
Parade, which is to contain floats depict
ing the scenes of the growth and develop
ment of Birmingham; Crawford johnson
has charge of the plans for the night
no rod txrhi wi q op1fl 10 y
allegorical panorama of Indian life and
scenes: j. f. Shelby has charge of the
plans for the night entertainment at East
Lake; J. Frank Rushton has charge of
the plans for costuming the different
events of the festival and Oscar c. Tur-
ner. general chairman of the potlatch
committee, has charge of the sale of the
badges or buttons, by which the big show
is to be financed.
The campaign to sell the buttons is to
be of the whirlwind variety lasting not
more than two or three days. With the
buttons will go a printed card certificate
of membership in the Universal Order of
Potlatch, and two blank ballots to be
used in voting for the most popular
church or charity in the city and for the
most popular fraternaI order in the city.
The buttons are to be sold for 81, the
funds raised to be used to finance the
festival. 1t is hoped by this plan to have
every man and woman in Birmingham
take an active interest in the festival.
not as onlookers, but as part of 1t, for
they will be helping finance it instead OF
the usual custom of few of the
Weather people making large subscrip-
tions for such events.
Interest in the potlatch is growing not
only in the city, but about over the state.
Many who have returned from recent
trips out of the city report that the coun-
try people and the residents of other
towns are talking about the festival. The
remark is becoming very general: well,
we'll see you In Birmingham during the
potlatch; we're coming to town them