The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-12-30
WHAT THE CARNIVAL OF PROG
RESS MAY MEAN TO LAKELAND
Lakeland, Fla, Dec. 80. 1913.

Editor Evening Telegram: On
yesterday while in Tampa ! had oc'
casion to call upon Mr.. j. 7. Ma
honey, of the Rhodes Pearce-Mahon
ey Furniture Company, to ask him
about some matters of detail in re-
gard to the management Of the Car
nival which we are to have on the
first day of January. Mr.. Mahoney
has for some years been one of the
leading spirits in the Gasparilla Car
nivals at Tampa, and very kindly
laid aside his private business to
assist me in every way possible. He
showed great enthusiasm as to the
Tampa Carnival, so much so that his
enthusiasm went beyond the bounds
Of Tampa and he very kindly offered
me liberal donation from his own
private funds to assist in the Carni-
val at Lakeland. While thanking
him for his consideration, prompt
ly refused his donation, telling him
that this was an affair gotten up by
the people of lakeland, and that
upon their liberality and public
spirit must the enterprise stand or
fall He demurred at my action in
this matter, stating that his firm
had many friends and customers in
Lakeland, and that it would give
him pleasure to make this donation,
but still l refused, thinking that the
Lakeland people alone should parti-
cipate in the expense.
In the course of conversation |
learned from Mr.. Mahoney that the
annual Gasparilla Carnival at Tam
pa has grown to be a gigantic enter
prise, and that it is very distinct
advantage TO that city. He told me,
for instance, that the Carnival at
Tampa this year would cost about
$4,000, and that the merchants,
banks and other business men of
Tampa had been very liberal in their
support Of it, quite number of them
giving as much as $500; some others
$500; some $3.50, and some lesser
sum, giving in. proportion to the i'm
portance of their business. He in
formed me that the number of peo-
Pile which that annual event brings
into Tampa has made this paying
proposition, on much larger scale
than any one would imagine, not
necessarily in the amount of money
which comes directly into the hands
of the business men of Tampa, but
from the fact that it brings thou
sands of people into the city who
would not otherwise come, and
thereby establishes new trade and
social relations with the people of
this and other States, which in the
course of time very largely increase
the business of the city.
He assured me that considering
the difference in population, that
Lakeland can do the same thing on
smaller scale, and that if we make
success of this Carnival that we
will find it forced upon us as an
annual event, because once started
it is never discontinued.
The one which will be held at
Tampa this year will. be far more
elaborate than any which has ever
been held before, and will advertise
Tampa practically all over the Unit
ed States. AS illustrating this
point, 1t may be mentioned tnat on
the day of the Carnival five thou
sand carrier pigeons will be released
in Tampa, each bearing. message
that the Gasparilla Carnival is now
open. These pigeons will represent
practically every loft in the United
States, and will be watched with in
terest by practically every newspa-
per in the United States; the time
of their departure from Tampa and
their arrival at their homes being
heralded in the press throughout the
country.
wish that | might be able to i'm
press upon the people of Lakeland
the importance of the enterprise
which they are now inaugurating,
but time and space forbid. l submit
these few thoughts in order that the
Lakeland public may understand
what they are now about to under
take, and the magnificent result to
which it may lead.
H. J. DRANE.