The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-04-13
Everything Points to Re-
markably Successful CeIe-
bration Next Week
PARADE WILL BE OVER
TWO MILES IN LENGTH
Merchants Will Decorate Places EIab-
orately for Occasion-Visitors Ex-
pected From All Over Country.
Voting Goes on With Zest

One week from next Thursday the Bir-
ingham potlatch festival opens up in cele
bration of the citys prosperity
Arrangements and preliminary work in
preparation for the big event are nearing
a conclusion, and everything points to a
remarkably successful celebration. Craw
ford Johnson, chairman of the committee
in charge of the floats which are to be
used in the parades. spent considerable
time at the State Fair grounds yester-
day where force of over 40 men have
| been hard at work for the past several
weeks whipping the immense floats into
shape
| The fireworks which are to be used in
the parade and in the Indian ceremony
the last night at East Lake park will
cost about 500. This is to be an important
feature OF the festival and will add much
to the scenic effects produced.
| The larger part of the downtown mer-
chants have signed mp contracts to have
their places elaborately decorated, Every
where will be the signs of festiyity during
potlatch week, which begins April 81.
The carnivals to be conducted by the
| Shriners and the Ad club will begin on
this day and will last throughout the
week. The big Shriners' carnival opens
up week from Monday in East End
park near the High school, with the Nat
Reiss shows, the same shows that were at
! the State Fair last fall. The Ad club
street carnival will be conducted on Sew
enteenth street and will be a complete
street fair in itself The large buildings
downtown, the Chamber of Commerce and
the skyscrapers, will be decorated in
bunting, flags and designs, as we'll as the
merchants stores. The festival spirit
will be in evidence in every nook and cor
ner of the city. and it is expected that
the largest crowd ever seen on the streets
| of Birmingham will be here
| They are coming not only from Alabama
! but from other states as well, and on ac-
count of the special low excursion rates
secured by reason of the potlatch and the
good roads convention, which are to be
| held at the same time, it is believed peo-
pie will be in Birmingham from every
state in the union. Chairman j. e. Shelby
of the parade committee stated last week
that he would announce today the route
and the prizes of the patatch parades.
Mr. Shelby, however, was compelled to
leave town yesterday and was unable to
| make the announcements. He will return
| this morning and the information will
be made public the first of the week.
Parade Two Miles Long
| Something over 200 automobiles will be
in the parade, besides the floats and it is
stated that the combination day parade.
on the afternoon of the second day, will
be over two miles long 1t will form on
Avenue f and march up South Twentieth
street This is what is known as 1.-THE
! Birmingham on Wheels parade, repre-
senting the various commercial and in
dustrial activities of the city and district.
| Voting in the two potlatch elections has
been going on for the last two weeks with
zest. The winners in the two contests
will be awarded the wanipum belt prizes
at the Indian ceremony on the last night
OF the potlatch at East Lake park. These
belts each contain $240 in gold eagles. The
contests are confined to charity organiza-
| tions and churches on the one hand and
| fraternal and labor organizations on the
other. Considerable rivalry has sprung
UP among the contesting institutions and
| q good vote is expected The ballots to
be used in these elections go with every
potlatch button or hatpin.
Order of Festival
| The order of the festival in brief is as
| follows:
| First day: Revelation of the identity
| of the chief and princess of the festival
when they march at the head of their
court retinue from Red mountain on the
| Southside to Capitol park. where they will
| smoke the pipe of peace with the city
commissioners and be given the keys to
| the city.
| Night parade. allegorical of Indian life
| and the Indian ceremony from which the
Birmingham potatch is named and copied.
| Second day: Enormous day parade in
| the afternoon, birmingham on Wheels.
| Indian ceremony at East4 Lake park,
| fireworks. Indian ball and other features
| Tho story described allegorically by the
night parade on the first day is as follows
Svnopsis-The ambitious chieftain of the
| tribes that live in Jefferson county, Ala
bama, is dissatisfied with conditions ana
vearns to lead his people. like Moses of
| old. into land of happiness, prosperity
| and plenty. The time Is many years ago
when the pine trees We're the only SKY
scraners known in this section of the
| country.
| bidding goodby to his braves, squaws
| and Indian children he starts on his long
nuest. telling them he VIII return no
| more until ne has located real happy
hunting ground" where his people may
| live in peace and prosperity ever after
ward.
! On and on he goes, through strange
lands and strange experiences, until he
has satisfied himself that no such place
| as that he seeks is to be found in all the
world His weary feet are then turned
| toward home, when 10, as he approaches
| the spot he left in the years gone by,
sunrise of gold bursts upon his vision.
He is astonshed but learns that his own
neon,e in his absence have built within
The very forest with which he was so
d,ssatisfed the elysium he sought--or the
happy hunting ground which was the OBJ
)ecc of his quest.
Their chief is welcomed again to their
ridst the fires are lighted and the gor-
geous pageant ends with scene repre-.
senting the prosperity and content that
- --.........4l.. oil the tribes of this