The Oskaloosa herald., 1914-12-24
IN HOLIDAY ATTIRE
oskalOOsa's Elaborate Street Decor
atoms Blaze Of Glory.

illumination for the elaborate Hol-
.iday decorations about the streets
and avenues OF the business section
OF Oskaloosa was turned on in fun
Saturday evening and the whole
town was a blaze with holiday glory.
The detail of the decorations, pene-
trates to every section OF the bust
ness district and even the side
places have made elaborate efforts.
Incandescent lamps, this year are
in only two colors, green and red,
like holly but the effect is particul-
arly pleasing. Festoons of these
lamps are hung up and down the
streets and avenues; descend from
the top of business buildings, over
the front to the side walk line and
form a. canopy at street intersec-
| tions. The Christmas trees at the
front of almost every business house
in town are lighted by the red and
green incandescent lamps and the
effect is wonderfully pretty. The
spirit OF the thing compels admira-
: ton. II Is the most elaborate effort
ever attempted In Oskaloosa and by
liar outshines anything of the kind
ATTEMPTED in previous years.
Rivalry between business blocks,
one to Guido the other in the beauty
or elaborate character of the decor
alton has made possible a variety In
the decorative program, that is, to
say the least, pleasing. First avenue
between B street and Second street,
or from the Kalbach lumber yard
east to the First Presbyterian church
corner is oyerhung with the colored
lights. This in addition to the spe-
| cial decoration of tae Christmas
! trees and the shop windows gay
with holiday finery and Christmas
lights.
| But every section striving for
prominence is best because it's all
different. The north side has erect.
ed an elaborate ''pergola" that has
the effect of an esplanade or a spe-
cial walk along the entire front be.
tween Market and First streets. Ii
| is a special canopy shelter support
ed at the sidewalk line and has the
effects of a vine walk covered with
Christmas green's which extends to
the supporting columns. 1t is as ar
tistic as a colonnade and is highly
Ipleasing People 90 to the north
side just to walk along the length
of this handsome porch decoration
Then down on High avenue West
the buildings are deliberately drapec
with hundreds and manifestations
,ands of green and red lights. sus
pended from q central illumination
at the top OF the building to the fal
corners of the block. Then down
along West High to the M, & st. l.
TRACKS, along Market street from the
post office building and the M. +
church on the north to the Public
Library building on the south are
special lights and Christmas trees
great tall fellows this year, some
reaching we'll up above the second
story windows. The trees are three
and four times the size OF those EN-.
|ployed in the decoration scheme OF
few years back and now and then
someone has put up a specially
large tree, as the one at the front
of the Eagles building on First ave.
nue. West.
But above all and helping to dis,
tinguish the other decorations are
the new white way" lamps. They
are as great pearls amid the other
lights and they have beauty OF
their own. j. r. McGregor and his
associates who are responsible for
the white way" illumination. did
not have in mind holiday decoration
when they secured the new lighting
system, but they have certainly civ
en- the Christmas trim a new factor.
Anyone failing to see Oskaloosa in
her holiday dress Is missing a big
treat. Travelling men and visitors
at hotels yesterday and about town
today assert that nowhere else in ali
the land have they ever witnessed
anything like the display of Saturday
night. They stopped and looked
and wondered. Our merchants have
spent practically 5000 for trees
alone, exclusive of setting and light
ing. The thing has been done on
elaborate plan this year that eX.
ceeds all previous effort. A large
force of workmen, as many as could
get on the job, has been engaged for
two solid weeks getting the decora.
ltion ready for Saturday evening and
they worked over time to make
schedule.
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