South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-03-12
Safe and Sane Demonstration
Would Mirror Growth Of
City Passing HaIf-Century
Mark and Forecast Future.
PLAN VANE TIAN NIGHT
TO CLOSE PROGRAM
Chamber of Commerce and
Municipal Recreation De-
partment Will Cooperate in
Preparing Big Affair.

Announcement of an elaborate plan
for the celebration Of a safe and sane
Fourth of July in South Bend this
year was made Friday by the Chamber
OF Commerce. That it would outclass
anything heretofore attempted was
the free prediction. In view of the
fact that South Bend will be just pass
ing through her half century stage,
the opportunity will be grasped to cell
ebrate the day with historical features,
a pageant symbolizing the peace, pros
perity and growth of the city to be the
big feature.
Plans now crystalizing embody a
pageant 10 include all nationalities of
the city The founding, growth and
early history of the city is to be por-
trayed in a series of magnificent floats
part of which will be carried out on
the St. Joseph river after nightfau.
This latter part Of the program is to
SAVIOR of an evening in Venice with
highly decorated canoes and barges all
illuminated with fireworks. During
the day folk dances, orations. music
and contests are TO fill in the spare
moments.
Working in conjunction with the
Chamber of Commerce will be the
Municipal Recreation department
under the direction of +. b. Barnes.
1t IS the plan to reject the old
fashioned insane" method of cele-
bration. which combines the shooting
off of fireworks with the shooting off
OF fingers, by furnishing a safe and
sane celebration consisting of organ
lied ceremonies, festivities and public
fireworks.
To Cost $4,000.
The pageant will be largely histor-
ical, but il will be more than that, for
the drama OF the community Will be
carried down TO the present and on
into the future to reflect in advance
the gleam OF those ideal conditions
which the social centers Of the city
are making real.
That il Will cost approximately
$4,000 10 furnish the city with a cele-
bration of this sort is the general Opin-
ion. yet those promoting the plan feel
that there will be little difficulty in
raising the money for an affair which
will provide a safer and more sane
celebration and which will give this
city a favorable publicity for doing
things.
1t is estimated that many times this
amount is spent away from South
Bend by people of this city every year
who go elsewhere for entertainment
on the fourth The affair in addition
TO keeping large numbers at home will
attract large crowds here.
1t is planned TO have a series of en-
tertainments during the day. The
program which has been suggested
although further suggestions will be
taken UPS as follows:
A grand peace parade in the morn
ing. with music, floats pOrtraying
South Bends early industries; a mass
meeting with Orattons and music. band
concerts during the day, the historical
pageant. i'm which early South Bend
scenes Will be shown, athletic contests
boat racing and games near Howard
park. folk dances, followed in the
evening by the Venetian water fete
and fireworks.
Recreation Department TO Aid.
F. B. Barnes. recreation director,
will have charge for the municipal
recreation department. II was large
ly through his efforts that the matter