The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-01-29


and birth Of the great Gasparilla car
nival with which the city OF Tampa
plans to entertain the people of this
state and its assembled guests from
many other states 1t Ia 20 necessary
to tell the story of Gasparilla and the
story Of Ye Mlstic Krewe, which has
made 0asparilla famous, that the tale
of the Pirate Krewe must Of necessity
come first in the story. .
It should be explained that tho Cas-
par{lla carnival and Ye Mystic Krewe
Of Gasparilla are not one and the same
propositions. Ye Mystic Krewe will
have their celebration this year al
they have had since 1904, but their
ball will remain their own az Il has
always been. They are financing their
own undertA kfng-and II will cost
them more than $s,o00-and are doine
their share with about sixty other or
ganizations in making the Gasparills
carnival the great success 1t Ii GER
tain to be.
The carnival idea was born in the
heads of a few premier boosters in the
Boosters committee, that aggregation
of live wires in the Tampa Merchants
Association, which Is continually do
ing things.
1t came along after Tampanams
night.
Isn't That Name Great?
Already there are indications that
the Gasparilla festival, February 4, s,
8, I. 8, 8. 10, II, 1R. will be the biggest
thing that Tampa has ever tried and
one Of the biggest things over pulled
off in the South. The possibilities OF
. winter festival are unlimited and
there is no better place-ber none
IN the nation than Tampa to have tn,
big show.
And that name!
Gasparilia Carnival!
It can't be beaten. The moment q
man hears that name he 10 obssssed
with desire to know more OF Il
Who was GaGparilla?
Why was Gasparilla7 =.
What was GasparillaY
When was Gaspaf1lla?
IL 1t . Pullman car or q hroakfrst
food or = cigar or . RAGS horssf
Listen, folks.
GasDarilla was q pirate.
Good old Gasparilla 10 no more
Like Julius Caesar, he Is dead. and
like Julius Caesar, he Il to become IA
nous. He was q rover Of the seal
and his modern prototypes are gee
rovers. too.
With which few words let Us tell
how Ys Mystic Krews Of Gasparills
came to be.
Idea BoFn in George Hardee's Head
In 1904. George Hardee, fondly re.
membered. wes in the government
service in this city. He came from
Now Orleans, where he Is new resid.
ing. and the doings Of the Knights OF
Comus and the others Of that merry
crew who mako the New Orleans
Mardi 0ras famous from ono end OF
the country to the other. were fresh
In his mind.
He saw the possibilities OF this city
and suggested to some kindred spir-
it, the possibility Of Tampa putttnl
on . show similar to that o. the Mad
Therl were some thirty member
in the hrst band ana they organized
Ys Mystic Krsvs.
Hardee had heard somewhere o.
0asparilla and that name was hitchet
on to the end Of the dssignstion as tn,
most appropriate thing that could b,
conceived.
The man who named the crew hat
an acute sense Of the proper thint
70 do. HIS average in the n1mer'i
league was about soc. He shoult
- remembered with pride.
The name Is reminiscent of tn,
south in every sound. The gaiety. tn,
langour. the mysticism Of the grea
Gulf b In every syllable. Coral strands
pirate Ravens. palm-linsd beaches
desperate battles. scenes of blood
shsd and rapine, the milder side o
pidate life with the days opent on tn,
un-beehed keys. the nights whom tn,
banJe's tinkle salutes the moon. ar
brought to mind whenever the nam
d mentioned.
IN Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla.
What name could be better?
Gasp~rilla . Gay Dog.
Gasparilla was one of the bucca
neers who made the Gulf q terror I,
honest trNdesmen in the troubled day
of the close of the eighteenth ceotur,
and the beginning of the ninetesath
Spain's power in the new world va
! fast disintegrating. The shores o
the Gulf were practically No Man
Land. Great Britain. France, Spain