The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1916-03-21
Keok1lk Retailers League In
Favor of Some High Glass
Feature for This
Year.
COMMITTEE TO DECIDE
League Gives It Power to Act
What Western Vaudeville
Managers Assn Has
to Offer.

on record last night as being heartily
In favor Of a fall ceIebra ton, cels-
brattoR that would get aEay from the
usual type OF street fair and carnival,
and give the people Of the city and
vicinity something good for their mon
ey, and which also might make money
for the city instead Of for the carnival
company, money that would 80 TO-
ward sinking fund for the erection
OF a permanent large building or
coliseum. a thing badly needed IN Keo-
kuk, In which to hold future shows,
and for al public purposes.
3. Marsh, representative Of the
Western Vaudeville Managers asso-
citation that furnishes high class acts
for the OrpheuIn and Keith circuits,
was present last night and outlined a
plan by which the merchants could
put on something good here that
would be high class and that would
undoubtedly make money for the
league for some such use as outlined
above
After a lengthy discussion Of the
matter. upon motion Of J. n. Dunn emil,
the matter was left into the hands
OF the original committee of three,
composed OF Emil Remand, ]. P. Ingle
and Jacob Sohouten. with power to act.
The committees business VIII be to
decide whether it Is advisable to ar
range for the celebration, and this is
a foregone conclusion, with the en-
thusiastic backing It secured from
the merchants, and to formulate
plan for the financing Of the feature.
Merchants Pledge Money.
A dozen merchants last night pledg-
ed 500 towards the fall celebration
and IT is believed that no difficulty
will be experienced in raising the
amount necessary. Probably all that
will be required will be notes, on
which money can be borrowed, and il
the feature Is the success that is an
these will all be cleared of
and a balance OF several thousand dol
lars Will remain.
Features Of Show.
The merchants are planning on Sc
curing some large. building in which
to hold tho show. The main features
Of the western vaudeville Offering are
Iiberrati's band of some thirty-fve
pieces, an opera company of about
twenty that will present two acts
day, with a change daily, number OF
vaudeville acts, and three outside free
features to attract people TO the town.
Arrangements would also be made
to have agricultural exhibits In the
building in connection with the paid
acts. These would be furnished by
the state from the state fair. Baby
shows, corn exhibits and other fea-
lures were considered, but this detail
VIII not be decided until the commit
tee decides on the big show first.
The attractions listed above would
cost about $1,000. The show could
be transferred direct to Keokuk from
South Dakota, whore the
annual corn carnival IS held n the
fail, The first week in October has
been picked as the best time for the
carnival.
Mr.. Remand as chairman OF the
presented the report last
night on what had been done On the
fall celebration proposition. He tod
the merchants that Keokuk had not
had a street fair in three years. He
said that the city was sick and tired
Of the old time carnival and street
fair. and wanted something better.
The fall celebration plan, as outlined,
was hit upon as being of worth He
then introduced E. Marsh Of the West
ern Vaudeville Managers association,
who presented his proposition, which
included Libe-atis band, the opera
company, the vaudeville acts and the
three street features. He said he
could give the merchants a show cost
ing from 81 900 TO $50 geo. but recon-
mended the one that is listed above,
which could be brought here direct
from MtchelviAe and which would
cost in the neighborhood OF $1,000.
He read reports from MitchelFille, a
city Of seven thousand, that has had
show furnished by the Western
Vaudeville for several years, and
which has latG away several thousands
each year. N six days, last year ct
Mitchelvflle, he said, the attendance
was $4,000 and the receipts in the
neighborhood of $4,000 a day. The
show lasted two hours and a hall and
the price OF admission was fifty cents.
Mr.. Marsh pointed out that exhibits