The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-06-01
TUSCALOOSA'S PAGEANT MARVEL OF REALISM AND
 GREA T SCENIC SPLENDOR
Spectators Say Production of Historic Episodes Centennial Climax Has Never Been Surpassed in America-Guild
 Woods Ideal Site for Great Open Air Performance
By LEON C. BRADLEY

Tuscaloosa, May 31.-(Specialo Alabama is proud of her hundred year-old child. And well might she be. Five thousand visitors saw something in Tuscaloosa yesterday, the like of which has never been seen in the south before. They saw a little city of l2,- 900 population, a mere village as it were, stage mammoth presentation in manner that has never been sur passed in the nation, and seldom has it been equalled
 Alabama expected much of Tusca- loosa. The thousands of visitors who came from all parts of the state and from other states to attend the cele bration of the hundredth anniversary of the little city on the Warrior showed by their attendance that they believed Tuscaloosa would make good. They had confidence in her claims that she would stage a spectacle well worth seeing.
 But the visitors were not prepared for what they saw. The perfect real ism of the pageant, the truthfulness and the accuracy with which the his toric events were portrayed and mag nificence of the costuming, the elab- orateness of the setting, the histrionic ability of the performers made the spectators marvel. That such a pro- duction could be staged with amateur actors anywhere would test the ere dulity of the persons who had not ac- tually seen it, but that little Ala bama city was able to stage such performance was considered nothing short of marvellous.
 RICH IN HISTORIC INTEREST
 Tuscaloosa is rich in her heritage of historic interest The Warrior river has had a place in some of the stirring events of the early settling of the state and nation. No other city In Alabama could have a pageant based upon historic facts with half the TO- mantle interest. The opportunity for the story was there and Tuscaloosa made the most of her opportunity.
 It is doubtful if there is another place in the entire nation more ideally suited for such presentation than Guild Woods. The. majestic Warrior, with whose waters the history of Tus- caloosa is so closely interwoven, was within a stones throw of the place where the pageant was presented. A dense oaken forest, unmarred by the touch of human hand and untainted by the onward march Of progress, formed a perfect enclosure of the open space where the players performed and where the commodious grandstands for the spectators were built. A perfect sod, as green as the day Chief Tush- kalusa held his barley With DeSoto and his followers, formed a carpet more beautiful than could be devised by the most skilled artisans.
 NATURES SETTING
 Guild Woods is Gods own handi- work. It is nature in all her radiant beauty, unmarred by human hand. As the last rays of the sun sank below the western horizon and twilight came the crowds communed with nature. They could see in their minds eye the stately and erect Indian, creeping stealthily through the densely wooded forest they could picture the herds of buffalo grazing in the open space; they could see the tribe of braves silently padding their canoes down the ripping Warrior, returning from the chase or from some battle with neighboring tribe. The scene was one to stir the imagination of the most unima ginative.
 It was late in the afternoon, that brief space just before darkness swoops down on the earth, that the various historical episodes were most effective. It was at night, in the bril- liancy of powerful electric lights, aid ed by the strong rays of the spotlights, that the masque was seen to best ad- vantage. The soft strains of a symph- ony orchestra, invisible to the spec tators, were waited across the green sward, as hundreds of girls and wom- en, boys and men, gambolled from their hiding places in the forest in a perfect rhythm of motion.
 The memory of the scene Tuesday afternoon and night will finger long with those who saw it. Hundreds of beautiful women graced the boxes and the grandstands The. spectators were representative of the highest social life of the entire state. The perform CTS included several hundred of Ala bama's most beautiful women and girls.
 DESOTO AND TUSHKALUS
 The first episode portrayed the meet ing between the Indian chief Tushka- lusa and his braves and DeSoto and his band of brilliantly bedecked Span iarus' IHe meeting accorolhS to hls- tory, took place somewhere in the neighborhood of where the pageant was staged. John Mcqueen as Tushka- lusa was magnificent. Tall and state ly and with a voice which rang out as clear as the sound of bell, MT. Mo- Queen made an ideal Indian chief. Ed gar l.. Clark son as the proud DeSoto played his part in most acceptable manner, as did H. w. Kimbrough as Aktahatchie, son of Tushkalusa, and J. Ferd Johnston as Hopayi. The realism of the scene was enhanced by a great crowd of Spaniards, some mounted and