Omaha daily bee., 1916-09-18
Nebraska Historical Parade
Lee Weoster
Chairman General Celebration Committee.

Chairman General Celebration Sommittec.
The historical parade in Omaha THURSDAY
afternoon, October 5, as a part OF Nebraska
Semi-C Centennial celebration, will be wonderful
street pageant, the like of which never has been
seen and may never again be seen BY the people
OF Nebraska. The Knights OF Ak-Sar- Ben have
utilized Gus RENEE, who is a genius to work out
the details OF most extraordinary production:
This grand pageant will represent the history OF
this country from the geological period, and the
tropical age to the age of the icebergs, and from
thence to the American desert, and from that to
the beautiful state OF Nebraska.
1t will represent this country from the days
Of the primitive Indian and the millions OF roam
ing buffalo to Coronado's discovery nearly cen.
fury before the Pilgrims landed on the coast OF
New England down to the days OF the LOUISIANA
purchase, thence to the days Of the pioneers. and
curnulated wealth Of the twentieth century.
That early geological period will be represent
ed by float exhibiting fleeing wolves and vast
mastadon endeavorng to escape from noun
tain OF ice. II anyone shall ask why we go
back to that early period. or why we are In
terested in that early period, we could well an
swer that the transformation from the tropical age
and the ice age to the American desert is less
remarkable in fact than the transformation which
took place upon the American desert within
century to the marvellous state OF Nebraska as
we see it today with all its splendor and wealth
and prosperity.
The primitive inhabitants will be represented
by marching group OF Mandan Indians dressed
in semi-aztec garb to represent as tar as It can
be ascertained these primitive inhabitants, some me
OF whose remains have been found among the
hills and cliffs Of eastern Nebraska.
The first white mans visitation will be rep,
resented by a marching group with the intrepid
Coronado at the head, followed by his thirty
Spanish cavaliers dressed in the colors and garbs
OF the Spanish nobility Of the sixteenth century
The history Of the United States without the
Louisiana purchase and the exploring expedition
OF discovery by Lewis and Clark would be but
half written. One OF the most interesting floats
will represent the treaty which was signed in
Talleyrand and Marbos, and the American COM
missioners, Livingston and Monroe, made
picturesque and beautiful by the golden crown
and lilies OF France.
There will follow picturesque representation
of Lewis and Clark, under the commission Of
Thomas Jefferson, ascending the Missouri river
their council at Calhoun, and thence pursuing
their journey along the rivers through the valleys
and across the mountains, until they planted the
American flag on the northwest Pacific coast
That picturesque bit of history was more mo-
mentous in its conception, far-reaching in its
grasp, and produced greater results than most OF
US conceive. Who can say it that expedition had
failed that the area OF the Louisiana purchase
would ever have gone beyond the crest OF the
Rocky mountains, or that Great Britain would
GLIDING the states Lof Washington and Oregon,
OF that the Spanards might not have had control
OF California and New Mexico, Idaho and Ari-
zona, or that the Burr conspiracy might not have
actually ripened into q new southwestern re-
public. :.
The street pageant will also contain march
ing group, representing the Mallet brothers, with
their cavalcade Of men and merchandise on pack
mules, crossing the state on their way to the
Spanish settlements in Mexico, who chrstened
the Platte river and were the advance couriers
OF the spirit of future commerce. Another group
will represent Lieutenant Pike and his body OF
discoveries who planted the flag on the crests
OF the Rocky mountains in Colorado. John c.
Fremont and his military escort will be pre-
scented In another group Then will come, in
marching order, General Atkinson with his
cavalrymen and infantrymen on their way to es-
tabsh the military post at Calhoun, dressed in
the highly colored military uniforms Of that day.
These will be followed by representations Of the
pioneers; a picturesque presentation OF the drouth
period, and Of the grasshopper scourge to the
beautiful transformation, which converted a tree
less prairie waste into a land OF beautiful for
ests--Arbor day--to the credit of ]. Sterling
Morton.
There will be General John NJ. Thayer with
the First Nebraska regiment, representing the
Sons Of Nebraska, who were willing to shed their
blood In battle for the preservation OF the union
into which the territory was soon to spring into
statehood, and General Thayer should become its
first United States senator And so on the his
torc story will proceed, representing agricu-
ture, horticulture and animal industries, until we
reach the present period OF unlimited prosperity
uniting the history Of the state with the history
OF the nation as Zone and inseperable."
The importance Of these glowing. picturesque
presentations In pageantry of the history OF the
past up to the present grandeur Of this state
cannot be overstated. In our opinion they will
make stronger impression on the minds Of all
who witness them than the reading Of books, and
will create new and enthusiastic interest in the
stst: orde ~ iov,,tv W onr ;rstrt;ors md re-.
new spirit Of genuine confidence and hope in our
future