Omaha daily bee., 1918-09-29
OMAHA AND STATE
STAND FOR MAGIC
name Ak.?AR.BEN
Carnival and Ramifications
Have Become Unique in
Organizations of q,
Country.
BY w. A. PETERS.


citizens of Omaha, Ak-Sar-Ben has
grown to be Omaha's own peculiar
institution, the pride of the Gate
City OF the West, an organization
unique among organizations of the
United States.
The origin of the name is. Of
course, obvious, despite the fire.
quency with which it is perverted
into Oscar Ben" and similar mis-
pronunciations. The name was
coined by simply spelling backwards
the name Nebraska"
h. Origin Explained.
But the ultimate purpose of the
clan of knights who call themselves
the knights of Ak-Sar-Ben" is not
always clear to the chance visitor
to Omaha.
Depleted values in real estate and
a tight money market with a re-
sultant lethargy that was killing off
the trade activities of Omaha pre-
vailed in the early nineties. In the
spring of 1895 a number of Omaha
business men met to discuss meas
ures to combat the tide of depres-
sion which threatened to throttle
2 the city just when its future growth
seemed assured, Ak-Sar-Ben was
the result of their deliberations.
The order was begun as an enter
tainment feature for visitors to the
state fair in 1895 From this be-
ginning it developed to include not
only the purpose of drawing the
state closer to Omaha, but also 70
become a means OF uniting the bust
ness and industrial men of the city
in a union for promoting the best
interests of the city.
Two Thousand Members.
The order has now grown to in
clude among its membership each
year every business man of prom
inence in the city, besides many
citizens actuated by civic pride who
desire to boost for the upbuilding OF
Omaha. Each year 1000 residents Of
the city pay $40 each to become
members. Business firms of the city
contribute literally to the main
tenance and ball funds, some OF
them as much as $1,000 each year.
The initiation as a special feature
dates from about the time of the
Trans Mississippi exposition in lS9a.
As the organization stands now.
each Monday night throughout the
season of 10 weeks, the citizens of
IL one or more towns are invited to
visit the den. With the corpora
ton Of booster-resident of the out
lying towns, Dad Weaver, official
Ak-Sar-Ben secretary, arranges for
the visit. The delegations are met
at the train by the Ak-Sar- re-
ception committee, who conduct
them in special cars furnished by
the street railway company out to
the den on North Twentieth street.
Big Shows Staged,
Here the initiation and show are
staged for the benefit of the guests.
All are put through part of the
initiation. Some of them are Sc
letted for special features OF the
initiation.
A new show is put on every year.
1 A cast of from 40 to 50 volunteer
members rehearse faithfully for
weeks ahead to present a finished
production. Miles Greenleaf has
written the show for the last few
years. Oscar Lieben acts as stag
director. Bernard Johnson served
as director of the chorus this past
season. The show is usually OF the
musical comedy type. Initiation
stunts frequently serve as episodes
in the, show. This years show was
called THE Camp at Rum Bay"
THE Burning of Berlin" served as
an afterpiece.
After the show refreshments SUI
fcient to satisfy the most hearty
appetite are provided in the dining
room.
Carnival Is Climax.
But the climax OF the whole Ak
Sar-Ben season is the fall festive
, after the conclusion of the shoN.
season.
For 10 days street carnival
held during which the population
Omaha unburdens itself Of its ca
and INDUCES i'll all kinds OF sport
This feature of the Ak-Sar-Ben i
what Ak-Sar-Ben usually stands TO
in the minds of non-residents o
Omaha, who have the Mardi-GraS
festival of New Orleans m mind
But the carnival merely furnishes a
background for the real climax OF the
Ak-Sar-Ben season, the electrical.
parade and the ball.
The electrical night parade is held
the Wednesday evening OF the
second week of the carnival. Pre-
oeded by score of brilliantly light
ed floats the King OF Ak-Sar-Ben
makes formal entry to his realm.
the Kingdom of Quivera. AS the
procession halts before the city hall,
the mayor of the city presents the
King with gigantic key, the key
TO the city of Omaha, the symbol
of the allegiance of the city to the
idea represented. bYAk-Sar-Ben.
Military Features.
H'The Allied Answer" will be the |
theme Of the electrical parade this
year. All of the floats will carry out
this idea.
The next day, Thursday day
light parade is. held. This will be
military in character this year.
On Friday night, the night before |
the carnival closes, the gorgeous
Ak-Sar-Ben coronation ball is held.
the principal social event Of the |
society in Omaha. Here the new |
King and Queen of Ak-Sar- Ben.
both OF whose names have been
kept secret up to the afternoon
of that day. march up the aisle OF
the ball room at the den and take |
their seats on their throne. Both |
of them serve for one year. until |
the coronation ball of the next year.
Leading business men of the city |