The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-11-08
Greatest Demonstration Ever
Seen Here as People Pour
Out of Factories, Offices
and Homes.
MONSTER NIGHT PARADE

For Twelve Hours Delirium OF
Joy Continues, Part of the
Time in Rain and Wildly
Noisy ALI the Time.
The celebration of the surrender Of
Germany to America and the allies
was in Keokuk a continual phantas-
magoric. pandemoLiac, jamboree.
1t began at eleven o'clock yesterday
and lasted until early this morning.
1T was just rehearsal; wait for
the real show" said one man.
AS soon as the news was given out
by The Gate City, workmen left the
factories and clerks the offices-they
simply walked away from the ma
chimes and desks and joined the
throngs in the streets.
1t kept up all afternoon, through
the rain at times. took slight de-
cline at the supper hour, and then
broke out bigger than ever in wild
and enthusiastic demonstration last
ing for hours.
Main street was filled with people
from the store fronts out to the
street railway tracks.
And that was the only audience out
to see and applaud the big show
Charley AbelPs parade collected in
an hour or two, was a fitting end to
wartime parades in keokuk. 1t Is diff
cult to picture in words.
The IndescribabIe Parade.
The parade last night made Bedlam
and an eruption Of Vesuvius look like
the silent hour in rest cure.
1t filled Main street and made a
noise that might have been heard part
way to Berlin 1t was about as sim.
pie as a cipher telegram written by a
drunken man with the Saint Vitus
dance .
1t was composed of bands, all sorts
of sheet iron dragging behind auto
mobiles, red fire on trucks. roman
candles in shower, flags, the kais-
er's coffin, soldiers marching, wom-
en- screaming and waving banners,
horns and shot guns. trucks and meg
aphones, banners and white horses,
fraternities and bass drums, pretty
girls and Huns with hands appraised,
and almost everything that ever ap-
peared to anybody in a nightmare.
1t marched out Main and down
again. 1t separated into parts and
kept marching any old way for hours.
A Phantasmagoria Amuck.
In the lead was the city council fol-
lowed by an escort of soldiers in
khaki. Then was banner that moved
Keokuk's heart, it said:
Company l. Helped Do It."
The Modern Woodman of America
mustered a large number for the pro-
cession, and the Keokuk Concert band
came next, followed by trucks full of
shouting young people and a great ex-
pense Of flags on trucks and automo-
biles and carried by many men-large
flags that made a real spectacle of
that section of the moving mass.
Some of the Old Faithful.
! Uncle Sans drum corps. so faith
full all through the war, beat it's darn
eldest without a pause, and the Com
munity band, which had been playing
! in the street during the earlier hours
was in its usual good form.
Then came the Elks, with their i'm
tmense flag carried across the street,
but not looking as Keokuk is accus-
toned to seeing them. That large num-
Der Of Elks, who have escorted every
keokuk recruit to his train, met the
collins at the baggage cars, and
marched to dirge music for the last
year and half, did not have the
lsmart, trim appearance of old They
were shouting and laughing and wav-
Ing the flags instead of carrying them
lp,, ~,
of pretty girls were helping carry the
big flag. Deep, dignified patriotism
and helpfulnes had changed into loud
acclaim and joyous abandon.
Fireworks. and Veterans
The Spanish-American war veterans
kept their alignment and marched
like soldiers still and Captain Pow
ellis drill squad marched in column
OF fOurs on parade to give a touch OF
the real army to the scene.
The Knights of Columbus. who also
have gained a place in Keokuk's heart
which will be permanent, took to
fireworks, and added much fiery col
or TO the big demonstration
| keokuk sent many colored soldiers
to the war, and everybody knows how
! INT SoioACu ubvbo lpuSul III france
and Flanders. Their home folks had
a right to rejoice yesterday. and they
did. The largest single section of the
parade that could be segregated was
about block long, composed of col
ored citizens, men and women. march.
| ing with flags behind their Peoples
! Institute band. They made less noise
| than the white folks, but il was evil
dent that they felt quite as deeply
EStenpore but Excellent
! The celebration took on a period
OF concentration yesterday afternoon,
when the bands got into action. Led
| by both the Keokuk Concert band and
| the Community bands. an extempore