The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-11-23
PARADE FRIDAY
NIGHT WAS BIC
Demonstration
Line of Marchers One of Long
est in Towns History
MANY UNIQUE FEATURES
Event Terminated with Bonfire and
Display OF Fireworks at Black
Cat Athletic Field.
m some loealities Bennington

In some localities Bennington is
called the village of parades. A
stranger in town Friday evening
would have declared that the descrip-
tion was a perfect IT. II was one
great night
Bennington has had many parades
and many different kinds OF parades
but Friday evening had its first pure
" irdustrial demonstration For the
first time IN the history of the com
munity it was possible to see the op-
oTatiyes at the factories and the work
ers in different lines of industry
gathered together as a unite and it
was a revelation to the people filled
the parts of spectators.
There was not large crowd Of
spectators There were not enough
people left in town to make crowd;
they were all in the parade. The
event was originally planned for the
previous Monday evening. At that
time enthusiasm was at it's height
and had the weather been favorable
the parade would have overfowed the
streets. With the passing of days
some of the smaller organization
that had at first planned to take part
dropped out. 1t made things easier
for those who were managing things
Friday evening Had every unit been
in line it would have been necessary
to extend the line of march out of the
village
Residents of Bennington have TAX
en- 1t for granted that this is a manu-.
featuring village, but Friday evening
they realized to some extent the num-
Der of persons employed in the diff
ferent industries. Outside of a few
business and professional men in the
Home Guard and the bands. the long
line Of march was composed of opera.
tiyes and other employees In the fac.
tories and mills II was not only an
opportunity for the workers to have
parade of their own, but 1t was an
educational demonstration TO the en-.
tire community.
There were some artistic and origi.
nal features in the parade. Each OF
/ the units had endeavored to create
/ some distinctive insignia or uniform
/ that would Illustrate the particular
line OF industry and they were sue
cessful to marked degree. Crepe
paper was used 10 marked degree and
II was used with artistic taste.
Everybody in the parade walked
and for this reason the occasion was
( perhaps even more spectacular than
many parades that have been held in
/ bennington. Ever since the idea of
An industrial parade was first brought
9ri the women operatives have been
more enthusiastic than the men and
u 7lT interest was in evidence Friday
/ evening. The women and girls were
oui in force and it was apparent that
each and every one had given no lit
tle thought and care to the prepara-
lion for her costume or regalia.
The parade started promptly on
time from the corner Of Main and SAT.
o-l streets with two bands and a
/ drum corps providing the music. II
! marched and counter marched over
Main street and returned to the Black
/ Co athletic field for the closing ex.
erciscs AZ the park the paraders
marched around the mamoth bonfire
and kicked the eGligy of the Kaiser
carried by one of the units in the
naTadc Later the eiIigy was burned.
( The concluding feature was u beaut-
ful and brilliant display of fireworks.
During the parade Main street was
brilliantly Illuminated with red fire,
many Of the paraders carried spark
ers and roman candles and other
7 fireworks helped to create the specta-
cular effect The parade was order.
" in every respect. there was not the
slightest slip in the arrangements and
the affair, in al It's details, was one
OF The most successful public demon
strations held in Bennington.
u would be impossible and at the
same time unfair to attempt to make
. special mention OF any unit or indl.
vidual who took part in the parade.
Some aggregations were larger than
others, some OF the uniforms showed
moro care and thought, some worked
harder than others to make it the
grand success It was but thero IS
] glory enough for all Those who
, gave so generously of their time and
/ their money 10 help should realize
5 tha their efforts are appreciated
iThon. too. thore is whole lot of sal,
=. isfaction IN knowing that one has had
A rart in doing really big thing and
r. doing 10 well