The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-12
HUGE PAGEANT
WILL PORTRAY
C|TY'S HISTORY
"BIoSSoming Of a Century
Plant" Begins With De Soto
and Ends With TabIeau
Looking Toward Future.

John I. Walsh as Gen. Nathan Bed
ford Forrest, ]. P. Noffleet as King
Cotton. John R. Paine as Don Manuel
Gayoso, Lieut.. Estes Armstrong as
Isaac Guion, his ancestor who took
possession OF Memphis in revolutionary
times, are among the principal charac-
ters in the gigantic pageant, THE Bios
soming Of the Century Plant" to be
presented on Memphis streets Wednes-
day evening, May 21, in connection with
the centenary celebration
Beginning with magnificent float,
upon which will be presented a Spanish
caravel of the period of fernando
DeSoto's time, 1910, thirty magnificent
scenes having to do with Memphis his
period Of the Bluff City's past will be
reproduced with historic accuracy cul-
minating in the climax, THE Blossom
ing of the Century Plant" an atlegorical
representation of the dreams and plans
Of explorers and early settlers come
true. ~
Dream of the Future.
As previous floats depict the spirit
OF the past, so will the climax of the
pageant carry with it The hope OF the
future. %ll that shall precede win lead
up to this climax; all that has been ac-
| complished by Memphis in a century
classic in design, will all be made in
Memphis, The personnel of those pre-
| senting the tableau on this float has
not yet been announced
| A panorama of patriotism, float de-
picting Memphis boys breaking the
Hindenburg line and others showing ad-
| vances in industry, the arts and civic
| affairs will be shown all brilliantly
lighted and all refecting the birthday
| and holiday spirit. A picture of Diver
sification" will be none the less inter-
| csting In which all the cereals will be
| depicted by beautiful maidens and
children, and float carrying Little
I Viger" the fire engine used in Memphis
/ in 1890, also will have peculiar interest.
History Pageant's Theme.
1t will be the historical significance
however, that will add the greatest
/ charm TO the beautiful spectacle of next
As sSetehed " Mrs. Anna Robinson
Watson, the panorama will consist OF
30 floats, presenting In sequence the
salient events in. the life of Memphis
with their significance to the life oi
the surrounding territory. Besides ths
floats several bands beautifully capari;
soned horsemen and women will aid II
rounding out the kaleidoscopic review.
Alcorn Swift will be the DeSoto. Th,
leading float win represent the farewell
between the explorer and Donna lisa.
belle Davilla and between his men ane
their wives and sweethearts.
Among the young women and gentle
men who will grace this float will be
Misses Mary Boyle, Phoebe Willingham
Sophie Farnsworth, Elizabeth Tschudi
Irma Lesser and Louise Robertson
Spanish men will be represented BY
Leon Reed, Jack Hays, John r. Kinnie
Leon Sternberger and Ike Gronauer
I laaf fu 81 \ tc ArtN ,rtn In Iai
aborigines and their life leading up tc
the meeting Of DeSoto with Chisca. II
this latter float fernando DeSoto will
be taken by Barnette Moses.
Colonial Period Historic.
In floats representing the Colonia
period Gov Bienville will be in. tn,
hands Of Harwig Peres, The French
governor of Louisiana will be seen ad
dressing his soldiers and their Indiar
allies and motioning toward the villag,
they are to attack. Then come In rapit
succession portrayals Of the Spanish
governor, Don Manuel Gayoso; Capt
Isaac Guion, who took possession o
the bluffs for the United States follow
ing the revolution and the Louisiana
purchase, and the naming OF Memphis
by jackson, Overton, Winchester anc
others. whose names are interlaced g,
closely with the history Of Memphis
The Egyptian temple In which Mem
phis will be rechristehed, drawn by j:
dozen prancing steeds, will be closel,
followed by representation OF tn,
naming Of the county Of Shelby, whicl
name was taken from the hero Of tn,
battle Of Kings Mountain, in Nortl
Carolina, which had direct bearing oil
the victory Of the 13 colonies. Capt
Frayser Hinton will portray Cen Shell
by. Hunting scenes and others Of lik
nature will round out what will be tn
greatest visualization OF the history o
the Bluff City yet attempted.