Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1920-06-19
ELKS GREAT
CONVENTION
Great Preparations Being Made
to Entertain 100000 Visitors.

The worlds third city will be
formed into the American playground
during the Elks convention July .
to 10.
Preparations for the invasion of
some 100000 visitors are being pushed
forward rapidly by all business inter.
ests in Chicago. and the committee
in charge of celebration plans have
completed program of entertainment
that rivals those of ancient Rome.
The incoming Elks will be dazzled
by the lanes of purple and white, by
the blare OF a score of bands and by
the sheet lightning electrical display
that will set Michigan boulevard
ablaze.
In the Loop" district alone there
will be ten thousand posters of vel
come scattering the sky.scrapers. The
fronts OF buildings will be swathed
in purple and white, the Elks colors,
and confetti and streamers OF purple
and white will sprinkle the Loop from
airplanes ut midday.
The program of entertainment GOV.
ers everything from Olympic games
to world championship contests Of
cowboy sports.
A great wild west show-direct
from the far west and embracing more
elaborate features than any ever ex-
hibited before--will make the down.
town district resound with Indian
yells, and will serve as bright side.
light to the main program. Prizes Of
from $4,000 to $4,000 will go TO the
winners in pony racing, roping, tying
and rife and revolver shooting.
The gala week will bring forth ar
tistic and elaborate decorations that
will surpass even those OF Chicago's
great world fair.
Lincoln park will have a spectacu.
lar Elks floral display, depicting the
dial Of a clock which will be repro.
duced in flowers of purple and white.
The hands of the clock will be point
ing to the hour of eleven.
Michigan avenue from Eleventh
street to the new bridge of the boule.
,
will be a veritable fairyland. 1t will
be transformed into court of honor,
All the ornamental poles that carry
their myriad lights will be draped in
Elks colors. There will be a pylon
forty feet high at each street inter.
section surmounted by American and
Elks flags intertwined. There will be
electric fountains on the lake front
that will flare up like sparks from a
beaten bonfire.
Hundreds OF thousands of dollars
will be spent by the big stores of
State street to transform the fronts
of their imposing structures into
quaint and foreign effects. The en-.
trance to each store and shop will be
a replica Of some well known historic
spot. For instance, to buy haberdash'
cry one may enter an ancient French
cathedral, or to buy lingerie, milady
may pass solemnly through the SOM
bre portals of a Spanish mission Of
thousand years ago.
The entire city viii conform to the
general scheme, keeping such depar-
lures to the street level and bedeck-
ing the upper portions Of buildings
with Elks colors and buntings.
AS the central figure in the infinite
illumination of the city, there will be
an elk's head, the largest ever built,
at the entrance of Grant Park, fash
ing out waves OF colored lights from
thousands of incandescents.
Sixty thousand dollars worth OF pic
turesque floats are now being con-
structed or have been constructed in
Chicago for the monster night parade
and electrical display, which will be
an outstanding feature of the week,
The marchers will number nearly
100000 Elks from all parts Of the