Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-05-25
PUBLIC HOLIDAY PLANNED
IN RICHMOND SATURDAY
Mayor Requests Employers to
Release Workers in Hon.
or of Pageant.
WILL TAKE MOTION PICTURES
Clint Spectacle VIII Filmed, In NIL
JUS Grnhdeur and Imniensity, for
E"ucntion OF People OF Country I'm
Vital History.

President oliver J. Sands II the
Pageant Association and the lattcrs
assistant. T.. ]. Tictsort, Richmond
VIII have on Saturday. what In ef-
rect viii be. n public holiday In
honor Of the.Pageant of Virginia.
Ihc purposes OF the holiday set
iorth In proclamation issued By
Mayor Ainslie are several fold: FIRST
OF all employers OF persons actually
participating in the scenes of the
i'ag"ant OF Virginia are urged TO re-
lease these employees on Saturday
morning. so that the entire cast par
bcipating in the many scenes may
be Aimed b. the moving picture com
panics
To Make Motion Pictures
Two leading Richmond thcaters
are TO make pictures Of the Virginia
Historical Pageant. and in addition.
the Pathe News. the. Fox Film Cor
p"rhtion, and the international News
Film Company Will have operators
and cameras here from New York TO
shoot the big scenes Of the grea,
outdoor drama.
This will mean that the peoples Of
all Europe and of Great Britain in
addition To 2O.00O.00O moving picture
fans in the United States will have
the Virginia Historical Pageant
brought 10 them in their seats I'm
'heaterE. the stirring patriotic pic.
lures which have SO aroused tho en-
'hus!asm OF the people OF virginia
and nll visitors who have thus far
witnessed them.
1t has been ftlt from the first 4,
would be pity II the grca, pagcan,
20 which 80 many months Of hard
work and effort has been given and
on which so large sum OF none.
has been lavishcd. should be given
for only six performances. and then
die. excepting IN the memories Of
those who have witnessed IT,
Filming the Grea: drama will mean
mat II can be preserved for all time
and arrangements are 10 be made so
that there Viii be at least one orlgi-
nal and ono other copy OF the film
preserved by the state as perma-
ncnt record. Such film may be
shown In years to come and pre-
served possibly for centuries In ex-
ac,iy as good condition as when II
was first made.
W. Conway Saunders. business man
aEcr of the pageant, said last eve
ming that tho arrangements for this
public holiday on Saturday is most
gratifying to the board of trustees
and the management of the Virginia
Historical Pageant.
we doubt exceedingly whether the
great mass Of people who have read
so much and heard 50 much about
the pageant aEd even those who have
been so fortunate as TO witness it."
Mr.. Saunders said. appreciate It's
tremendous patriotic and spiritual
Significance Furthermore, II IS to
b. doubted they grasp it's artistic
Significance; therefore. It's prcsenta-
ton in the form OF the moving pic
turc. which Is the great modern uni
versal educator. Will he the greatest
educational force. There arc mil
lions Of foreigners In the great cities
OF the United States like New York.
Chicago and Philadelphia that have
not the fa!ntest idea OF early Amerl-
can history or its meaning for tho
whole world. Moving pictures of
the Virginia Pageant will impress
on their inner consciousness the feel
Ing and realization OF what America
as Nation Is and what II stands
for in a world whose political ideals
are still not too high"
Mayor Issues Notification.
Mayor Airslie's notification to the
public was issued yesterday noon in
the form OF an appeal TO all employ
ers OF the city of Richmond to help
give practical effect to the observance
OF the public holiday on Saturday.
Mayor Ainslie's thought was that the
holiday would serve as parting COM
pliment to the Virginia Historical
Pageant. The holiday will mean an
enthusiastic termination OF Pageant
81 nd
day air to the last day. Mayor Aims
lies proclamation follows:
"To the Public: 1t has appeared as
highly desirable that the city of Rich
mond should have at least one day
set aside during the pageant as
public holiday, but il has not been
possible for me. rs chief executive
of the city. to declare such holiday.
There are practical restrictions and
considerations. as well as legal OBJ
staclcs in the way of an official proc
lamation. hui IT is possible for me as
Mayor OF the city of Richmond, and
as citizen intensely interested in the
Virginia Historical Pageant and Its
success. to make a suggestion 20 the
thousands Of employers Of this city
1T is therefore my earnestly eX-
pressed wish that Saturday. May 81.
the last day OF the presentation of the
pageant OF virginia, be observed by
all the city as a holiday and that en-
ployers. in their discretion. release
such Of their employees as they may
find it possible to dispense with, for
full holiday. instead of n half holt
day on Saturday. l especially would
appreciate it, as would the board of
trustees of the Virginia Historical
Pageant Association. If nil persons
taking part in the various scenes of
the pageant be released for the day,
so that moving pictures of the great
historical drama may be taken on the
pageant outdoor stage in daylight
Saturday morning. This will mean
that the pageant will be sent forth
over the entire United States before
he eyes Of 100000 people, and that
1t Will go to foreign lands to in
struct and inspire through the lessons
and examples of American history"
Director Thomas Wood Stevens will
make arrangements with the entire
cast OF the pageant for appearance
at tho pageant lot in daylight on Sat-
urday. and the moving picture people
announced today that they had thou
sands of feet of raw film in readiness,
with cameras and operators, to make
the shots OF the many big,scenes. The
special performance OF Saturday
A..