The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1923-07-06
INDIAN PAGEANT
A BIG SUCCESS

4 "Playwick Play Day" was APPROX
riately observed last Saturday at I'll,
Country Center Mission, along tn,
Nesham;ny Greek, two miles from tn,
village of Wrightstown, when u his
torical pageant was staged by tn,
people of the various communitie.
represented
The quaint surroundings of the ole
Grey mill, now community center
all contributed to the interest of tn,
pageant, which followed series o.
athletic contests earlier in the after.
noon.
The first inhabitants of Buck,
County, the Indians, was depicted by
the Solebury delegation. Tepees wer,
set up, camp fires lighted, and wal
dance held. 1t was easy to imagine
it as the original Indian village, with
tits array of chiefs, braves, squaws
and papooses, AL in true Indian CARL
and beautifully Drowned" for the oc.
casion.
The Langhorne delegation estab.
lished Playwicky Village, with its
wigwams and Indian life.
PENIS Treaty was depicted by the
Yardley delegation, and VISA probab.
ly the most realistic of all the fea.
lures. civilian Penn" was as true
to life as present-day folks can pos
sibly conceive, and his meeting with
the Indian chiefs possessed all the
solemn majesty that can be imagined
The walking purchase, which began
at what is now Wrightstown village
in 1897, was carried out by lWrights-
town people. The walkers the sher-
if and the surveyorageneral, to.
gether with the Indians, started off
ON replica of the walk that had sc
important part in American his
tory, disappearing" up the creek.
Washington Crossing the Delaware
was depicted by the Dolington delega.
ton, although in this case it hap
pened to be the Neshaminy, A staff
in Colonial costume, with the Father
of Our Country standing erect in the
boat, was propelled across the stream
and made a successful landing.
The Edgely' delegation gave to the
Pageant Baldwin Bartholomew. the
Indian Boy who had gone to Prince
ton for pale face education
Fitch's first steamboat, launched ut
Davisville, was depicted by South.
ampton folks, and il was quite a step
from the little chicken-cop boat Of
that day TO the palatial river steam
ers now. grazing the Delaware.
The New Hopers depicted the early
American games, wherein ladies
both tiny and full grown, CARRIED in
long flowing gowns, played grace
ring" which consisted of shooting
small hoops into the air from small
rods, and catching the rings again as
they descend When the Colonial
gentlemen arrived on the scene things
began to roughcn up bit, and battle
dore was played This consisted of
gently bouncing "A rubber ball back
and forth over a high net. Several
of the onlookers hazarded the guess
that the days of our forefathers must
have been. pleasantly restful, despite
hostile Indians anl wild animals.
The final episode was the Founding
of the Church in Bucks County, depie-
ted by the Hulmeville delegation.
Quaint costumes were again in evil
dence, and this feature of the Pag-
cant was especially solemn and inn
pressive.
Then led by the Doylestown Band
which played Throughout the day
now playing that beautiful hymn
Coward Christian Soldiers" all OF
the participants and spectators join
ed in procession and marched for
the full extent Of the open green, hum
dreds Of voices blending in harmon
ious unison. Returning to the site
IF the church just erected there was
an address by the Rev. Mr.. Booth, the
Lord' Prayer, the General Thanksgiv-
ing and the Doxology, and the days
program was at an end.
A great deal Of work was ex.
pended in preparing and carrying out
the days program, ard all Of the one
thou sand or more Persons present
enjoyed the affair.
Every effort was put forth by the
Rev. and Mrs. +. B. Barnett and their
associates to make the public welcome
to the grounds Of the Community
Center, where every possible comfort
was provided. +.
So pronounced was the sentiment
created by the various chapters OF
the pageant that already a move
ment is on foot to have it repeated OF
a larger scale ard with more exten.
sive preparation during June, 1924.
Too much credit cannot be given t.
the Rev. f. B. Barnett, Rev. s. b
Booth Rev. J. J.. p. Clark, the ladies
comprising the MEMBERSHIP Of the
committees and the young people
who through their untiring effort
made possible tc presentation Of The
various tableaux Of the pageant.
The members Of st. PHILIPS Chap
81, at New Hope, who shared th'
honors Of the day with the Iudiar
group from Langhorne, were magni
ficently dressed in the oostumes Of
the late Colonial days ard played the
games of long ago. The Misses Julia
and Edith Smith, assisted by Mr.. ane
Mrs. r. Taylor, entertained The
spectators for some time with Their
quaint games, after which they wert
photographed in costume.
The music for the celebration wa