Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-29
BEAUTY, PACEANTRY
ENTHRALL THRONES
At PEACH FESTIVAL
Adtfess by Genersi Shanks,
Ra0d Music, AirpIaae
Stunts and Gigantic Bafbe-
cue Also Feature Program
BY HUNTER BELL
Staff Correspondent of The Journal

BY HUNTER BELL
(Staff Correspondent of The Journal
FORT VALLEY, Ca, March FL
A parade that rivaIed in beauty the
pink-tinted paradise through which
thousands Of visitors came here to-
day to. attend the third annual peach
blossom festival circled the down
town streets this morning through
crowds that jammed every inch OF
standing room and made progress
difficult. Fully $4,000 people were
on the streets when the Central Of
Georgia railway shipments band,
the forerunner of the parade, swept
down Main street and doubled
around the reviewing stand on which
were seated Governor Walker,
Mayor Sims, of Atlanta; Major Gen
eral David c. Shanks, OF the Fourth
army corps area, and host Of other
specially invited guests.
Winning Floats
The Montezuma float was award
ed first prize of SIS by the judges.
Second prize went to the Randolph
county float and third to the Mon
ticello float. Favorable mention was
given the Central of Georgia minia
ture locomotive and car.
Two special trains arrived here
from Atlanta during the forenoon
and another brought hundreds from
Macon, while the traffic on the roads
leading into the city was so heavy !!
that it was almost a continuous pa
rade OF automobiles. Atlanta and |
Macon policemen assisted Fort Val |
lev American Legion men and Boy
Scouts in handling the crowds.
Every one OF the 10000 seats in
the big amphitheater where the pag-
cant, Peach OF the World" was !
given this afternoon, had been sold I
by 1880 o'clock and people arriving |
every moment were asking for seats, |
D.
vide extra room.
Atianta's Float
Atlanta's float, bower Of white I
blossoms was directly behind the |
leading float on which rode Queen |
he Ten Tf0nTe @8n7 King Fsibefr W mt
ing with their corps of pages. From I
every hand, from the hundreds of /
here, and from other
friends from all sections of the state,
came greetings and praise of the
beauty of the float and its two love
~ occupants, Miss Erskine Jarna-
gin and Miss Louise Barnwell
Other Georgia cities represented by
floats were Fort Valley, Marshall. 7
viiic, Macon, Gray. Montezuma Mon
ticello.J while Randolph county and
Jones county also had colorfuI ye-
hcles. A doughboy from Fort Ben
ming and a float typical of the work
of the Fort Valley chapter of the
Red Cross were other high lights.
Martial Air
Three bands lent a martial air to
the carnival spirit that reigned in
the streets, including one from Fort
that arrived on the sec
end Atlanta train, accompanied by a
crack drill squad in charge of Cap
tain Boiling. The flare of khaki was
everywhere, with General Shanks as
the speaker of the day. and with
members IF the governors staff and
of the regular army also on hand.
Three army planes from Montgom
cry provided thrills for the crowds
waiting for the parade which was
held up until both special trains
from Atlanta had arrived. The city
was bombed" with literature in the
interest of citizens training camps.
The barbecue was served after
General Shanks speech, when the
thousands of visitors surged to the
big cue grounds near the scene of
the pageant, which was presented inn
afterward with 700 partici
pants tracing in vivid pagentry the
history of the fruit which has
brought fame and fortune to the
Georgia peach belt.
intermittent showers during the
early morning only served to settle
the dust on the highways that were
jam 'ed with automobiles before s
o clock. and the sun was out shortly
before o'clock, when the celebrat ton
of south and central Georgia's bios
som time opened with a band con-
cert by the Twenty-ninth infantry.
in Fincher park, near the railroad
station.
General ShanIIs Speaks
At II O'Clock Major General David /
c. Sharks. commander of the fourth /
corps area. delivered the principal
address after an introduction by Colo /
mel Charles Leighton Shepard. gen
eral chairman of arrangements.
Mayor A. c. Riley. Jr.. welcomed the
visitors to the city.
Revised estimates of the crowd ex-
pected caused officials to announce
that fifty thousand could be cared
for at the mammoth barbecue
served at noon. In the pits at the
barbecue grounds were 433 hogs 30
goats and % head of cattle, totaling
A 600 pounds Four thousand gal
Ions of Brunswick stew. four thou
sand gallons of coffee and seven
thousand loaves of bread were ready
for ceiebrants