Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1926-07-22
PAGEANT PLANS
BEING FORMED
Mr.. Davidson Writes Chamber Of
Commerce Outlining Program
For Historic Event

Der of Commerce on Monday night
by Mr.. J. N. Davidson, who was one
of the originators of the idea. 1t has
been suggested that the American Le-
gion at their next meeting take ac-
tiOn on this matter to the end that
! the occasion may be of the very
best:
81 presume that you all know that
there is a movement to celebrate the
$50 years acquisition of Watauga and
adjoining counties by staging his
torical pageant and exposition to
show the development of the noun
tain section for the past $50 years.
There is not as yet any definite pro-
gram worked out, but it IS planned
to make it bro2d enough to take in
all the most important phases in the
life and growth of Watauga and ad-
joining counties.
"We should show, for instance, the
development of our school system by
staging five or six different schools
of different types and periods, be-
ginning with the type of school of
$50 years ago, then the type of about
thirty TO forty years later and so on
till we come down to our present
school system. All those types of
schools should be represented as near
historical as possible in every detail.
The dress of the children and teacher,
the arrangements of the rooms, the
text book and the mode of teaching of
each period should be just as they
were at that time. We should show
the social development by staging five
or six types of social gatherings, be-
ginning with a gathering of old pion-
eers till we come to our present time.
The apparel Of the men, women and
children, the arrangement of the
houses, the setting of the tables, and
the greeting and conversation of each
gathering should be as near historical
as possible. We might show in the
same way the changes in the marriage
ceremonies, the difference in church
services, the agricultural develop
ments, the development in the means
of transportation, and many others.
We might also show the leading fig
ures of our county, as Daniel Boone,
Howard and others. A pageant of
this kind would take up about three
days; the fourth day could be used
to stage a street parade in the aft
ernoon and historical masquerade
at night In connection with the
pageant, we should have an old ex-
position of relics, as old tools, arrows,
looms, plows, etc. Also, an exposition
of the best products of our county,
such as dairy products, garden pro-
duets, fruits, livestock, canned goods,
hand work, ETC., valuable prizes to
be awarded for the best,
"a pageant of this nature would
not only be of great educational
value, but if properly arranged and
well advertised might easily bring
from ten to fifteen thousand people
to Boone | do not know how you
feel about it, but as for myself |
am more interested in the present
and future than in the past. We are
all anxious to see our town and coun-
ty grow. We are blessed with a
wonderful summer climate which no
one can fail to appreciate. The only
great obstacle, bad roads and streets,
have been removed. All we have to
do now is to have people to come
here Any one who spends night
here during the summer months will
boost our town. We need publicity
to get the people to come, but paid
publicity is very expensive and no
matter how much we will spend we
will not be able to spend as much as
our competitors. 1t is cheaper to do
things which will give us the right
kind of publicity without having to
pay cent. A pageant will give us
publicity in and out of our state. The
first article about the pageant in the
Democrat was reprinted in the
johnson City Chronicle and the Win
ston-Salem Journal without solicita-
ton whatever. If we had an adver-
tising agent who would call the at
| CenIlOll Ol OCIeI papers, eNcly PoPSi
in the state would have written about
it already If the pageant becomes
a reality, every paper in the state
and many out of the state will give
us free publicity and the many
thousands of visitors will add thou
sands of new boosters for Boone
1t will not only pay in the future
but it will more than pay for itself
right at once. Even if we do moi
figure the money the crowds will
spend in our hotels, restaurants, anc
other business establishments the gate
receipts alone will undoubtedly bring
in more than double the expense.
"It will take lots of work and mon
ey to put over this project right
but as we expect it to be paying
business the money ought to b,
raised in a business-fike manner b.
selling stock and business manage
hired on straight salary or on
commission basis, and the artisti