Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-19
FIREWORKS OPEN
EETE'S SECOND DAY
Sun Shines on Valley, Restor-
inc FairyIand vistas
to Orchards.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
STAFF CORRESPONDENT of The Star.

hundreds Of additional visitors in town
despite the chilly weather. the Shenan-
doah Valleys annual apple blossom fes-
tival was reaching its climax Of beauty
and gaiety. today.
The orchards around Winchester,
badly battered by the rain earlier in the
week were returning to their normal
pink loneliness as the sun penetrated
the clouds this morning, and Saturday
and Sunday should bring a return of the
fairyland vistas for which the valley
is celebrating at this season.
This morning Miss Mary 10 Mathews
of Warrington, w. Va, this years
apple blossom queen, with members Of
her court, was taken to one orchard
outside Winchester and photographed
amid the blossoms
The festivities this morning opened
with q salute of - aerial shells for
Gov. Harry Byrd of Virginia, after
which there was salute to the queen
and her party before leaving for the
orchard. At 1915 there was display
of daylight fireworks and salutes to the
opening of the apple blossoms.
1.-THE trail of the pink petals" a man.
moth parade expected to spread out over
six miles, which is the big event of the
second day of the festival, started at 2
o'clock today and proceeded to the
Winchester fair grounds, where 1t will
be reviewed by Queen Shenandoah"
Miss Mary 10 Matthews.
The parade is. divided into 81 di-
visions. Nelson F. Richards is director
and DR.. L. M. Allen chief marshal.
Thirty bands are taking part in this
great procession, which is intended to
symbolic the industry and activities
of the great Shenandoah Cumberland
fruit belt of Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland and Southern Pennsylvania.
There are 81 floats entered by busi-
ness organizations, fraternal orders,
schools, etc.
Pageant Of West Virginia.
The feature of the parade now passing
Is the pageant presented by the Univer-
sity of West Virginia, representing the
history and industry of that State.
There are 20 episodes, representing
West Virginia in Indian days. The
coming of the hunters and trapperS, the
earliest settlers, the building of the first
fort near Martinsburg in the French
and Indian wars, George Washington S
vacations at Berkeley Springs, Va. in
the Revolution; the marriage of James
and Dolly Madison at Charles Town. the
old fiddlers of South Branch Valley,
John Browns raid on Harpers Ferry,
West Virginia in the Civil War. Belle
Boyd, the celebrated Confederate woman
spy, who lived at Martinsburg; husking
bees of a bygone generation. old-time
singing schools, apple peelin's." the
horSe-breeding industry of Berkeley
County, and West Virginia in the
Spanish and World Wars.
This pageant was directed by Betty
Eckhardt and Martha ,Bonar of the
State Extension Service. The episodes
were sponsored by various West Virginia
industrial and historical organizations
and by Hardy, Berkeley, Mineral, Pen
dleton and Hampshire Counties.
Miss Mary 10 Matthews was crowned
Queen Shenandoah at S O'Clock yester-
day afternoon on the steps of the VIM
chester High School by William G. Con-
ley of West Virginia. AS the hour OF
the coronation approached the chill
wind which had dashed the stadium all
the afternoon died down and the sun
came out with unexpected warmth, pro-
viding pleasant setting for what has
been planned as the feature event of
this first days pageantry of Spring. The
attendance. however, was unexpectedly
small because of the chilly afternoon.
The coronation ceremony opened with
the appearance of a company of the
Shenandoah Valley Academy cadets,
who formed in double line on the
high school steps. Then came the SIS
princesses, representing each of the Vir-
GINA State senatorial districts. the
Shenandoah Valley Counties, and Mary
land, West Virginia and the District of
Columbia.
Parade Of Princesses.
The princeSses wore pink hats and
lowered pink dresses and carried flower
tipped wands. They also formed in
double line on the steps before the
cadets. The next line was formed by
cadets of the Staunton Military
Academy, after which came the two
maids of honor, Resale Nelson and
Emma CHM Baker, both of Winchester,
dressed in green and. carrying baskets
of apple blossoms. They passed under
an arch of sabers raised by the cadets.
Next came Miss Matthews, escorted
by two Staunton Military Academy
cadets, the train carried by two tots
in white. AS she knelt- on silken
cushion, Gov. Conley placed the crown
on her head with the words II crown
thee Queen Shenandoah Sixth" Gov
ConIey then escorted Miss Matthews to
the throne which had been erected on
the upper steps. Here she was presented
with scepter and wooden key to the
city.
The ceremony ended with a bare
footed dance symbolic of the Spring
season by Miss Georgia Conrad Of VIM
chester. The coronation music was fur
nished by the Navy Band, led by Lieut.
Charles Benter.
Yesterday afternoon Lieut.. Benter was
the Judge of competitive drill of
cadets bands in the high school
stadium. The first prize of $3.50 was
won by the red-SaShed cadets of the
Staunton Military Academy. The sec
ond prize of 500 went to the Augusta
Military Academy and the third of SIS
to the Greenbriar Military Academy
Lieut.. Benter was especially impressed
with the drilling of this band, which
last year won first prize.
This was followed by contest be-
tween civilian bands of the blue-caped
boys and girls band of Terra Alta
(Va.) High School, which has been in
existence only one year. The second
prize went to the only other contestant,
the Concert Band of Keyser, w. Va.
The competition was followed by q band
concert by the Navy Band, which con-
tinued until the coronation.
Yesterday, evening there was a re-
ception in honor of Miss Matthews at
the home of Mrs. E. G. Stuart. There
two apple blossom balls, one at the
George washington Hotel here and one
at the Druscilla Hotel at Jordan Springs,
six miles northeast of Winchester.
There was also concert at the VIM
chester High School by the Glee Club
Of the State Teachers College at Har-
rlsonburg.
The feature last night was an old
fashioned torchlight parade In which
five fire companies took partthree
from winchester and one each from
Charlestown and Keyser, w. Va. Each
fireman carried a red Roman candle.
In front rank of the Roush Fire Conn
many of Winchester. walked Harry 4.