Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-09-24
CAVALRY PAGEANT
OPENS TOMORROW
Military Life From Days of
Oregon Trail to Present
viii Be Shown.

Military life, from the days when its
men rode the plains in rescuing Indian
besieged wagon trains to the present,
when its tank gunners may be called
upon to battle with attacking aircraft,
will be depicted with reality in the
Military Exposition and Carnival which
opens at pm. tomorrow at Washing
ton Barracks.
Continuing tomorrow night and Fri
day and Saturday, the exposition is
for the benefit of the widows and
orphans of military men who have lost
their lives in service, and every effort
is being made to present as lifelike
picture as the available conditions will
permit.
The feature of this years program,
an innovation in Army relief parties"
Is the pageant "Perils of the Plains"
written and directed by Maj. r. B.
Lawrence, in which q living chapter
from Americas pioneer history will be
enacted on the parade ground of the
barracks each afternoon and evening.
From the moment that the covered
wagons, drawn by oxen and mules, wind
across the parade, to the time when
a troop of dashing Cavalrymen rescue
the deSpairing pioneers from attacking
Indians, those witnessing final re-
hearsals say there is not a dragging
moment in the entire spectacle. The
smallest detail has been observed to
lend conviction and realism to this story
Of Americas pioneers.
Stage Virginia Reel.
From out the canvas covers of the
wagons wiz be seen women, girls and
children, costumed in the apparel of
80 years ago. Furniture, such as was
carried over the Oregon Trail in the
SOS, viii be observed hanging from the
rear end OF wagons. Cattle, chickens
and goats have been included in the
wagon train, supposedly on its way to
Oregon. One of the high lights of the
pageant is that in which the train
rests, and to the strains of 'Oh. Suzan-
ma" and Turkey in the Straw" played
by several members of the train on a
harmonica, guitar, banjo and two or
three fiddles, the girls and young men
dance Virginia reel.
Riding ability is shown by both at
lacking Indians and rescuing cavalry
men, played by enlisted personnel OF
the Sd United States Cavalry. The
calico long-skirted frocks of the women.
the gay shirts and broad brimmed
sombreros of the men, all will lend color
to the spectacle. Uniforms worn by
the cavalrymen have been accurately
patterned after those worn prior to 1850
by men of the Sd Cavalry, then known
as the Sd Mounted Rifles.
A love theme runs throughout the
story Of "Perils of the Plains" Micro
phones have been installed in practically
each Of the wagons, in which the char
acters speak their parts so that specta-
tors may hear the lines through loud
speakers above the grandstand seats.
Members of Cast.
Those taking leading parts in the
pageant are Maurice Jarvis, as Bill
Brandon, leader of the train; Maude
Howell Smith, Mrs. Brandon; 10 v.
Morgan, as Jim Bridger; Maj Lawrence,
John Simpson; Katherine Tenant
Marshall, Mrs. Simpson; Virgine Alene
Lawrence, Ellen Harris; Mrs. w. H.
Peters, Mrs. Harris; Lieut.. j. P. Hanne-
gan, Don Marshall; Lieut.. w. A. Hol-
brook, chief of the Sioux; Sergt. Las
sitter, Tom Brooks, a scout; Corpl. Gan
non. Hank Rogers, a scout.
Women and girls of the train are
played by society women and debu-
tantes. Indians and cavalrymen are
played by Sd Cavalry personnel. OK
drivers are citizens of st. Marys Coun-
ty, Md. One of the most picturesque
features of the entire pageant is the
group of "a oxen brought for the occa-
sion from st. Marys County. The oxen
were brought to Washington last Sat-
urday in Army trucks
A duel fought between an Army
airplane, piloted by one of the Air Corps
aces, and an Army tank will demon
strate methods employed by ground
forces in combating an attack from
the air as another feature of the show
pigeon race will be one of the at
fractions offered by the Signal Corps
Famous homing pigeons, several of
which have won laurels in the World
War, will be released from their cages
in the Signal Corps exhibition tent.
Playground Laid Out.
Under the supervision of Mrs. G. s..
Gibbs, wife of the chief signal officer,
U. s. A., a large playground has been
laid out, inclosing a merry go-round,
a ferris wheel, from which may be OBJ
tanned an excellent view of the exposi-
ton grounds; an archery booth, and a
modern and picturesque miniature golf
course for the children's entertainment.
A floor has been erected over one Of
the tennis courts for dancing and a
chicken dinner will be served in two
large tents, to those wishing to dine on
the carnival grounds.
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