Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-08-31
Franks and Noise
Creaie Atmosphere
OF Carnival Night
By jock Joncs

The red carpet rolled out for
the American Legion was miles
long last night.
For awhile. Washington was
like carnival night. the State
Fair and Main street on Satur-
day night. punched into one. =
The Legionnaires had their
red-carpeted Main street and
midway stretching up Pennsyl-
vania avenue to Fourteenth
street NV, and north to K
street. and from there to the
Hotel sStatler.
There were shennanigans.
pranks, show-offs and noise.
But most Of the dictionaries
on the streets last night were
out with the family to see the
fun and the sights.
The kids ate peanuts and pop
corn, carried balloons, and asked
questions. And, as if they were
at the carnival or the fair, the
men and their wives strolled
quietly, or sat on stone steps
and ratings to watch the antics
Of their more adventurous COM
panions.
Funmakers Busy.
The funmakers were out, too,
with their trains and boxcars,
their gaily colored automobiles,
their fancy garb. and their prac-
tical jokes, and there was a lot
to see.
There was a fellow in Legion
cap, for example. who walked
down Fourteenth street, carry
ing a soft drink in his right hand
and a live turtle. between two
slices Of bread. in his left.
At one downtown intersection,
aLegionnairse carrying a feather
buster took off a policeman's cap.
gave it a good busting, and
handed 1t back.
A pair of Legionnaires talked
to another policeman-the off,
GERS were two to six strong at
each intersection-at Sixteenth
and K streets NV.
Did you get your buckeyes.
officer? one of the Legion men
asked.
The policeman: "You from
Ohio?"
yeah"
Il was through Ohio, once"
the police said.
Here. Have a couple buck
eyes,"
Cab Honks Impatiehtly.
! In front Of the Statler, a cab
driver honked impatiently at the
cabbie ahead, who was loading
fares. One of the fares, in Legion
garb. shouted back:
"Wait'll I get these rubes load
ed. buddie!"
Inside the Statler, a band was
blaring away, and in a cleared
circle nearby, an elderly Legion
nalre danced jig to march time.
Across the street, the Sheraton
Carlton was preserving its ira
ditional dignity.
Farther away. three young men
turned onto F street from Four
teenth street. The one In the
middle called halt.
Hey. We've been down this
street twice already" he said.
"HoW's about something new?"
On Fourteenth street between
and K streets NV, a crowd
formed, with a narrow lane be-
tween two sections. As others
walked through the lane, the
ladies among them were startled
by a lions roar close behind
them. The roar was made with
a rope drawn through a hole in
the bottom of a tin can.
There were similar gatherings
along the way, and similarly
roaring lions. Giant and start
ling cannon crackers were
touched off all over the down.
town area by the disporting Le-
gionnaireS. Changing bells and
shrill sirens on the 40 and 8
locomotives, the roar of motor
cycles and the shouts and singing
OF the Legionnaires at play added
to the din.
Crowd Trims at Midnight.
But as midnight approached,
the youngsters got sleepy, and
the crowds began to thin. BY
midnight. except for those areas
around the hotels, the streets
seemed bare in comparison.
i don't know where the people
are" a traffic officer at Thir-
tenth and e streets NV. said.
The only cars I see on the
street are District cars" he add
ed. 1.-The cab drivers are COM
planning. They're riding around
empty. When anybody asks me
how to get someplace, they al
ways want to know how to get
there by streetcar or bus-or
whether it's close enough to
walk"
Those gathered around the
hotels and in the hotel Hobbies
made up for their lack in num-
bers by their strenuous efforts
to make noise. They were whom.