Democratic Press, Volume 2, Number 82, Decatur, Adams County, 7 May 1896 — Page 1

PAGES THIS WEEK

VOLUME 11.

LA FIESTA DE LOS ANGELES. „.C*TUIt FURNtAHW AN ?O TNI • SHOW. Dear nivlers of the I’BMh: 1 mu at a loss to begin adeeerlp-. tioll of th® opening day of the ..i * Fiesta de Loa Angeles.” All vor k has been practically sus , MO ded aa far as actual appearance nnd the only sound of hammers ttbe heard in the street come from the direction of some belated deco rator. The city ia transformed. Ixis Angele® is fair enongh in her everyday dress to please the eye of her guests from many lands, but in her carnival braveries, gold for the orange, scarlet for the wine, and green for the olive, are Fiesta col on. The streets are loug avenues of brilliant colors both day and night, for when the daylight fades from the tossing sea ol bright bunting, the electric lights dash out myriads of them, sparkling like jewels in every direction. In the day time the arches of olive, gold and scarlet, which span the btree s make long, bright tun-, nets of all the prim thorough fares, and thousands of tiny pen nants look like Hocks ot bright winged butterflies anchored to the wires, al) the poles have blossomed out with tropical foliage, and every bare outline is hidden by palm leaves, until a glance down the street gives the impression of a grove decked out in festival array as in the days when the great god Pan was worshipped with wild revelry, and troops of uymphs held high carnival under the trees. People of every race and color have assembled in this cosmopolitan realm of gayety. Chinamen parade the streets in single tile, taking note of the latest fashions in decorations, jabbering to each other their convictions that the solid gorgeousness of their own part of the coming show will beat everything else all hollow. The first parade of consequence for the Fi esta occurred at 2 p. in. Tuesday afternoon the 21. The city was densely packed, all incoming trains for the last twenty-four hours having lieen crowded to almost over flowing. L'»s Angeles was invaded at this hour by the advance guards of her “Majesty the Queen of Fiesta” aud the authorities had gone ; forth to welcome the queen and tender her the freedom of the city. I will not attempt to descibe this parade, as it will make this letter too long. Her majesty’s orchestra had a float to itself ami presented a unique appearance. At 1:45 p. m. a flourish of trumpets announced the approach of the queen, a thunder of applause and a rapid rush of people and the royal carriage dashed into the queen’s highway, followed by four other carriages containing the sixteen maids of honor. The queen's carriage was drawn by four black horses, harnessed in white satin with long white satin streamers. The coachmen and footmen wore colonial liveries of white and silver, and the carriage was lined with white bear skin rugs, making a nest of snowy fleece in which her majesty sat with her two little pages opposite, in their court garb of white and gold. The queen wore a magnificent gown of white satin with the collar of gold and garniture of gems. The court train was|of green velvet bordered with palest yellow. Her beautiful dark head was covered only by the jeweled crown, and she bowed to right and left in answer to the cheers which greeted her. One of the many features of Wednesday’s parade and one that brought thousands of strangers from far and near to see, was the immense Chinese dragon in all its oriental splen dor aud Asiatic beauty. The dragon is regarded in China a< one of the most sacred religious objects, and even in their native country celestials view the dragon only once a year in their religious celebrations. Many obstacles were therefore encountered before the Chinese merchants would consent to allow it to be carried in the procession. The dragon reposes in a Joss house in Marysville and is the only one in California, therefore a special Chinese messenger of great influence was sent to that place to make the necessary arrangements for the safe transportation to this city. That you may form an idea of the grand spectacle that was presented, it is operated by fifty Chinamen who walk in side of it and are invisible, except their feet, that are made to represent the animal’s claws. Its crested head was bedecked with jewels,

THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.

and its body is covered with the most expensive velvet ami silk rolH«s of resplendent colors. The part that represents the Ixsly is gorgeously embroidered with the richest gold 'ace and studded with precious stones. In its march through the streets the Chinese so operated the dragon that it represented the animal in its wild and ferocious stage, that nature had endowed it with according to the fables. It writhed ami riggled from side to side and stretched its neck, and with eye balls glaring and mouth extended, the ferocious head was kept moviue from side to side, its jaws expanded and its red tongue darting almut. Horns adorn the monster's skull and its neck coiling in many folds ami swaying to and fro gave motion to the entire body, aud the liearers hidden beneath the scales kept up the delusive and life like appearance of the brute by moving in and out. An exhibition was given of the ferocious and savage nature of the dragon. Plunging right and ( left and lashing its tail in a parox ' ism of anger, its performance was realistic if not inspiring. The scales on the breast were six or seven inches in length, made ot silk ami ornamented with piece® of brass reflecting in the sunlight. •Spurs along the backbone showed the formidable nature of the creature which resemble the things oae sees in nightmare, and an swered well the description of ob jects seen by victims of delerium tremens. A Chinaman dressed in all the splendor of their native custom walked backwards and danced in front of the moneter bowing ami waiving a wand toappeace its anger that they might not be devoured by its wrath. I wish I might describe to you some of the many different floats that were in the parade. Gorgeous in their beauty and brilliancy and artistic designs, representing every country and nation on the globe. With some changes and many new features the parade was repeated on Thursday night. Under the lights lof the brilliantly illuminated city, i “Fairyland” is the ohly word which gives any idea of the appearance of the city during the illumination that night in honor of the evening parade. The streets were ablaze with myraids of electric lights, and red tire turned the clear night into a blaze of glory which centered in the glittering procession the finest yet given in honor of the qtieeu. Among the floats was Assyria, representing Belschazzar’s feast. .India representing King Solomon to the Queen of Sheba. Cuba representing the Pearl of the Antilles. Africa, the sleeping sentinel. Greece, thecar rying off of Hellen and southern California was gorgeous in her golden dress of wild poppys, ami many others I shall not attempt to i describe. Butin all the long two miles of Chines floats representing all the nations of the globe, soldier boys in blue, cavalry troops, i citizens, sailors, &c., there was no feature that pleased the public • better than the marines from the . U. S. flagship Philadelphia. There »j were about three hundred men in i lime, all except the band were dressed in garments of spotless [ white with brown leggins, white I cartridge belt® and white sailor i caps. They marched in perfect : time, and when they halted in front of the city hall and went through 'the setting-up exercise it was a i beautiful thing to see. The men all looked healthy and strong, their skins were brown from the wind and sun and everything about them breathed a whiff of the salt sea air. Friday’s program will consist in patriotic exercises by the school children. The procession « will pas® before the queen at the ■ 1 tribunes, thence to Central Park where a large American flag will 11 be presented to the schools by the i 1 president of “La Fiesta.” In the • evening a grand exhibition of tireworks will be given at Athletic Park, one of the pretty features . will be a set piece, a picture of the queen, 20x20 feet in size. At the i conclusion the queen’s ball will take place at Hazard’s Pavillion. ' The officers of the flagship Philadelphia, some forty in number, will be present in full dress uniform. The queen will be attired in full evening dress with court train car ried by her pages. The ladies of the royal household will perform a dance of homage to Her Majesty, and the floor will then be open to all that may desire to participate in the dancing. Saturday the closing day, was floral day, and the

DECATUR, INDIANA. THURSDAY, MAY 7,1896.

queen of the Fiesta after holding right royal reign for a week stepped down from her royal throne and departed from the loving sub jectH whose last glimpse of their queen was a dazzling shimmei of green and gold, ami a fair face laughing through a mist of rose leave® tossed about in hand- j fills by her miicsty. Loh Angeles swarii ed with |»eople gathered from every point to join the merry maker®already in the city and participate In the “bat tie of flowers.” Punctually as usual thequeen drove in the inclosure of tritiums followed by her entire court. Her Majesty wore a gown of heavy white silk, flowered with pink blossoms and delicate white leaves. The court train was of green velvet bordered with ermine ami lined with pink satin. For the last time in her gay ephemeral reign she wore the glittering crown of gold jewels | and carried the scepter in this her la®t public appearance. The car-' riage was decked with especial -plendor. The four black horses lieitig exchanged for four white ones, the harness of white satin* wreathed with roses. The coach man wore a gorgeous colonial livery ol silvery rose pl ik laced with silver, aud the footunn wasdresse I ! as usual iu white satin. The maids of honor were dressed as usual iu pink ami white satin, wreathed with red roses and tint-I tering with pink ribbon. Midway up the flower strewn staircase leading to the throne, was a little landing upon which was built a small throne decked with flowers f>r the little floral queen. After the queen of the Fiesta had as snmed her place upon the throne, with her pretty court grouped around her the familiar strains of the “Fiesta March’’ rang out from the bind stand, and a company of the Seventh Regiment, I heir rilles muzzled with flowers, marched quickly up the highway past the throne, followed by a troop of Royal Lancers, their brillimt trappings made still more gorgeous by profuse decorations of roses, geraniums and in arquerites. The lancers formed in line facing the throne, then came th- float of the Flowei Queen, after which the floral parade was in full view. Floats made of (lovers of every description, size and color, cari riages, buggies, horses, bicycles, tandems, ite., all made of tloaers, which it will be impossible for me to portray. Ihe procession was one hour in passing. On Saturday evening, as a wind-up of carnival week, the city was turned to panedmonia anil given over to the revelry of the maskers. It was ■ the uiadest, merriest, gayest kalei doecofie of shifting scenes, a wealth of varied color, an endle-s variety • of fantastic dress, a racket of whis ties and horns in all its power of • discordant sounds, that was the 11 closing scenes of La Fiesta de Los Ang'des of 1896. The whole pop- . nlation seemed to flow toitscenter, every street car that came in was > jammed to the center, soon the ' streets of the business qu irter was almost blocked. The space left ' free for the revellers was briming I over with a flood of life. Dressed ■’ in a thousand different ways, the i maskers drifted hither and thither. . Devils, clowns, monks, plautation darkies,.lndians, Ashautees, giants, ghosts, cavaliers, George Wash I ing tons, wild animals, frogs and 'strange creatures which jostled each other aud pushed along. One and all were armed with some noise producing instrument, and everyone was ablaze with Fiesta I colors, neck bauds, shoulder knots, belts or capes of the red, green and yellow. When the band struck up in front of Los Angeles theatre, the maskers caught the stiain and in a moments the strange moving mass of men and women robed in costumes fearfully and wonderfully made, were in the whirl of the dance. A beautiful flower girl ' seized a red devil by the hand and a giant encircled the form of a i ghost and soon the street for blocks was in a fantastic whirl keeping time with the strange music. For hour after hour the revelry went on. At last toward midnight the I crowds began to thin, and by the time the last car had lolled away to the power house, and the electric lights had gone out the throng had melted away like the fabric of ■ a dream, and La Fiesta 1896, with all its pageants, its blare of triumphant music, its wealth of flowers, its mad gayety, had faded away into the world of that which has been. And now, dear readers, I fully realize that in my feeble

efforts of description, I have but faintly portrayed to your minds the realities of this grand pageant. How often I have thought of many of you and wished you could sit by my side and enjoy the scene. We leave tomorrow morning for San Francisco, remaining there one week, from there to Van Convent; Island, and thence by the Canadian Pari tic homeward. Mum J. D. Hale. Rev. Stoops went to I'rbauaMon- | day to l«s>k after his flock, whom he h:is sorely neglected since breaking his arm a few week® ago. His $5,000 damage suit against the city will cause many of our people to still soundly remember him. The annual banquet and closing of the Fortnightly club season take® place at the Burt next Saturday night. P. 8. O'Rourke of , Fort Wayne, will lie present and deliver an address on “Theoeophy,” and we can safely say that it will be one of the most intellectual addresses ever delivered in the city. Invitations were printed at this office, which anuounee the mar-1 riage of Harry E. Bell and Miss Ella Sprang. The ceremony will take place at the bride's home at * S;3O Tuesday evening, May 12. Both are well known young peo I pie iu this city with many friends who already wish them happiness and prosperity in abundance. The financial statement of the Old Adams County Ba iking house 1 will be found elsewhere. The statement shows them to still lie on the solid rock of financial prosper-1 ity, which they have been graciously climbing for many, many years. Their resources ami liabiliti* s figure $496,090.01, with more to hear from. It is a thriving and ■ progressive institution. i Max Romberg left Saturday for New York, ami from there sailed ' yesterday for another trip across the ocean for England. He takes with him a car load of horses, and i if the market proves anything encouraging he will remain on that en 1 of the line ami sell them, ■ while his brother in-law Charles ■ Webber, buy® on this side of the • water. If it proves financially all right he will lie gone all summer, ' i otherwise he will be home iu a | month or two. i Through Attorney R. K. I rwin. ■ Anna Lambert filed in the circuit ‘ court a suit for divorce from John ‘ Lambert. The filed complaint shows them to have been married 1 on June 2, 1892, and lived together until June 1895. During their ‘ married life the defendant has been ' guilty of cruel and inhuman treati meat. While sick she was com1 pelled to work at hard manual labor, and refused her medicine when in m*eed of it. They have 1 three children all of whom are in ' the Orphan’s home at Berne. The • plaintiff desires a divorce, the care and custody of the children, her < maiden name Anna Nelson restored ’ and alimony iu the sum of SSOO. ( Auditor Brandyberry finished , his annual settlement and sent same , to the state auditor. According to its provisions the state tax collected J amounts to $5,344.81, benevolent I institutions $2,549.16, state sinking ’ fund $1,513.45, state school $6,435.- ' * 12, state educational $786.05, per manent endowment $253 13, county i $23,420.53, township $5,17129, tuition $4,094.24, special school $13,428.33, road $9,719.91, dog .! $1,412.84, county sinking fund i $2,421.56, turnpike $1,723.35, township bridge $6,618.56, ditch I $120.19, library $115.44, corporation $10,1X9.12. The report will Im* among the first to reach the state official, which speaks well for the II promptness of our county officials. ; Home talent thieves got in i their work at Coffee Baker’s ’ restaurant last Thursday night. ) The only reason assigned for it beI ing home talent, is the familiar I bearing theyjexercised while taking i what they wanted and leaving the ! balance undisturbed. Eight or ten j dollars was taken from the money r drawers, besides the value of as much more iu old coin. Old half s dollars, quarters and ten cent • pieces. They had a very large r collection of these coins and weie duly proud of them, a fact perhaps 7 known by the evil doers. Nothing f else was taken but cigars, and i nothing whatever was disturbed. ■ The entrance was gained through f the .sky-light of the bakery, they I leaving by a back door. No par i ticular clue is publicly known, , although efforts are being made to j locate the thieves.

Monroe was the scene of an ear biting matinee Inst Saturday morning. William Brandyberry ami John Burkhead were mixed up in a prize fighting controversy, and now the latter is minus one left 'ear. The former just grablwsl it with his bread hooks, and i snatched it off, hair and all. Monroe fighters are ferocous. Work has begun on the new ' Studebaker buaiuewt r»s»ins just south of Woodward it Ball’s furniture store. Two business rooms will lie built there, which will add much to the growth aud appear ance of our business center. Poor Bluffton! Interest on furniture factory stock is the only thing l>eing erected there this summer. The central office of the Citizens Telephone Company is tkeing moved from the Burt to the room almve Falk & Erwin’s music store. More nx»m is the cause of the change. When the new Geneva Berne lines are c unpleted, many new phones will be put in here. The company seems to be flourishing and at the same time are giving good satis factory service to their one hundred patrons. Papers were filed in the Jay cir cuit court this afternoon iu which Goldie I. Harper prefers a charge of seduction against H. H. Coffel, of Camden, and demands damage in the shape of a ss,ooojudgment. She sets forth in her petition that she was only thirteen years old last December. Coffel is assistant cashier of the Pennville Bank and Miss Harper is the daughter of Pal. W. Harper trustee of Knox township. —Portland Sun. The legal notice in last week’s , Press relative to the care and management of dairies, brought George Tricker’s smiling countenance to this office with $1.50 worth of lucre and a hearty approval of the laws laid down by the state board, and which can also be found ' in this issue. The rules and laws are strict and will l>e rigidly enforced. Should any one l>e aware of infringements, it is not only their privilege lut their duty to 1 report same to the secretary of our county board of health, H. F. Costello. The store room of Sprang & True Ims now went through all the remodeling changes desired, and we ' must very cheerilly confess that it [ fails to look like the same place. An extension to the rear of some f thirty feet, entirely remodeled, I papered and change<lon the inside, ■ cash carriers put iu and other numerous and pleasing changes 1 made. This firm deserves much ‘ commendation for their enterprise ' They beleive in improving right. 1 Their storeroom is beautifully and s conveniently arranged, ami here’s hoping their business will con Lnueto expand until they will need eighteen stories on top to meet the demands and volume of ■ their trade. I , At the council last Tuesday even ling the resolution to macadamize ' I Court street failed to pass. The vote being a tie. Part of the council ' want brick and part want stone I I The next council will haveto wrestle with the question. The passage of ' the ordinance providing for th< issuing of bonds for the erection of I the first ward school building was postponed until next Tuesday ev-n | ing. J. B. Ford, day water works Hengineer, resigned. The resigna ’ | tion was referre ' to the water woi ks * j committee. The claims of B. J. ■ Tervdbr and J. K. Mann were re--11 ferred to the street committee. ’! These claims relate to side walks and curbing at street corners. The 5 street committee reported a con- ! tract with Anderson & Son for the furnishing of 5.000 feet of lumber i for the city which was approved, i The street commissioner was ordered to open aud grade Grant street. The citizens along Second street ■ between Court and Jefferson streets ; asked the council to furnish water ) free for two public drinking fountains which they proposed to erect at their own expense. Granted. i There was no objections to bricking ' the alley between Monroe ami Jefferson, and Front and Second s streets. A resolution was passetl j ordering a brick sewer constructed i on Marshal street west from the ; river to Eleventh street. The sewer I is designed to drain the west and . north part of the city. The street i 1 commissioner’s pay roll in the sum r S9O was allowed. The following claims were allowed: Journal $9.15, Charles Smith $1.50, J. I). Edwards ) $213.34, H. Harrtiff sl.3oami William Geary $5.

ONLYI.SO PER YEAR

NUMBER 82

Hiram Gladden and wife were somewhat bruised up Sunday morning from being thrown from a buggy in front of the Baptist church. Fortunately they were traveling at a very slow {Mice when the accident took place. Mrs. Gladden received painful itijur<*s in her arm but nothing tmrloua. After they were I with carefully laid out on the ground the horees trotted a merry gait for a few s<|nares, entirely demoralizing the buggy. Geneva democrat® didn’t seem to lie very numerous at their town election Monday. Frank N. Hale for clerk w:is the only democrat who pulled his leg just right. The vote was F. N. Hale 135, R. C. Tindall 107; for treasurer, Dan’el Booher 91, George W. 11 anima 145; for marshal Henry Finkbone 102, Eugene Barnes 140; trustee first ward, Michael McGriff 99, T. K. Williams 140; trustee sicond ward, William Heaston 70, Nathan Shepherd 162. The wife of postmaster Timmonds lof Portland, died last Thursday after a teimination of sickness and suffering that was painful and horrible. She was afflicted with a cancerous growth which was treated by all the scientific specialists of Chicago and other large cities. She was fifty-eight years, eleven months and twenty three days old. The funeral services were held trom the residence on Saturday. We extend to Bro. Timmonds our fraternal sympathy in these dark hours of sorrow. Quite an enjoyable time was had at the home of Mr. and Mrs. John Pan last Tuesday evening in honor of the sixteenth anniversary of their son Frank. Refreshments were nerved, after which music, singing and games were indulged in. Those present were Misses • May Gessinger, Della Sellemeyer, Bessie Billman, Rena Weaver, Gertrude Andrews, Bertha Perry, ! Neva Ernst, and Master Harry Erwin, Frank Burns, Ollie Chronister Carrol Ernst, Fred Mayer, Frank Ernst, Jesse Rice, Ferd and , James I’arr. Miss EtnmaTeeple of this city is trying to bolster upa little noteriety for herself by claiming a more or i less intimate acquaintance with Pi’arl Bryan while she was at Cincinnati. The Fort Wayne Journal reporter found her out and drew therefrom many sensational pointers about her connection with the unfortunate Pearl. She verj frankly and modestly told the aforesaid rejxirter that iss Bryan told her i of her “hidden trouble,” ami also that she saw Jackson come to the Indiana House in Cincinnati, ami take Pearl away upon the fatal night of her tragic de i th. Tosettle all doubts now existing we will also inform our readers that Miss Teeple believe® Jackson to tie guilty of the i murderous charge against him. The grand jurors finished business and made their report to Judge Heller Saturday morning > after a session of seventeen da.xs, ■ during wlr'ch time they examined I 120 witnesses and retnrm d eleven bills They further rep< rt that on • April 28 tliey visited the county I' asylum for the poor, a d found ■ everything in goo.! shape as far as ; the management is concerned, buildings are clean, good beds and everything pertaining to the same : are in good shape. Some im provements are needed, and fire : protection provided for the buildings. There are also two water closets in close proximity to the , I superintendent’s residence and to i the buildings occupied by the in- > I mates to insure the best sanitary I condition. They recommend that the county commissioners have the ■ same removed a reasonable distanc° from the buildings. There should also be asystem of sewerage put in to carry away the refuse from the buildings on the farm. . They further recommend that the ■ sai'l commissioners provide a carriage and harness for the use of said asylum, as there is no means lof conveyance on said farm. They ; further report that they visited the jail where they found everything Jin good shape. The sanitary conII dition is good. Some improve1, ments are needed at the jail. A ■ j broken sky-light should be replaced, a new cooking stove is I needed in the kitchen, the sheriff’s t office be painted, and a new fence i built along the river east of jail. ' They recommend that the cotnmis- , sioners make these improvements i and also repair a leak in the jail. The report is signed by Jeremiah Archbold, foreman.