Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 18 June 1950 — Page 21

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Vincennes

Old Time Dress, Customs. Revived for Sesquicentennial

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By CLIFFORD THURMAN, Times Staff Writer VINCENNES, June 17—This is a city living 150

years BEHIND the times.

Virtually every man here needs a shave.

The womenfolk are wearing flowing, gathered shirts i

down paved streets.

“dresses with three or four petticoats. Horses, drawing ancient buggies, clop-clop up and

Grow a board: or else, mister. These huskies, (left to right) Lonnie Cox,

Vincennes people are actually working at being old Staffan and Tiny Lewis, operate the kangaroo court in Vincennes.

and out-of-date. Why? They are getting ready for the July 14 celebration of the sesqui-

the original seat of govern. ment for the vast Indiana Territory. The Vincennes celebration

early next month will mark | the peak of o yearlobg op

servance in Hoosierland. It

has been 150 years since the |

Indiana Territory was founded and Vincennes was designated as the seat of government. - ” - WILLIAM HENRY HARRIOf the ter. ritory, established himself in Vincennes in 1801. Statehood

and division of the territory followed several years later but it was exactly a century and a

half oo that white settlers pushed westward to conquer the Shawnee Indians and set up

shop. eennes today—particularly the

y tourists who are uninformed as to the sesquitentennial-—are in for a distinct shock. It's going to take them several minutes

guaint bonnets, Businessmen ars wearing beards of varying degree and some of them stalk the streets in knee-length coats and tall beaver hats.

2 &® 8 : VISITORS MAY be sur-

the costumes of long, long ago. Frequently automobiles are forced to creep along behind ancient carts drawn by one or two horses—even an occasional mule, Barbers twiddle their thumbs and enter the spirit of the day with patriotic co-operation. One tonsorial. expert confided he hadn’t shaved a man in over a ‘month and “few of them even bother to get a haircut.” The beards are a part of the

during the Vincennes rhe

150-year celebration, Most men in Vincennes volunteered to grow beards early in the spring and keep them until after the July 4th celebration. THe few die-hards who wouldn't — or conldn’t—grow beards, pay a shave permit charge to a kangaroo court. They. are issued a badge, for a specified sum— for the privilege of daily shaving. ag - » »

VINCENNES beards come in 2 wide variety of styles and some of them would shock the day-lights out of the frontier brethren. Beards from great chin adornments of flery red to the “buttermilk” type

whiskers some of the ‘téenagers are strutting. What are “buttermilk” beards? One of the mors hardy, robust eftizens explained that “buttermilk” whiskers were those timid sprouts which could be lapped off by a cat if a bitof buttermilk were applied to the chin. The menfolk, ~ exept for beards, seem to have a bit of trouble as to costume. They wear everything from the more formal attire Mr. Harrison might have worn, to diplapidated blue jeans and odd-sized shirts and coats; Most of them, from somewhere or other, have managed to find derby hats. There are a couple of coonskin and tall stovepipe hats of doubtful vintage.

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Queen of the Sesquicentennial of the Indiana a Torri ill be chosen d celebration, July 1 to 4, ov ladies are among 30 gomiegant for oie once of [Signing wind four-day celebration” -e Rosalyn Watson, Janice Kay Lawson and by uh . yom

punishment. A clean-shaven man is in constant danger and these boys enforce the rules.

IT IS THE SPIRIT of the Vincennes people, however, that is impressive. Hardly a citizen can be found who is not up to his neck in some phase of the sesquicentennial celebration. They are giving wholeheartedly of their Hime, money and talents to the Vincennes celebration a i success,

Guiding spirit of the Indiana Besquicentennial Commission is

the chairman, Judge Curtis G. .

Shake of Vincennes, former Indiana Supreme Court Justice. General chairman for the big celebration and the man behind most of the plans for the Vincennes affair July 1-4, is F. Albert Reiman, Vincennes businessman and former staff worker of the U. 8. House of ‘Representatives.

AMONG OTHER things scheduléd for the observance

. here is a pageant depicting the

founding of the Indiana Territory, which will be given each

.of the four nights. The John

‘Ing parts of the pageant in

which hundreds of persons will participate.

The celebration also will include a parade. Visiting notables will take part, along with solpthully costumed Vincennes

A city “dloan-up. drive has been in progress in Vincennes for several weeks in anticipation of the celebration. Streets, lawns and buildings are spick-and-span and many houses are boasting new coats of paint,

— Governors of Wisconsin, Michigan,

Ohio and Illinois, will attend with Gov. Schricker, representing the states which ones comprised the Indiana Territory.

An honored guest during the Antoine

ficially accepted an invitation to attend the sesquicentennial celebration. - . ” ” SATURDAY, July 1, has been designated as Agriculture Day. There will bse a farmers’ program, 4-H Club activities and special features for the women. Sunday has been set aside as Commemoration Day with thanksgiving services in churches of all denominations.

homecoming day for all former residents of Vincennes. Tuesday, July 4, the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Indiana Territory, will be the climaxing day of the celebration. Assistant Postmaster Gen-

at 10 a. m. A luncheon of visit. ing governors and other distinguished guests is scheduled for noon. The historical parade, featuring covered wagons and gala costumes of long ago, will cli-

max the celebration In the afters

noon. Fireworks will be a feature each evening.

wiil.. tributes, “A Toas

Bear" Zinser, Al The

Note the in the rear for

clock + in Vincennes and these of the sesquicentennial celebration. Tying up old Dobbin is Woodford Lawrence, Vincennes business. man, and in the carriage are Mrs. Lawrence and Mrs. Rufus Engle.

Newspaperman' s 180-Word Prose Portrait of Indiana

Brings Nostalgic Memories to ‘Hoosiers in Exile"

Former Logansport

Man Writes Tribute A 180-WORD prose portrait of the Hoosier state, written # seven years ago by a former = . Pb Logansport newspaperman, has i, : become one of the most widely known modern-times tributes

to fect “It's Indi-

; a n a” b y = Daniel Francis

Mr. Clancy

papers, and many of the state's libraries have framed copies. During World War II a copy was found hanging in “The Claypool of the Pacific” at

imprinted with “It's Indiana” went to many Indiana men GveTHeAs during the ‘war.

THE “Indiana Boclety of WHEN held it 35th annual dinner this year, the printed program carried thres wordt to Indiana,” by John B. “Ole” Olsen of Olsen and Johnson, a verses of “On the Banks of the Wabash,” and “It's Indiana.” “It's Indiana,” also was recited during the dinner's “Hoosier Heritage” pageant. “Hoosiers in exile,” as Mr, Clancy characterizes all Indiantans living out-of-state, have heard of the sketeh in many states and have written for copies to frame. Whenever Mr. Clancy hears of a native Hoosier who has become famous, he mails him a eopy. From such personages he has received many letters of an. “Your makes me want to climb on a train and hurry to Indiana,” Don Herold wrote from New York. “This is splendid, indeed, and I know exactly what you mean,” wrote Will H. Hays from New York.

» » ” “IT BRINGS back many

Chicago's Harris Trust and Bavings Bank: “I am glad that with so many

Wheto springs are sweetest and sutumns gayest... Sonll town wich Indian names . . . Th Wabash spackling white under 4 summer moon ... Green fields. of slowly waving com . . . Autumns full of the smell 6f burning leaves and hushed harvest fields stretching away into o saffs ton setting sum . . . Bittécowees ‘and basketball, powpaws . and pumpkine . . . Country church crowds on sunlit Sundey’ trotting races at the county fairs . . . Land of Lincola like lawyers. . . Brown county and Tuckey Run i, . Sosts thet robes conde sod comesd dg, Troma 3 Minkall, +++ Where everyone is seid to be a polisican , , Literary land of poets end writers, James Whitcomb Riley, George Ade, Boat Ticking Vsedies Devise Mund Nits ig com, od 0 big bos bn 3 xo iy t0 farm boys . + . Land haunted by sedmén whose canoes will seam to deft down, bos green curving sivasé + Lond oh Spsdr, omens ud tend orton ok ++ "On the Banks of the Wabash.” Hooslesdoim and home.

During the last week, readers of The Times have Isughed over illustrations from the year-measuring book, “How to Guess Your Age,” by Corey Ford and Gluyas Williams. The complete text is presented herewith. = IT SEEMS to me that they are building staircases or The risers are higher, or thers are more of them, or. something. Maybe this is because it is so much farther today from the first floor to the second floor, but I've noticed it Is getting harder to make two steps at a time any more. Nowadays it is all I can do to make one step at a time. Another thing I've noticed is the small print they're using lately. Newspapers are getting farther and farther away, when I hold them, and I have to squint to make them out. The other day I had to back half-way out of a telephone-booth in order to read the number on the eoin-box. It is obviously ridiculous to suggest that a person my age needs glasses, but the only other way I can find out what's going on is to have somebody read aloud to me, and that’s not too satisfactory because people speak in such low voices these days that I can’t hear them very well,

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the distance from my house to the station now, and

. they've added a fair-sized hill that I never noticed be-

The trains leave sooner, too. I've given up running r them, because they start faster these days when 1

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Everything is farther than it used to be. It's twice

The Indians Tarrtory Swsauicentonnial stamp, to be released by the postmaster general July 4, during the Vincennes celebration... The design includes a poritafl of William Hery H Harrison, first gove

ernor, and the original territorial eapitol build

times a trip If the next station is where I get off, and he always says it isn't. How can you trust a conductor like that? Usually I gather up my bundles and put on my hat and coat and stand in the aisle a couple of stops away, just to make sure I don’t go past my destination. Sometimes I make doubly sure by getting off at the station ahead. . » » » . » A LOT of other things are different lately. Barbers no longer hold up a mirror be me when they've finished, so I can see the back of my head, and my wife has been taking care of the tickets lately when we go to the theater. They don’t use the same material in clothes any more, either. I've noticed that all my suits have a tendency to shrink, especially in certain places such as around the waist or in the seat of the pants, and the laces they put in shoes nowadays are harder to reach. Revolving-doors revolve much faster than they used to. I, have to let a couple of openings go past before I

jump in, and by the time I get up nerve enough to jump out again I'm right back in the street where I started. It's the same with golf. I'm giving it up because these ‘modern golf-balls they sell are so hard to pick up when 1 stoop over. I've had to quit driving too; the rest rooms in filling-

stations are getting farther and farther apart. Usually I

just stay home at night and read the papers particularly the obituary columns. It's funny how much more inter-

a nd ay.

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memories,” wrote Wayne Coy, Federal Communications Commission chairman, from Washington, D. C. “It brings to my heart a feeling of nostalgia, for it has the warm friendliness of Riley and

“the Hoosler lore of Tarkington,”

wrote Mark A. Brown, once of Kokomo, and now president of

others we share the same kind of thoughts about our home state,” wrote Leroy A. Wilson, president of the American Telephone and Telegraph Co. in New Yorks

: . in plain and msaningful words the things and persons that strikingly identify the

. ates called me “Sir,”

old Hoosler State,” wrote Henry

and the summers are hotter than they used to be. I'd go away, if it wasn’t so far. Snow is heavier when I try to shovel it, and I have to put on rubbers wheneverI go out, because the rain today is wetter than the rain we used to get. Draughts are more severe, too. It must be the way they build windows now. . ” » .» » . PEOPLE are changing, too. For one thing, they're younger than they used to be when I was their age. I went back recently to an alumni reunion at the college I graduated from in 1943—that is, 1933—I mean 1923— and I was shocked to see the mere tots they're admitting as students these days. The average age of the freshman class couldn’t have been more than seven. They seem to be more polite than in my time, though; several undergraduand one of them asked me if he could help me across the street. On the other hand, people my own age are so much older than I am. I realize that my generation is approaching middle-age (I define middle-age roughly as the period between 21 and 110) but there is no excuse for my classmates tottering into a state of advanced senility. I ran into my old room-mate at the bar, and he'd changed so much that he didn’t recognize me. “You've put on a little weight, George,” I said. “It's this modern food,” George said. “It seems to be more fattening.” . : “How about another Martini?” I said. “Have you

noticed how much weaker the Martinis are these days?” .

“Evergthing is different,” sald George. “Even the

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E. Cutler, native Hoosier who is now a Chicago attorney. - = . 5 = MR. CLANCY, now a reporter and feature writer on The Sun at Bpringfield, O., was born in Logansport in 1918, From 1942 until 1946 he was a reporter and Sunday columnist on the Logansport Press. Then he went to Ohio wheres, for his 1947 and 1948 stories,

Of Course You're Not Old, But Here's ‘How To Guess Your Age’

food you get. It's more fattening.”

“How long since I've seen you, George?” I said. “It

must be several years.” “I think the last time was right after the election” said George. “What election was that?”

George thought for a moment. “Harding.”

” » ” I ORDERED 2 couple more Martinis. noticed these Martinis are weaker than they used to be?" I said. : “It isn't like the good old days” Georg “Remember when we'd go down to the speak, “and order some Orange Blossoms, and maybe pick up a couple of flappers? Boy, could they neck! Hot diggety!” “You used to be quite a cake-éater, George,” I said. “Do you still do the Black Bottom?”

“I put on too much weight,” said George. “This |

food nowadays seems to be more fattening.” “1 know,” I said, “you mentioned that "jut a minute ago.”

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“Did 1?” said George. “How about another Martini?” I said. noticed the Martinis aren't as strong as they used to “Yes,” said George, “you said that twice er “Oh” I said. . .. a

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