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Show Covered Wagon Fiesta 40 Years Ago Set Mark for 1937 - a -7'' 650 Pioneers of 47 Watch and Many Take Part That a Covered Wagon Days celebration, taken down through ths years, is pretty much the same whether it be held now or 40 years ago. is indicated in a program of the 1897 celebration received Tuesday at the chamber of commerce. Sent to Gus P. Backman, chamber cham-ber secretary, by Charles Zilsing, 740 East 200 Forty-third street. New York City, the program reveals re-veals that, although today's celebration cele-bration may embody such superficially super-ficially modern touches as electric loud speakers and radio publicity, the essential character of the celebration cele-bration resists time and modernity. modern-ity. Never forgotten in these celebrations cele-brations is the fact that the pioneers pio-neers first reached this valley in I 1847. It being the fiftieth anniversary, they naturally "went to town" in 1897. They doubtless exceeded anything ever previously attempted attempt-ed and it would be no reflection on the 1937 celebration committee to discover that a pretty high mark to shoot at was set up in 1897. The program itself is a work of art. being nearly as large as a i tabloid newspaper, containing ' eight pages. The colors on the cover appear nearly as fresh as when printed, although soma of the pages have been mended. In a fine piece of art work, the cover depicts a typical pioneer, surrounded by skull of an ox, a broken wagon wheel, Indian lances and a quiver and a covered wagon slowly wending o'er the lea. On thC back, a pretty girl peers out from sego lilies, seagulls wheel across the top and the figures " '97" are Intertwined among the lilies. There are no advertisements. advertise-ments. The Utah Semicentennial celebration, cele-bration, as they called it began July 20 and closed July 24. The program reveals one attraction to be the HaU of Relics, built by the commission at a cost of $3500 and standing at "East Temple and South Temple" streets in imitation imita-tion of the Greek Parthenon, Admission Ad-mission tickets were 25 'cents, 15 cents for children. i Events Start Early Another two-bit event was described de-scribed as: The only place In town where the countermarching of the five parades can be seen is from The Tribune on Main and Third South." Colonel E. LeRoy Bourne, editor of The Telegram, recalls that "the tribunes" were what today to-day pass as bleachers. They got up early in those days, the program discloses. The first day of the celebration opened with a sunrise salute by "Survivors of ths Battalion of tha Nauvoo Legion." In 1897 650 survivors of the more than 3000 pioneers of 1847 were in the city, and as many as were physically abls participated partici-pated In a program held In Pioneer Pio-neer square at 9 a. m. The "semicentennial" celebration celebra-tion also was ths occasion for unveiling of what now is called the Brigham Young monument by C. E. Dallin. It was ths Pioneer monument then end stood at "East Temple and South Temple" streets. Monument I'nveiled The unveiling was the big event of the first day, but bicycle races at Beck's hot springs, baseball at Fort Douglas and singing by the 1000-voice L. D. S. tabernacle choir also made the day worth while. They also hsd a "Pageant of Progress," which depicted the growth of Utah during those' 50 years. That was a second day feature. The lighter side of the program apparently was held at Calder's park, where there were hone racing, rac-ing, trick bicycle riding, a grand ball and "beautiful boat riding." Last month's children's parade was not a new idea, the program of 1897 shows, that event being scheduled for the third dsy. The children tossed flowers onto ths base of the Pioneer monument as Famed Monument to Brigham Young Is Unveiled they psssed East Temple and South Temple streets. " The celebration obviously built up to a climax, the third day having hav-ing an "illuminated parade" beginning be-ginning at 1:30 p. m. There was the Leadville drum corps, "famed for their execution of the silent drill." One float had to do with "A Bath in ths Lake." And there was ths band of John E. Held, who died last August Then came Pioneer day, July 24. We have it yet Of the parade scheduled the program said: "This parade will eclipse In length, beauty and diversity of features sny other parade ever given in the United States west of the Missiaaippi." The program shows it did. t ' Frequent sttractions were the concerts of the tabernacle choir, under direction of Professor Evan Stephens. Even as now, for ths 'midway touch they depended on something some-thing strange. In that distant day it was "The Wild East" show, featuring the. "sensational performances per-formances by the troop of Moorish Moor-ish Adabs led by the renowned chief, Sie Hassan Ben AIL" 1 COVERED WAGON DAYS OF GAY 0'S Cut P. Backman scans program of 1817 |