Ak-Sar-Ben as a Business Proposition
S3
fllllllllllllll WLiLfeLaL JtlUtt
'i iiom s puhsiuhnt
ho reign ol King l Sur Hon VII
is t;i i l 1 1 drawing Ki (i dost' Al
icady (In hiHt of the knightly muI)
Joi Is haw boon called tt) ill)
olii'lsanrf before his limine, anil now all
persons ulni groi t li I tn at Ills ball of state
f-.i vt-ii before hf will rt'tlit' forever from
Might of llu l.uii a nil people lit' bo uiurli c
teuii.-, will lie but visitors at the royal
curl unless they have alivnily sworn foalt.
to their inonart'li.
With the passim; of the King anil on th
ie of his royal sports the ilay all er.
' II. ill ami Farewell" some expressions from
the pi ople of his chosen city are here pro
senteil They are taken at random from
allium; business men, showing the opinion of
the irder of Nebraska knighthood ami its
elleii upon business:
Aithur ('. Smith, prtslilent of the linn of
M. li. Smith ti Co., snlil: "There Is no
iloubt that lb" animal festival of tie
Knights of Ak-Sar-Hen Is one of the best
things which has been inalntalnel In
Omaha. It brings many people to the city
ami while In previous years the ftstival li is
been lii-lil too late to bring buyers to the
wholesale houses, this year a change has
been niaile which will bo of consliler.ibl.'
benellt to the Jobbers. We lo not, as a
rule, expect to sell goods to our visitors
on these occasions, but we do net an op
portunity to meet our customers anil th y
net an opportunity to become acquainted
with the people In the house In a manner
which they would never othorwi-o bo able
to. Wo wish to see the carnivals c n
tlnucd and alua stand ready lo contiibilto
our share town id the expense."
David (Nile has high ideas of the order
ami the other day expressed his opinion us
follows: "The society of the Knights of
Ak-Sar-Ilen is the best thing ever organ
ized In the city. It docs more good than
all other business organizations combine 1
for the general welfare of the city, in
my opinion It was Ihls society which was
rt sponsible for the llrst Omaha exposition,
and if it hud uevtr done anything cl e tli
plomoters should be tutitl.d to the lusting
gratitude of tin' citizens. There has a'
wayri been a spirit of antagonism in the
country against Omalia and the Knlghtt o '
Ak-Sar-Ilen have done more lo cut off Hie
sharp eoriurs of criticism than any oilier
thing. When you lake a man to the den
and show him what you think rf him that
you have a warm welcome and chi ory nods-peed
for him he cannot but huvo bolter
feelings for Omaha than ho hail before."
lines liimtl lor lit ! Itoilj .
N. II. Nei&ou, of W. O. lllltts & Co. Is
another chaniplon of the cause of the. No
braska society, lie says:
"I hopu that the annual carnival In Omaha
will become permanent, ami that It will he
tome as much a part of the city's life as the
tiunlvnl at New Orleans is of tho llfu or the
Crescent City. It may do our llrm little
good In a direct financial sense, but It does
mu good and does every other man in the
town good, If It were only the sociability
at the ilen. It not only hinds the busiiies
men of tho city closer together, hut II
cements the business Interests of tho state,
allaying Jealousy and spreading a feeling of
goodfollowship which endures."
In similar strain spoko W. S. Haldulf,
paying particular attentlun to the elfeet of
the society upon tho people of Omaha: "One
of the best things that the Knights of
Ak-Sar-llcii has done," said he, "Is to
change a number of chronic croakers Into
aggressive pushers for Omaha und for Ne
braska. A mossback cannot go lo the den
without leellng that there are men here
able men willing lo lay aside business
rivalries and unite to advance the Interest
of tho city and state. He becomes disgusted
with himself and after ono or two visits you
will find him shaking off his lethargy and
getting some warm blood Into nls veins.
Then when the days of the carnival ionic
It lets the people of tho surrounding country
know Omaha as It Is a placo whore nil nre
welt ome and plenty abounds."
II. J. Strelght Is ono of the men who has
been active In his support of tho order for
some time, nnd nt the opening of the
seventh carnival ho expresses himself as
follows ' We must havo something of this
kind every year. People In my lino of
business seldom buy when they come to the
U I.TIilt S JMIDINU I c I i I'ltliSIIHiXT
IB
II J PliNFOU)
ilty, but they get acquainted with tho house
and tho people In It. The result is that we
not only have their trade hut also their
lonlldeiiee."
John .Morrison of the llrm of Collins A:
.Morrison sounded a slightly dill'erent note
lor while he oilers nothing but praise lo tho
society he believes It time for a change,
.saying. "I think the society the best thing
that the city has ever had and tho men who
have headed It for so many years are cor
lalnly entitled lo the grateful thanks of all
citizens. We have hail the alfalr for several
years now, ami I believe that It would be
advisable to give the people a rest or a
change -after this year. There amy be
changes In the details, but tho seuerul plan
of all tarulvals is the same.
.Mollis Levy of the Nebraska Clothing
company has some doubts on the subjtct oi
d trout fairs, which he puts into tho follow
ing winds: "From a business staudpo.nt
It lias helped us conslik rably. An thing
that brings people to town helps trade. Wo
aie always willing to contribute townrl
keeping the carnival up, hut I (luestlon th
doslinbllity of tho street fair. The crowds
will come without tho stalls and tho fenced
area. The parados havo In seasons past
attracted large crowds and they will con
tinue to do so. Tho treot fair was held
for tho llrst time last year, and I hope that
It will be held for tho last tlmo this sea
son." A en lie nl ci tin I u t n net-.
"The Ak-Sar-Ilen," says A. Mantle. beig.
"has made Omaha ami Nebraska acquainted
to a greater extent than anything else, it
has brought to the city a class of people
whom we would not otherwise have seen
ami who would have known little about
Omaha."
General ('. K. Maudeisou oxprcKses hi
opinion of the order In the following: "The
Importance of such a society for n town
like Omaha cannot ho measured in do.lars
and cents. We should havo something of
the kind every year to bring the people of
the city ami the country Into closer social
relations the business relations will fol
low." Samuel Hums, in common with several
other citizens, is coming Into exceedingly
close contact with the street fair and thus
expresses his opinion of the organization
which hns shut him from the street: "Of
course I have a high opinion of the work of
the society. So much so that I was pleased
to bt able to consent to live on an alby
while the fair Is In progress. All access
to my Inline eci pi by the hack tloor will
be cut oil' for two weeks, but If It were f o
a longer time It would htv all right. Tho
carnival brings the crowd and It Is the
crowd wo want,"
li. 1 4. Stono has bet n one of the firm sup
porters of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Hcn sine
Its Inception and sums up a review of Its
benefits by saying it Is tho host th n.?
that oven happened In the city. That Is nil
that can be said upon tho subject ami
MSI
M S, I'lll,, Slit'ltliTAHV
GliOIttili 1' CHUNK
I'Klili MliTX.
It S WII.COX
J G .MA I IT IN
ti wen i.wii
ti3
GOL'U) DlliTZ. .M. O. PliTliKS
Board of Governors Ak-Sar-Ben HMM
liDGA It AU.liN.
means much, for ihero have been sovoral
goud things happen In Omaha."
Aithur lliiggs Is one of the faithful
knights, but hns homu Ideas on tho ill vision
of profits, lie nays: "This,- annual festi
vals have little elfeet upon my trade. It
dots havo considerable, no doubt, upon tlu
department stores, the hotels nnd restau
rants, and these places should boar tho
burden of tho expense. It docs tho whol
sale dealers some good, but generally 11b
effect Is felt In tho big stores and the ho
tels ami restaurants. On the whole It is a
good thing for the entire city, as what help(
one helps nil."
"Our llrm is certainly pleased at any
tlmo to assist in supporting the Ak-Sar-Hen
festivities," Is the expression of Adam
S. Stlger. "We believe that It is a good
thing for tho town, but considerably better
for tho rotnll trade than for others."
I'eter Konco makes an Interesting com
parison between the Omnhii carnival and
that at Naples. "Twenty years ngo." s:ild
he, "I saw tho carnival nt Nnplm. It wns
a grand thing ami had some features I have
never noticed here. From tho Hunts In tho
day parade men with small shovels throw
confetti, made from colored chalk, upon tho
heads or the sightseers. The par.ides at
night were Illuminated with torches and
for the lime wero very brilliant affaire, bu(
today tho pageants of tho Omaha carnival
are far more brilliant. They may uhu elec
tricity now In Naples, but they did not do
It then. Tho annual carnivnl thero brought
out large crowds, but not m large, I ho
llevo, as those nt Oinnha when the density
of Iho population Is considered. These an
nual festivals are good things, us Home lias
found after continuing them for centuries.
We hope It will continue heie until for th
ago of the country tho Omr.'ia carnival Is
as old as that of Home."
A Bachelor's Reflections
New York Press: Fresh visltois niiike
stale company.
I'll back any good old-fashioned grand
mother against all the Incubators, moilllled
milk ami other iiew-fangled contraptions for
raising babies.
It takes a vivid Imagination to write ar
ticles on how to prepare delicious meals,
but It takes only common sense to make
coffee, brown walllcs and broil lamb chops.
Any woman who has read a fair number
of novels Imagines that when she enters a
mom where there Is dancing everybody is
struck with her queenly air.
.Most mothers-in-law think they are en
couraging their daughters when they tell
thorn that If they have the most wonderful
luck and nre exceptionally blessed by Provi
dence they may possibly escape some of the
horrible things that come to married
women,
Passion for Publicity
Tho suburban correspondent of the Phil
adelphia Record was unburdening himself
of his woes. "It's iueer the amount of peo
ple who want to get their nnmes In the
paper," ho said. ' "Tho other day a fellow
camo up to mo and said: 'Hob, why don't
you put me In the paper once In a while.
It seems to me you run evi rybody In but
me.' 'Well, what have you been doing to
attract attention?' I asked 'I've been
fishing,' he said. 'Catch anything?' I asked
'Caught an eel,' he said. 'Mow big''' I
asknl. ''1111111 Ibis long,' he said, holding
his hands about thiee feet aparl. 'Did you
eat it V I said. 'No, I didn't eat It,' say
he. 'Why not'.' says I. 'Well, I'll tell you
how it was,' says he. 'There was ano'her
fellow llshing with me. It was up above
.Mauayuiik. 1 got thirsty and went over to
a saloon not far away for a glass of beer
I stayed longer than I Intended, and when
I got back the other fellow had skipped out
with m eel.' Ami that's all there was to
II," c i) ii i' I ml i-il the suburb in correspond
ciil . "That's a g I yarn," remarked the
sporting editor. "Why don't you write It
Juki as you lold It, as an Instance of the
way some people beg lo gel their names In
print, and then give (he fellow's name''
"1 would," replied the suburban news gath
erer, "but I'm hanged If I can remember
his name."
An Ambiguous Apology
Two gentlemen had attended a temper
nnco meeting, and. leluinlng home by a
dark and narrow lane, had been Ihiowii out
of their conveyance, relates the (.Horary
World. The Incident was rept.iieil in the
local paper, and the account closed with the
words: "Fortunately, both men were sober''
Tho editor received an angry letter from
one of the gentlemen coueerniil. with a re
quest for an apology, lie was equal to the
occasion. "In our account of tho unfortu
nsitn accident to .Messrs. -- ," wrote the
editor, "we stated that, fortunately, both
men were sober It appears this statement
has given great offense We therefore beg
to withdraw It "