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THE OMAHA SUNDAY BEE: SEPTEMBER 29, 1912.
Ak-Sar-Ben and . Its Work for Omaha and Nebraska
H
yri
B 6 POKE truly. If not ele
gantly, who said that what
the average man needs is
not sympathy, but a couple
of good, swift kicks prop
erly placed. Many a man
who has gained his . full portion of
success and more never would have ar
rived, but for the hard kindness of that
ofttlmes paradoxical old damsel, Mls3
Fortune. If there be no worth, no power
In a man, there can be no hope for him;
but In some of those elements lie hidden
deep and sleeping and some good, stiff
punches are required to Jolt them into
activity. Men are apt to be content with
ordinary success, easily gained; whole
some failure then is a blessing if they
are. real men.
. The same is true of all things made
by men and made up of men, of commer
cial institutions, of social Institutions, of
political parties, of nations, of common
wealths, of cities. '
In appreciation of the admirable spirit
of persistency which the reader has mani
fested by "staying with" this article
through the rather abstract and entirely
- unnecessary preamble, the, writer now
'will plunge at once Into the subject and
,announce that it is the origin and de
velopment of Ak-Sar-Bcn.
, Omaha received a considerable number
'of well-aimed kicks that were tolerablj
swift, together with the same number of
.punches or maybe more. It viewed the
(Aurora Borealis, all If Pain's pyrotechnic
t productions, and all the planets that
lever have been mentoned in the books
(Ensued a period, of complete unconscious
'nesg. ' When Omaha awoke it smiled a
(forced smile, then gritted its teeth
dlagnored its case, prescribed for itself
jand made up its mind that what had Just
happened would not happen again. It
hasn't.
The first prescription was the state fair
It belped-some. The next was Ak-Sar
Een. In the late '80s and very early "90s
' Omaha prospered too well. It suffered
with the same disease that ailed many
'other towns of the west and cltlos and
(towns of the east to some extent Every
thing boomed. Land values went up and
fup and up. Fabulous prices were reached
prices that could not be genuine value
prices.
The bubble burst in 1892. Values went
'down. Money became tight, properties
that had been bought for thousands were
old for tens and the sellers were glad
to get the money. Omaha was In a
'hard way. Trade seemed to be almost
,paralyzed. Something had to be' done,
"But what?
The Commercial club member pon
dered for a plan to bring Jhe country into
(Closer relations with the city. The pon
dering developed a proposal to bring the
;state fair from Llacoln' to Omaha. A
committee was instructed to take this
matter up with the state authorities at
Lincoln. The fair was brought here.
lOmaha thought the problem was solved.
It wasn't
The., fair grounds was located several
miles outside the city. From all around
'people went to the fair, but they didn't
come to It The, ratlroadt ran to ths
'fair grounds. The people saw the fair,
enjoyed It, and went horn. Borne passed
through Omaha on the j trains; some
never even did that A comparative few
did drop into Omaha when they came
so near and the city revived to some
considerable extent The problem had not
been solved, it appeared; ', though ths
Commercial club was on the right track.
In 1S94.' those who were striving for
the solution agreed that,omethlng must
be done to attract people to the olty
'itself, something . to entertain them,
(something to make them owe and some
thing .to make them go home thinking
jand talking about the "good time' the
had. The result of this decision waa the
sending of a committee to St Louis
and New Orleans to Study the Veiled
prophet said Mardl Oras festivals of those
titles. On the committee were Dudley
iSmlth, El M. Bartlett and W. B. Ben
sett Ct Louis was visited, the commit
tee was entertained as lords might be
entertained, they learned something of the
jmethod of bringing people Into a town
to show them ,a good time. On to New
(Orleans they went . to receive similar
treatment Jn both New Orleans and 6t
(Louts elaborate parades were features.
.They pleased and charmed the crowds
'and between the times of their passing
Board of Governors of Ak-Sar-Ben 1912
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the visitors and the city's people made
merry with each other.
Bo favorably was the committee im
pressed with the New Orleans parade
that they purchased the paraphernalia of
one of them for use in Omaha.
By the tflma the committee took the
train for home they were thoroughly
agreed that a permanent organization
would be necessary. It roust have a name,
Dudley Smith proved the cleverest thinker
in this matter and he evoked Ak-Sar-Ben,
Nebraska spelled backward.
Now here we come to the part played
by a Roman Catholio priest Father En
right, who lived in Kansas City. The
committee met him on the train. They
told him where they had been and for
what Me was interested. He gave ad
vice and suggestions. It was he who sug
gested that the domain of Ak-Sar-Ben be
known as the Seven Cities of Cibola,
which Coronado sought Father Bnrlght's
knowledge again served in the suggestion
that each syllable of the word Ak-Sar-Ben.
be given Its meaning In another
language-Ale being Syrian for head of
a household, . Bar treanlng household In
Arable, and Ben being Hebraic for brother
In the household, the whole signifying
the king, his domain and his retainers.
When the committee reported In Omaha
Us work was approved and the KnDghts
Of Ak-Sar-Ben became an institution. L.
M. Rheem, then the local mannager of
the American District Telegraph com
pany, prepared the ritual, making it up
largely from. suggestions of Father En
right On April 21, 1305, formal announcement
of the organisation of the knights was
announced. The executive committee, the
first board of governors, was composed
of Dudley Smith, R. a Wilcox, C. C,
Balden, W. L. Dickey, L. M. Rheem, C
C. Chase, It & Bryson, T. A. Fry and
M. A Fenfold.
The second year of the state fair near
Omaha saw the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben
ready to' entertain the visitors, and they
sent them awy happy In a new Idea of
Omaha and Its people. Contrasted with
the elaborate j entertainments of later
years, those of 1&96 and a few that fol
lowed appear to have been rather crude,
but In those days they were not consid
ered so. They were sufficient to amuse
and entertain the people, which was the
object of their origin.
After five years the state fair vent
back to Lincoln, but Ak-Sar-Ben did not
die. It flourished and waxed greater
with the passing years. Each fall festival
was greater than Its predecessor. The en
tertainments given at the Den during the
summer served to acquaint thousands
with the city and to teaoh them that
Omaha was really rich in the spirit of
good-fellowship and fraternity.
Gus Rense, working with the New
Orleans floats the first year, learned
enough to be able to design new ones
for the following festival. He has been
doing this ever since. He has made the
making of floats a profession or. an art
in which he stands alone. During three
years the wagons purchased with the
New Orleans floats were used. Then W.
S. Jardlne suggested that wagons could
be built with wheels gauged to fit the
car tracks. This Idea waa put into
execution with admirable results. Thla
was the first forward move In the
development of the old-fashioned parade
of floats into the modem brilliant
pageant.
The first electrically illuminated float
appeared in 1898. Theretofore all - the
illumination was produced by kerosene v
torches, a few of which were fixed won
the floats, but most of which were
carried by footmen in dominoes. While
this method served and the grim-looking
footmen with their austere garb and
ancient-looking torches gave an effective
suggestion of archaic daya of chivalry,
something better waa needed to bring to
the eyes of the throngs all the wonder
ful beauty of the floats.
City Electrician Shurig set to work on
the problem of an electrically Illumined
float. In 1898 two of these, the Illumina
tion planned by Shurig, were placed in
the parade by way of experiment They
were successful. The following year
every float was Illumined by this method.
The effectiveness of the floats was re
doubled many times. Their' beauty,
enhanced by the myriad and varicolored
incandescanta, 1 held the spectators
breathless as they passed. The electrlo
Illumination plan was patented by Shurig,
who assigned the patent to the knights.
iStnoe then the fame of Ak-Sar-Ben's
electrlo floats has spread far and wide.
Hardly a year passes but that Samson
receives from some city a request for
permission to adopt this plan. The re
quests always are granted. Torch bearers
still have their part in the parade, giving
that splendid and thrilling atmosphere of
ancient days.
Bicycles were more wonderful In 1835
than automobiles are now. Comparison
of the parades of that year and of this
show not only the great development of
Ak-Bar-Ben, but the changes In the great
world Mat time has wrought '
In 1835 the first parade of the festival
week was on of bicycles. In the column
were S.50Q wheelmen and wheelwomen.
Nearly every bicycle In the city was
prssed into service. The "wheels" were
elaborately decorated with flowers and
flags. One body of riders were garbed
entirely In white and the bicycles, as
far as possible, were wrapped with white
cloth. These riders constantly changed
from close formation to expanded order,
producing a delightful effect.
This parade was a revelation and a
glorious treat to the people of those daya
This year Ak-Sar-Ben sees a parade of
automobiles, products of years of experi
ment and development of the horseless
carriage idea, some of them palaces on
wheels, all gorgeously decorated.
The second parade of 1896 was one in
which the towns and counties of the state
were represented by floats. This was ef
fective and served well the purpose of
evidencing Omaha's appreciation of the
state's value to it The third parade was
a civic and military affair, in which com
panies of the Nebraska National Guard
and other military organisations, and
drill teams of many fraternal orders and
lodges participated. On the fourth night
there was the triumphal entry of King
c;o" vK i - Li
HIS HIGHNESS THE MUFTI.
JOHN D. WEAVER,
Secretary to Ak-Sar-ben.
Ak-Sar-Ben and his knights, followed by
the coronation and the coronation grand
ball at the Den. E. M. Bartlett and Miss
Melioria Woolworth were the first king
and queen.
In the years since those early ones of
Ak-Sar-Ben some of the moat elaborate
parades the world has seen have been
features of the fall festivals, United
States government troops, many thou
sands of them at times, have them
selves furnished great spectacles, stirring
patriotism, educating the people, and yet
they have been but one of many features.
The Transmisstppi exposition of 1808
and the Greater American exposition of
the following year were years of great
development in Ak-Sar-Ben and thou
sands upon thousands of visitors from
all all over the continent were entertained
and charmed by the summer entertain
ments and the fall festivals. The original
purpose of Ak-Sar-Ben, to create and
foster a spirit of good fellowship between
Omaha and its tributary territory, was ac
complished and more. The same spirit,
was established between Omaha and all
the outside world. .
In 1905 the knights purchased the Den.
The building had been occupied for years,
but the knights were only renters. In
1904 they wereypaylng J600 a year for use
of the building. In the fall of that year
a movement for the purchase of the prop
erty was launched and in 1905 it was
bought for $11,500. On improvements
13,000 was spent. Then Ak-Sar-Ben had a
home equal to its vastly increased re
quirements. .
The first street fair or carnival way
held In 1900. From the financial view
point this was successful. Its recenpta
helped defray the heavy expenses of the
elaborate street parades and other en
tertainments. This' feature has con
tinued since 1900, though of late' years
there have been Indications that It may
be discarded for something of a higher
order and equal if not greater drawing
power. - ,
From a small organization, facing a
future not altogether cloudless, Ak-Sar-Ben
has developed In eighteen years into
a well established rock-founded institu
tion, regarded as one that will be as
lasting as any In the city- Its annual re
ceipts and expenditures now are near to
$50,000. Ak-Sar-Ben is not a money mak
ing scheme. All the proceeds are ex
pended In , providing entertainments
through the summer and during the fes
tival season in the autumn.
The hopes and ambitions of the little
body of men who bad to do with the es
tablishment of the organization have
been more than realised. As the years
G. A. RENZE.
Designer and Builder of Floats.
have passed Omaha and Nebraska, west
ern Iowa, northwestern Missouri, Minne
sota and the Dakotas have developed a
co-operative spirit that has resulted In
wonderful development for all. There
have been good times and hard times,
but on the whole the tendency has been
upward to better living and greater pros
perity. There has been a steady growth
of Omaha commercial Institutions, those
catering to the retail trade and those
engaged in wholesale business. Thai peo
ple around about do not regard Omaha,
as an enemy and the merchants fef
tributary cities and towns are Us com
mercial harmony with those of Omaha.
We move on and everybody la happy-
Just how much Ak-Sar-Ben has had to
do with the upbuilding of the city never
can be known. It Is enough to say to
the credit of the order that through, the
years of development no organization has
struggled harder nor more faithfully for
the advancement of every good enter
prise. Eighteen years ago the city Was
a giant frontier town; today It la a metro
politan city. The last traces of the
early-day town of the wild and wooly
Wnd the last evidences of western provin
cialism fast are disappearing and the
city is one whose most Impressive charac
teristics are the peculiarly western spirit
of progress and genuine, solid growth)
and the eastern quality of culture and
refinement, the two blending Into a great
new quality of life that Is found, nowhere
else. i
Eighteen years ago The Bee building;
and the New York Life building, now
the Omaha National Bank building, were
local wonders; with old-fashioned, low;
buildings of rambling construction clus
tered at their feet, they presented a
picture of incongruity. This picture now
is only a memory. A million-dollar county
building graces the -old court house
square and the building that waa built
for the county's home at a cost of $200,
000 has been given away with a bonus
of $5,000 as a premium for its wrecking.
Sixteen and eighteen-story buildings oc
cupy the ground that eighteen years ago
was not too good for residences or
churches. Such buildings even in Den
ver cannot be found. Plans for other
huge structures are being made. Great
wholesale houses and great commercial
Institutions make the business district
one of which the dty should be proud
and is. In a few more years the business
district will be as much greater as It Is
now greater than In the years past If
Ak-Sar-Ben contributes as much to the
municipal advance In the future as It
has In the past its name will be written
high among those of the institutions that
have made and are making Omaha.
Pageants That Have Made Ak-Sar-Ben Famous Throughout the World
; Twenty glgantlo floats, blazing with
lelectrlo lights, flashing with gems and
'precious stones, and smiling as a wilder
'tiees of v art-colored flowers, are to swing
onto the streets of Omaha Wednesday
evening, October 1, the occasion of the
jannual electrical parade of the Ak-Sar-Ben
festivities. . Gus Rens and his force
'of a dozen men have spared nothing dur
ing the last weeks In their steadfast ef-
forts to make this group of floats outrl
Ival anything In the past for magnificence.
"Gems and Flowers" will this year be
the theme of the parade and every float
represents some gem or some flower, the
general effect of the mythological signifi
cance of each gem or flower being held
throughout the decoration of the float
This has brought together on the floats
a panorama of Mstorlo and mythological
lore in allegorical form that Is pleasing,
spectacular, cultural and awe-striking.
Heading the procession will be the title,
float of the parade: "Gems and Flow
ers." A huge Jewel case rests high on
the float while the entire structure is fes
tooned with a profusion of flowers. As
the rose' eternally suggests love, the
whole theme of the float entitled the
"Rose" is love. Bluing doves, a cupld
with his ever ready bow, are here and
lastly Romeo and Juliet In the famous
balcony scene, thus bringing Into promi
nence what is recognised as the greatest
love scene of all dramatic production.
Those who are particularly fond of f
diamond, the richest of gems, will have
a treat In the Diamond float Many
parts of this float are literally encrusted
with diamonds that flash forth their
prismatic colors under the flood of light
The mythology of tV relation of . the
dlety Saturn to this gem Is carried out In
the scene. Under the blase of colored
lights, two giant tigers head the float
entitled "The Lily." Dlreotly back of
:Mz ' " '
TITLE FLOAT, lttl
them the tiger lily has place, being in
perfect harmony with the color of the
tigers that glare aggressively ahead of
the float. Farther down in a sedate and
glassy pool great pond lily leaves ride
quietly , at anchor. The purity and beauty
suggested by the Illy Is personified in a
number of beautiful maidens that go to
make up the scene .
The goddess Venus Is one of the
chief characters on the float "Emerald,"
as Friday is the day of Venus and the
emerald Is the gem of Friday. Shamrocks
are numerous carrying out the idea of
the Emerald Isle. All the wonder and
luxury of ths Flowery Kingdom of Japan
are brought out In the float, "Chrysan
themum." Buddha is there with Jap
anese kneeling In awe at his feet
The lover of Shakespeare, when the
float "The Opal" appears, will Instantly
think of the witch , teen from Mac
beth. "Double, double, 'toll and trouble,
Like a hell-broth, boll and bubble."
For in the tenter of the scene the three
wlerd sisters are hobbling about a boil
ing caldron mixing their deadly brew
of human woes, while the noxious fumes
of the "helj-broth" writhe lazily Into the
air. Why not? The opal was the hoodoo
atone of old. A great rainbow and an
opal star then brighten up the scene
by carrying ths Idea of hope that is
also a part of the ancient significance
of the opal
" Everything that goes with spring, even
to ths frogs dreaming by the water's
edge and the storks wading and fishing.
Is embodied In th float, "The Violet"
Gentle water-falls and a pair of lovers
are not forgotten, and with an abundance
of violets the spring scene Is complete.
"The Pearl" float carries numerous
sheila each dotted with its pearl and
two great fishes arising from the depths
are each carrying pearls In their mouths
"The Pansy," the flower of thought
comes In on Its float with a pile of
books at the head of the float and a
young woman reading In the background.
A Burmese effect with the elephants
and other oriental effects come in when
ths float "Ths Ruby" appears, tor this
gem oomes from, Burma. Hideous drag
ons with forked tongues shooting from
fiery Jaws head the float that Is entitled
"The Poppy." This brings China at once
to mind and the whole effect is Chi
nese. Then comes Thor, the great dlety of
ancient Teutonic mythology, true to tho
attributes given him by the ancient Ger
mans, wielding the great hammer, with
which he was believed to strike thunder,
while In his left hand he holds, a bundle
of snapping lightning. The float is the
"Amethyst," which mythology has con
nected with Thor. The peasantry of
France arrives with the coming of the
"Carnation." The owl peering wisely
from the hollow of a tree carries out
the idea of wisdom in the "Sapphire."
Greek figures in the costume of the
clasaio days when -Greece was in her
glory further the idea of wisdom found
here, and the dlety Appolo figures here.
With the "Sunflower" comes the idea of
sun worship and in is ushered a group
of Aztec Indians, the civilised Indians of
ancient Mexico, who were the arch sun
worshipers. !
In an Instant the scene is changed for
the next float Is . headed by a great
Thanksgiving turkey gobbler. This Is the
'Topai" float, and as the Topaz suggests
November, the next thing to be thought
of In America is the turkey. Then comes
Holland, for the next float is "The
Tulip," and the tulip is the flower of
Holland. Dutch windmills and Dutch
children In wooden shoes are numerous,
while the whole is profusely lighted. A
sub-marine view brings the idea of the
coral with It as the "Coral" float ap
proaches. Coral growths and countless
fishes bear out the deep sea idea while
the lighting effect is exquisite.
Bringing up the rear of the parade
comes "The King." Mounted on the great
elephant that -does service at the Den,
King Ak-Sar-Ben XVHI approaches in
all his majesty. Slaves fan him even as
the cupids fanned Cleopatra on her
barge, and as his majesty passes the
great electrical parade of 1912 closes.
'
-JE3Sa3SaS -i m i in iTfl HMS
KING'S FLOAT, 1911
