Trade Carnival

The Committees all Named that Will Control the Project.  A List of Men Who Have Plenty of Ability to Run a National Campaign

The following is the executive committee appointed to serve for the proposed merchants and manufacturers free street fair and trade carnival:  B. R. Strong, C. R. McCormick, J. B. Pound, C. C. Howell, D. B. Bean, J. E. Willard, Wm. Epps.

The committee had its first meeting last night, and went to work with a vim.

The following committees were appointed, the first name in each being chairman.  The committee especially requests that every person appointed will serve and will take hold of the matter and make the affair a grand success.  Chairmen of different committees are requested to get together and go to work.

A joint meeting of all the committees will be held in the rooms of the chamber of commerce on Monday night next, when it is hoped that reports of the progress of each committee will be made.

It is hoped that every business firm and individual in this city will immediately send in their application for membership to Chairman Albers, of the finance and membership committee.  The fee will be $10.  Don’t wait for the committee to call, but act promptly.

Following are the committees as appointed:

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Carnival ball — (Proceeds to go to hospital) — Mrs. McCreary, Mrs. Wm. Ashmore, Mrs. T. ap R. Jones and all members of hospital board.

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Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, September 16, 1896, page 4

 

Committees Met and Discussed Welfare of Free Street Fair.  Large Attendance last Evening.  All Plans Being Perfected for the Success of the Fair

The town is alive to their own interests and everybody is taking a hand in the Free Street Fair and Trade Carnival.

The committees are all live workers and their meetings are all well attended.  …

The executive committee of the carnival together with the various sub-committees met in the administration building last night.

President McCormick called the meeting to order and presided.

Reports of committees were called for, and in view of the fact that the ladies of the hospital committees were present it was suggested that they be heard from first.

Thereupon Mr. J. B. Pound stated that the ladies of the hospital board had called on him, and had reported considerable difficulty in their efforts to perfect arrangements for the carnival ball.  Mr. Staub has placed $100 as his price for the theatre, and the orchsetra [sic] will cost $16.  The executive committee had agreed to furnish $50 of this amount as an inducement to the ladies to continue the ball project.  The $50 was promised upon the condition that the gross receipts of the ball should be less than $416.

This report from Mr. Pound brought forth considerable discussion.  Mrs. Dr. McCreary, who is chairman of the ladies’ committee, objected to Mr. Pound’s interpretation of the agreement entered into by her and the ladies.  She placed quite a different construction upon it.  Mrs. W. M. Ashmore of the ladies” committee agreed with Mr. Pound and stated that his statement regarding the affair was just as she understood it.

For a while it looked as though the carnival ball would have to be called off, as some opposition to its consummation was expressed.  Mr. E. M. Kennedy said that as one of the prime movers in the street fair scheme he did not understand that the ball was to be a feature and he was therefore opposed to using the funds of the association for the purpose of assisting in defraying the expenses of a ball.  The original idea, he stated, was simply to have a display that would attract people to the city and serve to advertise the business interests of the city.

Mr. Kennedy’s remarks were received with a degree of indignation by the ladies, and they so expressed themselves.  Mrs. McCreary spoke at length relative to the ladies’ association with the scheme and concluded by saying that she did not desire the carnival ball looked upon as a side show.

Mr. Kennedy very courteously explained his position to the ladies.  He assured them that he was not at all opposed to the hospital movement, but that he did object to an appropriation of the street fair association’s funds for the purpose suggested by Mr. Pound and by the ladies.

Mr. Percy Lockett put an end to the discussion by making a motion to appropriate $100, to be used for expenses of the ball, in the event that the net receipts of the ball is less than $300.  This motion prevailed, with but a few negative votes.  The ladies then thanked the gentlemen for their interest in the ball, and assured them that all arrangements for the event would be completed by tonight.

[Remainder of article not transcribed.]

Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, September 29, 1896, page 8

 

Street Carnival.  Revised Program of Events of the Affair.  Program in Detail of the Grand Blowout Which Lasts Three Days

The executive committee of the Street Fair and Trade carnival met last evening all members present.  An outlook for a grand and unprecedented success was reported by the members and the meeting was a very cheerful one.  The committee has worked almost unceasingly in their efforts to make it a grand success and their efforts have been fruitful.

[Extensive information about the program not transcribed.]

Third Day, Friday, October 23rd, 1896
9 a.m. [sic]
Grand Carnival ball and crowning of the emperor and empress at the opera house.  All holding dance tickets will be entitled to participate in the dances after the coronation.

Special Note — Admission to all the buildings and to all exercises, will be absolutely free with the exception of the Empire Ball at the opera house.  Proceeds from the source will go to the hospital fund.

Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, October 9, 1896, page 4

 

To the Public

The members of the Executive Committee and each of the sub-committees in connection with the Merchants and Manufacturers’ Free Street Fair and Trade Carnival, extend a hearty and cordial invitation to every man, woman and child in East Tennessee, Western North Carolina, Southwest Virginia, Eastern Kentucky and North Georgia, to visit Knoxville during the continuance of the Fair on October 21, 22, and 23rd.

This will be the first event of the kind ever attempted by any southern city, and it is the intention of those in charge to make it one of the grandest affairs ever given in the country.

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On the last night there will be a grand empire ball at Staub’s Theatre for the benefit of the Hospital Board…

Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, October 11, 1896, page 18

 

Get Tickets Early and Avoid the Rush at the “Empire Ball”

Ticket Committees Appointed by the Ladies Yesterday.

The committee from the “hospital board” yesterday met with the executive board of the carnival association and the carnival committee and it was decided best to place the price of tickets to “Empire ball” at the following figures:

Seventy-five cents for lower floor:  three rows in balcony and boxes.  (These tickets can be exchanged Thursday and Friday, October 22nd and 23rd for reserved seats at Leiber Bros., without extra charge).

Fifty cents for remainder of balcony, 25 cents for gallery.

Gentlemen intending to dance will pay $1.00 for dancing floor ticket; no charge for ladies.

The committee on Empire ball requests that each gentleman taking part in the dance will be accompanied by a lady.  The dancing tickets are in charge of Mr. Joe E. Borches, at Armour Packing company; Mr. Cary Spence, at Southern Building & Loan association; Mr. John S. Brown, 210 Gay street, and Mr. Frank McClung, Jr.

Wishing to have a packed house, the ladies from “hospital board” have asked the following young ladies to serve as chairmen of ticket committees — each chairman to select eight young ladies to assist her:

Miss Elizabeth McCormick, of Cumberland street.
Miss Nellie Willard, of Summit Hill.
Miss Eunice Wilson, of Magnolia avenue.
Miss Annie Nelson, of East Church street.
Miss Mabel Taylor, of Circle park.
Miss Lillie Fizer, of North Fifth avenue.
Miss Mabel Flanders, of Flanders’ hotel.
Miss Annie Nelson, of Forest avenue.
Miss Mary Ross, of Laurel avenue.
Miss Grace McCreary, of Fourth avenue.

As prizes, a handsome frame with either a crayon portrait or a scene from nature (this to be left to the wish of the fortunate person), is donated to the hospital committee by the “Eagle Art company,” to be given to the person selling the greatest number of tickets to the Empire ball.

To the one selling the next largest number Mr. Frank Adkin has donated a beautiful picture.  These prizes will be placed in one of the store windows of the city.  In view of the most worthy cause (the “New Hospital”) the committee is in hopes that the general public will respond cheerfully to the young ladies — and from the fact that the race for the prizes will be in earnest are very favorable for a grand parade who have not as yet reported to the carnival committee.

…

Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, October 16, 1896, page 4

 

Great Gala Days Will Be Those of the Carnival this Week.

Festivities open Wednesday Morning at Ten O’Clock.  Enthusiastic Work of the Woman’s Board

The present week will witness the opening of the first anniversary of the Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Free Street Fair and Trade Carnival.  The idea of such an undertaking was not suggested until about vie weeks ago.  The citizens of Knoxville readily grasped the benefit to be derived from such a display as was proposed and have lent their hearty cooperation toward making the affair a grand and glorious success.

All the work of planning and preparing for the undertaking has been left to the executive committee which was composed of seven well-known gentlemen of this city … and to them and the various sub-committees which they appointed must be iven the credit for the carnival.  The entire city has been thoroughly aroused to the importance of the undertaking and there have been but few who have not responded to the call for help in one way or another.  In this the first fair it has been the effort of the committees to arrange some part of the program which would be pleasing to every one, the old as well as the young; the rich as well as the poor; the weak as well as the strong.  The committee is sincere in its belief that this purpose has been accomplished and with this fact in view they hope that their efforts will not be altogether lost!

If the present carnival is only a partial success the people of Knoxville will be eager for another one and the future years will see the Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Free Street Fair and Trade Carnival, an established and annual event.

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The six young ladies who are chairmen of the ticket committees have not completed their lists of assistants — but by Monday the ladies will begin in earnest to see who will secure the beautiful prizes and thereby assist the work which is of so much interest to every man and woman in Knoxville — the building of the new hospital.

[Lengthy list of chaperones not transcribed.]

Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, October 18, 1896, page 12