WAUPACA REPUBLICAN

February 24, 1905

 

The Masquerade a Big Success.

 

            The eighth Annual Grand Masquerade by the Danes’ Home society has now passed into history.  It took place last Friday night at the Danes’ Home Opera House and was conceded by all to be one of the best ever held.  There were over a hundred and fifty enmasque and it must have been trying to the judges to designate those entitled to the gold cash prizes.  Among the groups, the army tent and squad of soldiers, with army muskets, C.M. Hall, Henry Nelson, Geo. Lindhal and Ingolf Larson under Capt. Harry Pipe went through various evolutions according to army tactics on the floor several times also sang army songs in the camp. They were ably assisted by Miss Maude Pipe as a red cross nurse and Holly Peterson, the darkey.  Then there was a regular horse mule team, built over four boys with perfect facsimiles of the “real thing”, including manes and tails, ears, etc.; all togged out with silver plated harness hitched to a real buggy and a driver with lines and whip in hand circling around the room during the grand march.  The boys representing the horses were Arthur Laabs, Harry Gorden, E.T. Powell and Geo. Awrzyniak,  the driver was Geo. Webber.  The Sour Kraut Brigade was a cute feature represented by five people just over from Behint Holland.  They made Sour Kraut “ant took orters”.  Ed Mudd of Ogdensburg represented a manon mule back and had a hard time keeping the animule in line.  There were lots of characters too numerous to mention including pretty flower girls, etc.  One feature of the evening was a scene on the stage representing Uncle Sam and the Goddess of Liberty painted life-like and in colors the song “Uncle Sammy” was rendered by Holmes and LaPolma who stood behind the scene and substituted their own faces in place of the faces of the figures, the Orchestra accompanying.  The Judges were:  E.S. Josslyn, Will Fisher, F.H. Voshardt, Mrs. Jenks, Eva Oertel.  They awarded prizes to the following:

                        Best Group - $20 to the “Team” and driver.

                        Second Best - $10 to the Soldier group.

                        Best Gent’s costume - $5 Spanish Cavilier; Cory Wood.

                        2d Best - $2.50 Tramp; John Gordon Jr.

                        Best Lady’s Costume – Circus rider, Mrs. Gale Pope.

                        2d Best – Flower Girl – Miss Mary Jorgensen.

                        Most Comical Costume - $2 – Mule rider, Ed Mudd.

            All of the above prizes were in gold.

            After the participants in the carnival unmasked a general dance for everybody took place until the small hours of Saturday morning.

            The receipts were ample to pay all expenses and prizes and leave a neat balance in the society’s treasury.  Peter Mollen with the aid of his assistants on the committees still keeps up his reputation for a successful masquerade manager.