Edgefield Advertiser

ATSUGUA WEEK.
Augusta Rallies From Ashes and Will Devote One Week to Mirth and Merry Making.

After weeks of most strenuous preparation Augusta is ready for her festival to be known as Atsugua week, after the princess of the Uchee Indians, after whom the city was named, the fun and frolic to occupy the time between Tuesday May 9 and Saturday May 13. When the great fire occurred it was at first feared that Augusta would be unable to get together her resources sufficiently to hold the festival but by Herculean efforts all difficulties have been overcome and now everything is ready for the great week.

Starts Noon Tuesday.

The formal opening of the program is unique and beautiful. The Red Men lodges of the city are cooperating to make this portion not only pretty but symbolical. Disguised as Uchees they will arrive in the city at noon from up the river and will take possession of the city in the name of Princess Atsugua. To them as conquerors, Mayor Littleton will deliver the keys of the city throughout the festivities the Indians will play a prominent part.

The first parade will be held Tuesday afternoon, following a royal American salute which in itself will be unique. Instead of the customary salute of cannon there will be fired high in the air a form of Pain's pyrotechnics wherein the report of the exploding bomb a flag of some nation of the earth will be spread across the heavens the last banner thus displayed being a great American flag, thus depicting the position of honor occupied by the United States among the nations.

The parade will be called the civic, and will be participated in by every civic organization in Augusta and most of the city and county departments, the commercial and military bodies. Five thousand school children all in spring dresses participate. Fully ten thousand people are expected to be in line.

Wonderful Decorations.

It is said that never has any southern city been so well decorated for any fete as Augusta is for this occasion. For days professional decorators have been at work stringing flags and banners across that great thoroughfare known as Broad street, eight street and that portion of the city around Barrett Plaza where the great hippodrome is located. At night myriads of tiny colored lights will add their colorful radiance to the beauty of the scene, and all day long thousands upon thousands of banners, flags and bunting will wave in the breezes their colors, bright and gay, testifying to Augusta's renaissance. A new Augusta has been born after the baptism of fire and all her citizens are desirous of showing how wonderfully resourceful she is.

Four Parades Wednesday.

Four parades and pageants have been combined to make Wednesday the big event of the week. First there will be the allegorical pageant in which all the leading organizations, lodges and firms of the city will enter floats, some of which are very costly and on which weeks of preparation have been consumed. Then there will be the automobile parade with a special section for Fords, about five thousand of the cars alone being entered. Next will come the floral display, many beautiful cars being entered by the ladies and gentlemen of the city. The final section will be the trades display, some of the big firms having spent large sums in endeavoring to outstrip competitors.

Thursday will be parade day for the bicyclists and motorcyclists with races for the former on Broad st set. More than sixty cash and merchandise prizes have been donated for these events and entries with the result that hundreds of machines and bikes will be in competition.

Friday will see the U. C. T. parade. In many respects this will be the most unique event of the entire festival, for the traveling men are backing this parade en masse and planning to make it the most attractive and funniest of all.

Friday night will witness the wonderful Atsugua ball in which will participate some of the leading people of this section and will see Atsugua crowned Princess of the city with appropriate ceremonies by the Red Men.

Great Performances.

In addition to the daily and frequent band concerts, free acts by noted gymnasts in the streets there will be two performances daily in the Atsugua Hippodrome erected at great expense on Barrett Plaza opposite the Union station by leading acrobats, gymnasts and fan makers. The management has spared no expense to make this a great series of entertainments and it is asserted by old showmen that no such galaxy of aerial and stage stars has ever visited the south. There are fifty people in the troupe which are under the personal management of Mr. Pat Casey of New York city, the greatest purveyor of open air entertainments in the world. The hippodrome will have seats for over 3,500 people and will be a place of great beauty. The Atsugua organization is spending thousands of dollars in making this place, naturally beautiful, particularly attractive and ornate. This entertainment alone is said by Augustans to be worth a visit to the city to behold.

Very Low Rates.

The railroads entering Augusta have granted very low rates for this occasion. Three cents a mile for the round trip has been granted from all points in Georgia and South Carolina the tickets being good until the 15th of May for the return trip.

Than Augusta no city in the country is making a harder fight to come back after the biggest fire ever in the state of Georgia or even in Carolina and it is expected that all who admire her pluck and energy will take advantage of the big festival to visit Augusta next week.