LARIMORE
Somebody once said a pageant was a big outdoor play in which people in everyday walks of life—John and Joe and Susan—take an active part and tell the story of what happened in the neighborhood, county, or state in their own manner. It is something that might be called a human festival, because the people young and old and even “the animals, the oxen and the horse, the donkey and the dog” all take part.
This particular kind of a play was especially well portrayed in “The Story of Grand Forks County,” a historical pageant in five episodes, which was presented in the little town of Larimore on June second, nineteen hundred and twenty. Thirty different communities, working in coöperation and under the direction of a central committee, selected the material,dramatized the events, and acted the parts. One thousand persons, ranging in age from a seven-months-old baby to a white-haired man of sixty-five were the players. Schools, churches, clubs, bands, choruses, and various other social agencies contributed their enthusiasm and energies in making the spectacle a success. Ten thousand people saw the production. Eleven hundred automobiles were parked on the grounds, and this did not include those standing in rows in the center of down-town streets.
Larimore, after all, isn’t such a big town, but it is a mighty interesting place. Its population is made up of people who appreciate the big things in life. And when a worth-while thing comes along they put their shoulders to the wheel and—well they make whatever it is go. They showed their mettle when they built the stage for the pageant in a corner of their newly laid-out park. For several days, sometimes in the morning as early as five o’clock, the men in the community were up and at work. They used ice tongs to carry the four hundred bridge planks, which, by the way, were eighteenfeet long, twelve inches wide, and four inches thick. They borrowed these from the county commissioners and constructed a huge platform seventy-two feet in width and thirty-six feet in depth. The background was one hundred and fifty-six feet long and twenty feet in height. There were two wings, fourteen and sixteen feet high respectively, on each side. All of these were covered with branches of trees cut and hauled on hayracks from a nearby brook. In the center of the background rows of seats were built in the shape of a tree which held a chorus of two hundred girls, robed in pure white. They came from different sections of the county and sang during the interludes. The seats were arranged in amphitheater style. At each corner a band was stationed. Tents pitched back of the stage were used for dressing rooms. The stage manager happened to be a local auto taxi owner.
June second was an ideal day. At two o’clock in the afternoon the buglers announced the opening of “The Story of Grand Forks County,” a historical pageant in five episodes. Then came the procession of the bands and achorus. The prologue or story of the play followed. It was written by one schoolmaster and given by another. It is well worth quoting, for it not only shows a fine poetic temperament but tells the history of one of America’s finest agricultural counties.
“Friends, we have gathered here beneath the vaulted sky,In God’s great out-of-doors, where nature greets the eye,With grass and trees and flowers—we’ve gathered here to stageThe story of our County down to the present age.In song and dance and tableau its history will be told;In interludes and episodes our pageant will unfold.We journey back in fancy a span of fifty years,Back to the days of Indians and hardy pioneers.Here waves a sea of prairie grass upon the endless plain;Here lies a pile of whitening bones that mark the bison’s reign.Within a fringe of forest green that skirts a river’s flow,The Indians are breaking camp—’tis time for them to go.‘The white man comes,’ the scouts report, ‘our hunting here is done,The white man comes and we must go, on towards the setting sun.’“As night comes on and in the west the sun sets for the day,Full slowly up the valley an ox-team weaves its way.It draws a covered wagon. On the driver’s seat a man,His head turned back, is speaking to a woman in the van;‘Look, Mary, there’s a likely spot in yonder grove of trees,There’s water, fuel, fish, and game; the grass comes to my knees;The land is fertile, level, smooth—what need to farther roam?Come let us halt in this fair place and build ourselves a home.’Thus did they come, our pioneers, brave husband, braver wife,Heroic souls that sang and worked and asked no odds of life.So friends, to-day, the picture that first will meet our sight,Is the leaving of the red man and the coming of the white.The world is restless, craves to move, and therefore mankind feelsA deep abiding gratitude to the man who first made wheels.The great improvements made in wheels, the constant evolutionFrom wagon down to motor car has caused a revolution,Affecting every phase of life, our business and our pleasure,And proved itself in countless ways a blessing beyond measure.It was a happy day indeed when on the frontier trailsThe pioneers beheld the sight of shining iron rails,That spelled the end of grueling trips to market by ox-team,And heralded the coming of their greatest ally—steam.When now the growth and progress of transportation’s shown,It will explain one reason why prosperity has grown.“Year after year more settlers came, each year more fields were tilled,And lavish Nature blessed their work, their granaries were filledWith golden wheat and other grains; their herds of cattle grew;They prospered greatly and progressed and those who failed were few.Then one by one the towns sprang up, with smithy, bank, and store,With elevator, mill, and yard, and markets at their door.The towns and farms worked hand in hand, theirs was a common cause.And from the start unto this day, advancing without pause,Our industries have grown apace, have made our County great—Till it is known both far and wide the banner of the State.“The greatest factor in the growth of county, state, or nation,No thing is dearer to our hearts than is the common school,What makes for happiness and peace is public education;For well we know that it must be if liberty shall rule.Our fathers when they came built schools, albeit they were rude,Judged by our standards, poorly taught, ill-disciplined, and crude.These schools did foster splendid men and noble women too;And from that small beginning our present system grew.Our pageant here will show to you how we have forged ahead,How in the work of betterment our schools have always led.Yet, we can not be satisfied with that which we have done,For after all our schools’ advance is only well begun.“Whence came these men who wrought these deeds? What land did give them birth?They came from distant lands and climes, from far across the earth.The Frenchman came; the Irishman; the German, Scotch, and Norse;And every mother’s son of them, a man of strength and force,That threw himself into the work with hands and heart and brain,That labored for our Country’s weal with all his might and main,Their children, born beneath our flag and fostered in our schools,Hold for the land of liberty a love that never cools;They all are real Americans—Americans through and throughThey stand for order, law, and right, for all that’s good and true.So in this pageant of to-day as episodes unfoldThe marvels of our progress; as our wondrous growth is told,All is centered round the people; ’tis their story we portray,For the people made the County what the County is to-day.”G. T. Almen.
“Friends, we have gathered here beneath the vaulted sky,In God’s great out-of-doors, where nature greets the eye,With grass and trees and flowers—we’ve gathered here to stageThe story of our County down to the present age.In song and dance and tableau its history will be told;In interludes and episodes our pageant will unfold.We journey back in fancy a span of fifty years,Back to the days of Indians and hardy pioneers.Here waves a sea of prairie grass upon the endless plain;Here lies a pile of whitening bones that mark the bison’s reign.Within a fringe of forest green that skirts a river’s flow,The Indians are breaking camp—’tis time for them to go.‘The white man comes,’ the scouts report, ‘our hunting here is done,The white man comes and we must go, on towards the setting sun.’“As night comes on and in the west the sun sets for the day,Full slowly up the valley an ox-team weaves its way.It draws a covered wagon. On the driver’s seat a man,His head turned back, is speaking to a woman in the van;‘Look, Mary, there’s a likely spot in yonder grove of trees,There’s water, fuel, fish, and game; the grass comes to my knees;The land is fertile, level, smooth—what need to farther roam?Come let us halt in this fair place and build ourselves a home.’Thus did they come, our pioneers, brave husband, braver wife,Heroic souls that sang and worked and asked no odds of life.So friends, to-day, the picture that first will meet our sight,Is the leaving of the red man and the coming of the white.The world is restless, craves to move, and therefore mankind feelsA deep abiding gratitude to the man who first made wheels.The great improvements made in wheels, the constant evolutionFrom wagon down to motor car has caused a revolution,Affecting every phase of life, our business and our pleasure,And proved itself in countless ways a blessing beyond measure.It was a happy day indeed when on the frontier trailsThe pioneers beheld the sight of shining iron rails,That spelled the end of grueling trips to market by ox-team,And heralded the coming of their greatest ally—steam.When now the growth and progress of transportation’s shown,It will explain one reason why prosperity has grown.“Year after year more settlers came, each year more fields were tilled,And lavish Nature blessed their work, their granaries were filledWith golden wheat and other grains; their herds of cattle grew;They prospered greatly and progressed and those who failed were few.Then one by one the towns sprang up, with smithy, bank, and store,With elevator, mill, and yard, and markets at their door.The towns and farms worked hand in hand, theirs was a common cause.And from the start unto this day, advancing without pause,Our industries have grown apace, have made our County great—Till it is known both far and wide the banner of the State.“The greatest factor in the growth of county, state, or nation,No thing is dearer to our hearts than is the common school,What makes for happiness and peace is public education;For well we know that it must be if liberty shall rule.Our fathers when they came built schools, albeit they were rude,Judged by our standards, poorly taught, ill-disciplined, and crude.These schools did foster splendid men and noble women too;And from that small beginning our present system grew.Our pageant here will show to you how we have forged ahead,How in the work of betterment our schools have always led.Yet, we can not be satisfied with that which we have done,For after all our schools’ advance is only well begun.“Whence came these men who wrought these deeds? What land did give them birth?They came from distant lands and climes, from far across the earth.The Frenchman came; the Irishman; the German, Scotch, and Norse;And every mother’s son of them, a man of strength and force,That threw himself into the work with hands and heart and brain,That labored for our Country’s weal with all his might and main,Their children, born beneath our flag and fostered in our schools,Hold for the land of liberty a love that never cools;They all are real Americans—Americans through and throughThey stand for order, law, and right, for all that’s good and true.So in this pageant of to-day as episodes unfoldThe marvels of our progress; as our wondrous growth is told,All is centered round the people; ’tis their story we portray,For the people made the County what the County is to-day.”G. T. Almen.
“Friends, we have gathered here beneath the vaulted sky,In God’s great out-of-doors, where nature greets the eye,With grass and trees and flowers—we’ve gathered here to stageThe story of our County down to the present age.In song and dance and tableau its history will be told;In interludes and episodes our pageant will unfold.We journey back in fancy a span of fifty years,Back to the days of Indians and hardy pioneers.Here waves a sea of prairie grass upon the endless plain;Here lies a pile of whitening bones that mark the bison’s reign.Within a fringe of forest green that skirts a river’s flow,The Indians are breaking camp—’tis time for them to go.‘The white man comes,’ the scouts report, ‘our hunting here is done,The white man comes and we must go, on towards the setting sun.’
“Friends, we have gathered here beneath the vaulted sky,
In God’s great out-of-doors, where nature greets the eye,
With grass and trees and flowers—we’ve gathered here to stage
The story of our County down to the present age.
In song and dance and tableau its history will be told;
In interludes and episodes our pageant will unfold.
We journey back in fancy a span of fifty years,
Back to the days of Indians and hardy pioneers.
Here waves a sea of prairie grass upon the endless plain;
Here lies a pile of whitening bones that mark the bison’s reign.
Within a fringe of forest green that skirts a river’s flow,
The Indians are breaking camp—’tis time for them to go.
‘The white man comes,’ the scouts report, ‘our hunting here is done,
The white man comes and we must go, on towards the setting sun.’
“As night comes on and in the west the sun sets for the day,Full slowly up the valley an ox-team weaves its way.It draws a covered wagon. On the driver’s seat a man,His head turned back, is speaking to a woman in the van;‘Look, Mary, there’s a likely spot in yonder grove of trees,There’s water, fuel, fish, and game; the grass comes to my knees;The land is fertile, level, smooth—what need to farther roam?Come let us halt in this fair place and build ourselves a home.’Thus did they come, our pioneers, brave husband, braver wife,Heroic souls that sang and worked and asked no odds of life.So friends, to-day, the picture that first will meet our sight,Is the leaving of the red man and the coming of the white.The world is restless, craves to move, and therefore mankind feelsA deep abiding gratitude to the man who first made wheels.The great improvements made in wheels, the constant evolutionFrom wagon down to motor car has caused a revolution,Affecting every phase of life, our business and our pleasure,And proved itself in countless ways a blessing beyond measure.It was a happy day indeed when on the frontier trailsThe pioneers beheld the sight of shining iron rails,That spelled the end of grueling trips to market by ox-team,And heralded the coming of their greatest ally—steam.When now the growth and progress of transportation’s shown,It will explain one reason why prosperity has grown.
“As night comes on and in the west the sun sets for the day,
Full slowly up the valley an ox-team weaves its way.
It draws a covered wagon. On the driver’s seat a man,
His head turned back, is speaking to a woman in the van;
‘Look, Mary, there’s a likely spot in yonder grove of trees,
There’s water, fuel, fish, and game; the grass comes to my knees;
The land is fertile, level, smooth—what need to farther roam?
Come let us halt in this fair place and build ourselves a home.’
Thus did they come, our pioneers, brave husband, braver wife,
Heroic souls that sang and worked and asked no odds of life.
So friends, to-day, the picture that first will meet our sight,
Is the leaving of the red man and the coming of the white.
The world is restless, craves to move, and therefore mankind feels
A deep abiding gratitude to the man who first made wheels.
The great improvements made in wheels, the constant evolution
From wagon down to motor car has caused a revolution,
Affecting every phase of life, our business and our pleasure,
And proved itself in countless ways a blessing beyond measure.
It was a happy day indeed when on the frontier trails
The pioneers beheld the sight of shining iron rails,
That spelled the end of grueling trips to market by ox-team,
And heralded the coming of their greatest ally—steam.
When now the growth and progress of transportation’s shown,
It will explain one reason why prosperity has grown.
“Year after year more settlers came, each year more fields were tilled,And lavish Nature blessed their work, their granaries were filledWith golden wheat and other grains; their herds of cattle grew;They prospered greatly and progressed and those who failed were few.Then one by one the towns sprang up, with smithy, bank, and store,With elevator, mill, and yard, and markets at their door.The towns and farms worked hand in hand, theirs was a common cause.And from the start unto this day, advancing without pause,Our industries have grown apace, have made our County great—Till it is known both far and wide the banner of the State.
“Year after year more settlers came, each year more fields were tilled,
And lavish Nature blessed their work, their granaries were filled
With golden wheat and other grains; their herds of cattle grew;
They prospered greatly and progressed and those who failed were few.
Then one by one the towns sprang up, with smithy, bank, and store,
With elevator, mill, and yard, and markets at their door.
The towns and farms worked hand in hand, theirs was a common cause.
And from the start unto this day, advancing without pause,
Our industries have grown apace, have made our County great—
Till it is known both far and wide the banner of the State.
“The greatest factor in the growth of county, state, or nation,No thing is dearer to our hearts than is the common school,What makes for happiness and peace is public education;For well we know that it must be if liberty shall rule.Our fathers when they came built schools, albeit they were rude,Judged by our standards, poorly taught, ill-disciplined, and crude.These schools did foster splendid men and noble women too;And from that small beginning our present system grew.Our pageant here will show to you how we have forged ahead,How in the work of betterment our schools have always led.Yet, we can not be satisfied with that which we have done,For after all our schools’ advance is only well begun.
“The greatest factor in the growth of county, state, or nation,
No thing is dearer to our hearts than is the common school,
What makes for happiness and peace is public education;
For well we know that it must be if liberty shall rule.
Our fathers when they came built schools, albeit they were rude,
Judged by our standards, poorly taught, ill-disciplined, and crude.
These schools did foster splendid men and noble women too;
And from that small beginning our present system grew.
Our pageant here will show to you how we have forged ahead,
How in the work of betterment our schools have always led.
Yet, we can not be satisfied with that which we have done,
For after all our schools’ advance is only well begun.
“Whence came these men who wrought these deeds? What land did give them birth?They came from distant lands and climes, from far across the earth.The Frenchman came; the Irishman; the German, Scotch, and Norse;And every mother’s son of them, a man of strength and force,That threw himself into the work with hands and heart and brain,That labored for our Country’s weal with all his might and main,Their children, born beneath our flag and fostered in our schools,Hold for the land of liberty a love that never cools;They all are real Americans—Americans through and throughThey stand for order, law, and right, for all that’s good and true.So in this pageant of to-day as episodes unfoldThe marvels of our progress; as our wondrous growth is told,All is centered round the people; ’tis their story we portray,For the people made the County what the County is to-day.”
“Whence came these men who wrought these deeds? What land did give them birth?
They came from distant lands and climes, from far across the earth.
The Frenchman came; the Irishman; the German, Scotch, and Norse;
And every mother’s son of them, a man of strength and force,
That threw himself into the work with hands and heart and brain,
That labored for our Country’s weal with all his might and main,
Their children, born beneath our flag and fostered in our schools,
Hold for the land of liberty a love that never cools;
They all are real Americans—Americans through and through
They stand for order, law, and right, for all that’s good and true.
So in this pageant of to-day as episodes unfold
The marvels of our progress; as our wondrous growth is told,
All is centered round the people; ’tis their story we portray,
For the people made the County what the County is to-day.”
G. T. Almen.
G. T. Almen.
After the prologue, the five episodes and interludes were enacted in a manner highly satisfactory to the ten thousand spectators. Real Indians, dog and pony travois, an old prairie schooner, a sod shanty, the Red River ox-cart, the first railroad engine to enter the county, a stage coach of pioneer days, the cradle, the reaper, the old breaking plow, the one room school house, the different peoples from foreign countries who settled in the county, added interest and gave color to the pageant. The children from the different schools in the county were costumed to represent the different grains,the prairie roses and the violets, the strawberries and the potatoes. One set of girls interpreted an original wind dance. A boys’ band, a business men’s band, a farmers’ band, and a chorus furnished the music.
The final tableau or scene was a magnificent sight, something that will never be forgotten. In the center of the forest background on tiers of raised seats, two hundred girls clad in white were standing. Above them the Stars and Stripes were floating. Down on the stage, a thousand players, real country people, were grouped. On the ground and in a circle ten thousand people were standing. The bands were playing and everybody was singing “The Star-Spangled Banner.”
One who stood there and looked at it all could not help but think what tremendous opportunities there are out on these prairies, if only the people can find their true expression. As a certain person who was very active in making it a success said, “What shall we say of it? What shall be the future?” The joy of self-expression is a supreme one. “I was in it.” “I made a poster.” “We made the violet costumes.”“Our dog hauled the wigwam”—in fact, “I helped,” these are the words on every lip. Truly it was a pageant “of the people, by the people, for the people,” with none too great nor too small to participate.
For everyone it has meant a great lesson in patriotism and coöperation. For each community in the county it means a refreshing social contact and an unselfish interest in local affairs. It means the creating of pure and wholesome pleasure, rather than the purchasing of that which is often doubtful. It means the discovery of much hidden talent. For the individual it means greater development of social consciousness, a broader and deeper appreciation of his brother and friend, a desire not only to do something for himself but to help someone else. And this is the real gospel of America to-day, the flower of service, which with the aid of stirring imagination will develop into one of everlasting sweetness and beauty.
Up in Grand Forks County they have a county superintendent with a vision, one who not only sees but organizes and does the things.The pageant did what she dreamed it would do. It brought into play all the talent of the county. The art of the people was expressed through the setting, the costumes, the posters, and the light effects; the music, through song and instrument; the organizing power through promotion, seating arrangement, rehearsal, and presentation; the mechanical genius through the stage construction; and the literary ability through the gathering, the arranging, and the writing of the subject matter.
When all these faculties are brought into exercise, they cannot help but arouse the creative instincts in the mind of the county or the community. They appeal to the heart instincts. This is one of the pageant’s great values to society.