September 2, 1948 Tribune

Historical Pageant A Success

The presentation of the Historical Pageant, sponsored by the UNESCO, Friday night was a success. By a conservative estimate, 2,000 people attended and over 1000 were seated in the stadium. Many stood and some were unable to see. It was a happy crowd that milled around and patronized the booths.

Colored lights were used to emphasize the colors on the costumes. The author began the story of Morganville with a beautiful descriptive story of the virgin prairies. Then the Indians moved onto the stage. Later the arrival of the three families known as the first settlers, just after the Civil War, the Silvers, Millers and Andersons. Some of their children were present to represent them. Then Capt. and Mrs. Ebenezer Morgan of New London, Conn., for whom Morganville was named entered the story. The pageant was a story of their lives.

Other settlers came from many other lands and they were represented by their descendants or volunteers who played their parts. Peoples from Asia, Europe and the Orient were represented and their story was told with music, dance, song, costume of some custom that was typical of them. The American cowboys were there in costume and sang the cowboy songs.

The 4-H Girls and Boy Scouts were shown. A scout with the American flag with the spot-light on it made a beautiful scene at one time.

After the years of hardship, the years of plenty were shown and the idea of sharing with our adopted town of Feves, France, was exemplified by contrasting our full basket of food with the empty basket of the needy overseas. The World Wars entered the picture. With the French group was a French girl and an American Doughboy of the first World War. At the conclusion of the scene of the second World War, Rev. E. H. Millikan, a chaplain over seas, gave the benediction. Mrs. G. I. Bodine and Miss Alice McLavy, both over eighty years, represented the women of the church, a Sunday School girl and a singer completed the scene. Mrs. Viola Pettey Carson represented the early day school teacher.

After the wars, motherhood was pictured, turning the globe, searching for her lost children - those who did not return. The story of hardship was told to show the village of Feves that hardship was met and overcome before we had plenty, and they too will win.

The soloists for the evening were: Lyle Bloom who sang the "Star Spangled Banner," Midn. Ivan Roenigk sang �The Marseillaise," the national anthem of France, Lennea Oetinger, a Russian dance, and Mrs. Wm Silver sang "Madame Butterfly" in a Japanese scene.

J. K. Walter, president of the County UNECSO, read a few telegrams and introduced Robt. Sonkin of New York City, a representative of Operation Democracy, who spoke to the audience. Mr. Sonkin took a recording of the pageant which will be broadcast over station WRUL at New York.

The script was written by Velma Carson. Velma Hahn Young directed the pageant and conducted the orchestra. Mrs. S. A. Anderson was the reader.

At this time, we wish to say it is impossible to give credit to all who helped prepare the pageant or describe any scene or group of actors - all worked hard and all were good, we know it was a success and wish all who wished to see it had been able to. It would take a book to tell of the evening's entertainment. All helped, some in many ways. In fact, the community seemed to just have one thought and that was to make a success of the evening and they did just that.

Mrs. H. L. Oetinger was chairman of the ice cream booth which also sold cake and ice cream. Mrs. Herbert Nelson was chairman of the cookie booth; Ronald Allen, the penny throw and Mrs. Donald Carpenter, the fortune telling booth. Then there was the milk can, representing the need of French children, which yielded $225 when the evening was over, and the bingo stand; Vance Carson's pony, an old army horse, added $10 to the fund by rides for the children at 10 cents per ride.

The old-fashioned dance with Orb Pierson and orchestra played for the old-fashioned dance which lasted long after midnight.


LARGE CROWD ATTENDS PAGEANT AT MORGANVILLE

UNESCO Committee Sponsors Celebration To Raise Funds

Over a thousand people jammed the small stadium at Morganville last Friday night to witness the presentation of a huge historical pageant and attend a street fair and old fashioned square dance, which was sponsored by the Morganville UNESCO committee to raise funds for the war-ravaged village of Feves, France.

Citizens of Morganville and vicinity recently adopted the French town of Feves, and funds realized from this celebration will be used to send food, clothing and other I materials needed for rehabilitation work. Feves is also a small farm community about the size of Morganville, and an added inducement to help them is the fact that our own bombers damaged the village during World War II.

According to a report from the Committee Saturday, over $600 was realized at the celebration. Funds were derived from street booths and free contributions, as no charge was made for the pageant.

Approximately 150 people from Morganville and vicinity took part in the pageant, which depicted scenes, both local and of international significance. Velma Carson of Morganville wrote the script for the pageant and directed its production. Mrs. S. A. Anderson was the narrator, and music was furnished by a local band under the direction of Mrs. Orville Young.

A musical introduction to the pageant included the playing and singing of the American and French national anthems, and then the pageant proper opened with an American Indian scene, followed by scenes of the arrival of Capt. Ebenezer Morgan, a retired Yankee seagoing whaler, who had come west in about 1870, dreaming of having a wild west ranch. He helped found the town that was named for him.

In colorful costumes, a parade of nationality groups that make up this community were seen, and included Swedes, Germans, Scotch and French. Then international scenes were portrayed, such as were seen by the boys who went overseas during World War II. This included an Asiatic scene, a Hawaiian dance, a Greek dance, and a clever Dutch dance, the young girls using wooden beach sandals to represent the typical wooden Dutch shoes.

The pageant then moved on to depict present-day blessings of America and a community such as Morganville and in the revue were seen Boy Scouts, 4-H club boys and girls, representatives of churches and schools, and the farmers with their bountiful crops. The pageant closed with the entire cast appearing on the stage to sing the song of Morganville.

Robert Sonkin of "Operation Democracy," New York City, was present, and he said Morganville was the first Kansas town to undertake such a project and he added that he felt it would be the beginning of a lasting friendship and feeling of goodwill between this American town and French village. "Operation Democracy" helped the Morganville commitee in selecting the town of Feves and making other necessary contacts. Mr. Sonkin made a wire recording of the entire pageant and it will probably be used by the World Wide Broadcasting company for transcription overseas.

Richard Parker, state UNESCO chairman from Manhattan, was present, as well as photographers for UNESCO.

James Walters, Clay county UNESCO chairman, served as master of ceremonies, and he read several congratulatory telegrams received by the Morganville committee on their project. Messages were read from Milton Eisenhower, national UNESCO chairman, the French consulate office in Chicago, and Isabel Greenway King of New York, who is connected with "Operation Democracy."


Pageant Festivities Report

The UNESCO committee reports a total of $613.61 cleared at the festivities after the pageant last Friday night. They wish to thank all for their generous support of this pageant.


UNESCO Photographers

The State UNESCO organization at Manhattan sent Dick Parker to take pictures of the pageant last Friday. He was assisted by Cuanhtemoe Salazor of Mexico City, a student at Kansas State College at Manhattan. Two other commercial photographers who preferred to remain anonymous were here also to get pictures of the pageant and other festivities, Friday night.


UNESCO Meeting

There will be an open meeting at the high school building tomorrow (Friday) night at eight o'clock. Every one interested is invited to attend.


Notes on the Pageant

Many of the costumes worn at the pageant came from overseas. Anton Peterson wore a suit that was the property of John Kalin of Ossawatomie and Mrs. Peterson's dress belonged to Mrs. Verner Alquist of Clay Center. Both costumes were originally from Sweden many years ago. If anyone took the trouble to check on the German band, they would find that they were all decendents of the Ruegg family.

The complete costumes in the Hawiian dance were brought from Hawii by returning servicemen. Mrs. Keith Dawson wore a kimono in the Japanese scene brought to the United States by Lyle Hahn. Lennea Oetinger's Russian costume was bought years ago in a Russian store in New York by Velma Carson.


New York Representative Here

The visit of Robert Sonkin of New York was helpful and encouraging to the UNESCO committee last week. He was very enthusiastic about our efforts toward our adoption of the French town of Feves.

Mr. Sonkin is a representative of Operation Democracy, a non-profit organization sup- ported by people interested in helping the war torn communities of Europe through their adoption by an American town or community, such as Morganville did in adopting Feves. The work is completed in France by the Entraide, the French Agency. �Morganville� he said, �is the smallest town in the United States to do this and the first Kansas community to adopt a French village.� Neodesha, Kansas UNESCO county council has adopted Zevenberger Holland as their project.

Morganville liked Mr. Sonkin and we believe he enjoyed his stay here.