The Royal Court of Apples Comes to Spokane
A carnival of orchard royalty and Italian bands prepares to descend on the city for the seventh annual National Apple Show.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The Pacific Northwest’s seventh great annual National Apple Show will be held this year in the very heart of the business district of Spokane during the week of November 16. Two blocks from Howard and Riverside, the recognized center of the city, will be spread the canvas 'big top' which for six days will be the royal palace of King Pip VII, monarch of the apple world. This merry old potentate has summoned his court and counselors for another big session. Brother Jonathan, Macintosh Red, Brother Wagener, Stayman Winesap and the Spitzenburgs will gather from far and near to pay homage to the jolly king. Over 100,000 subjects of his kingdom will visit the court at this session. The show will feature daily conventions for men and women, covering every phase of the apple industry from planting trees to baking pies. There will be other amusements, including Chiarelli's great Italian band, a male chorus of 60 voices, and society dance competitions for silver cups, featuring the tango, one-step, and hesitation waltz.
“This merry old potentate, who for six consecutive years has met with his subjects in six days of high carnival and festivity, has summoned his court and counselors.”
In 1914, Spokane’s apple industry was a massive cultural and economic powerhouse that defined the regional identity. Today, while the industry remains vital, the 'King Pip' carnival spectacle reflects a bygone era of civic boosterism that elevated produce to the status of high art and royalty.
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