A Night of Dolls, Knives, and Highland Flings

It looked as though nearly all the young ones in Olympia had congregated in the Unitarian church last evening. The heavy rain did not interfere in the least, and the children entered into the enjoyment of the evening as though they meant business. Each one tried to outdo the other in noise and a perfect din prevailed. Every child looked as bright and happy as a pretty costume and a children’s party could make it. In the grand march they presented an unusually pretty sight, with nearly 250 boys and girls in line. This was followed by the Highland Fling, danced by Miss Rosa Brown and Miss Millie West, and Miss Pearl Hall in the Sailor’s Hornpipe. The young ladies never fail to attract the greatest interest in the execution of the fancy dances. A general dance, in which all the children participated, followed. From lines stretched across the rooms were suspended dolls of all sizes and colors, and on a table were displayed all sorts of jackknives. The line on which the dolls were suspended broke and in the fall several fine dolls were damaged which almost broke the hearts of their little owners. Miss Aver and Mrs. Shepherd awarded the prizes for dolls, as follows: For the prettiest the little Misses Perry had twin dolls, which were awarded the first prize of a tete-a-tete set of doll’s glass ware. Miss Iva Whitney took the second prize of a case of perfumery, for the oldest doll. Quite a little fun was occasioned in awarding the prize of a whistling parrot, for the ugliest doll, which was received by Miss Barbara Macleay. It was an original representation of old Julia, the Indian woman, whose face is familiar on Main street. The jackknife prizes were won as follows: For the oldest knife, to Sylvester Bethel, who displayed a knife 110 years old, and received a prize of a note book and pencil. For the handsomest knife Clifford Brown took the second prize of a baseball, and for the ugliest, Glen Robertson took the third prize of a tin horn. One knife bore a label stating that it came over in the Mayflower, but in the back of the knife was a corkscrew, and the committee decided that the Puritans had some other method of extracting corks. The evidence was not admitted. Rev. Mr. Hoagland, Mr. Stone and Mr. Funk awarded the prizes. Ice cream and cake were served, after the dancing. The 'Little Helpers' form a sewing society, which was organized by Mrs. Avis Stewart. Last night their party brought them in $28, which will be used in the purchase of a pulpit chair.