Yesterday Pilsen Park saw the first of the two celebrations arranged by the Sdruzeni Svobodomyslnych Spolku (Association of Freethinkers) of Chicago to commemorate the quincentenary of the martyred death of John Huss, the great reformer and staunch defender of truth whom the Bohemian people regard as the most brilliant figure of their glorious history. The free thought group of Bohemian-Chicago proved beyond a doubt that it appreciates the significance of the drama that took place on the shores of Lake Constance. Yesterday's celebration commemorated with solemn dignity one of the most impressive events in the history of the world.

The Pilsen Brewery Park became the gathering place for the pupils of our free thought Saturday and Sunday schools, and the celebration may be justly called a tribute of the Bohemian-American youth to the memory of our giant of Husinec [Huss' birthplace in Southern Bohemia]. Perhaps never before has 2such a multitude of our young people assembled. The children came to the meeting place in streams, accompanied by their teachers, from all directions. They met at the Ceska Svobodomyslna Skola Vojta Naprstek (Vojta Naprstek Bohemian Free Thought School) on Homan Avenue, and shortly after two o'clock the march through the streets of Bohemian California started; the parade wound like an endless serpent to the children's destination. Of the two thousand pupils enrolled in the schools more than half participated in the parade. Some of them were dressed in national costumes, but all of them carried little flags in national colors. Particularly colorful were couples of little boys and girls in sokol uniforms, boys in their red shirts, tan coats, and breeches, girls in blue and white. The parade was picturesquely arranged and, accompanied by the music of Mr. Rudolf Rubringer's band, caused a great deal of excitement all along the line of march.

The program of the afternoon festivities was very ably selected. It consisted 3mostly of recitations, singing, and tableaux. The introductory words were pronounced by teacher Ruda Bubenicek whose speech about the significance of John Huss, his teachings, and the scope of his field of endeavor was very well adapted to the mental sphere of his little listeners.....

Pupils and teachers of practically every free thought school in Chicago participated in the afternoon's program.....

All numbers were well presented, and the teachers deserve a full measure of recognition for the carefulness with which they studied the numbers on the program with their little charges. Throughout the duration of the program the spacious pavilion was filled to capacity and many of those who wanted to attend the festival had to stay outside.....Most successful, impressive, and important was the evening celebration which changed the appearance of the park to that of a huge open-air camp--a massmeeting. The site of the program was the open space behind the pavilion, and there the crowd was 4especially thick. The parade that preceded the night festivities indicated that the attendance at the celebration would be large beyond all expectations. The parade assembled at six o'clock at the hall of the Cesko-Slovanske Podporujici Spolky (Bohemian-Slavonic Benevolent Societies), May and 18th Streets. From there it marched in the following order: the band followed by the Narodni Jednota Sokolska (National Sokol Union), the Sokol Zupa Fuegner-Tyrs, the Delnicka Telocvicna Jednota (Workingmen's Gymnastic Union), the Cesko-Slovansti Vyslouzilci (Bohemian-Slavonic Veterans), the Jednota Ceskych Vlastenek (Unity of Bohemian Patriotic Women), the Podpurny Spolek Plzenskych Rezniku (Benevolent Association of Pilsen Butchers) with their band, the Social Section [sic], the Beseda J. V. Fric (J. V. Fric Club), the Union of Bohemian Building Trades with band, Carpenters Union No. 1786, chapters of the Cesko-Slovanske Podporujici Spolky with band, the Jednota Taboritu (Taborites), the chapters of the Cesko-Slovanska Bratrska Podporujici Jednota (Bohemian-Slavonic Benevolent Brotherhood), chapters of the Cesko-Americti Lesnici a Lesnice (Bohemian-American Men and Women Foresters), the Cesko-Americka Jednota 5(Bohemian-American Unity) with music, and various delegations. A large number of banners and flags were carried by the marchers. The impressive parade attracted a great deal of attention, particularly when marching through the streets of Bohemian California whose curbs were crowded with people. The length of the parade may be estimated by the fact that it took almost twenty minutes between the front and rear of it to pass the wide gate of Pilsen Park.

The celebration was the finest ever. The program consisted of speeches, vocal and instrumental selections, and tableaux, which were particularly successful.....The public was really appreciative. The evening was not over until about eleven o'clock when the people gradually started for home. The success of the evening was complete in every respect, and its organizers may feel fully satisfied with the result of their efforts. Our public supported the affair to the utmost. The commemoration of our Martyr of Constance was fully satisfactory.