Floral Parade Winner!!!

This image was originally published in the March 31, 1910 Indianapolis Star. The photo supported an interesting article about the floral parade that was one of the most anticipated features of the March 1910 Indianapolis Automobile Show.
 
Pictured was Louis G. Deschler in his Chalmers that was the winning car in the "private entry" class. That contest was one of three categories by which cars were organized. The other two were "dealers" and "unique" class.
 
This winning machine in the private owner class was driven by James Neilson. Five young girls rode in the rear seats, all wearing white gowns. All carried branches of Easter Lillies (Easter had been celebrated the previous Sunday) as the entire car was covered with 1,000 of these white flowers as well as Farleuynse Ferns. The design, created by Irvin Bertermann of Bertermann Brothers Company, was of a large gold basket filled with the lillies with wide strips of white ribbons hung in a festoon shape from one end of the vehicle to the other with large bows on the hood. The girls were: Miss Ruth Perry, Miss Ortrud Schmidt, Miss Mabel Meurer and Miss Lucretia Aneshaensel.