The morning call., 1893-08-25

surrounded with flagpoles and ornamented
with green eucalyptus boughs and great
vlgnettes of Lincoln, Washington and
California extending welcome" to the
people.
Evidently that grand stand was the place
TO get at. and the crowd made for it.
This was where the police came in and
demonstrated its helplessness in an unex-
peeted contingency. The crowd surged
down on the grand stand in its thousands.
The result was that the people were indis-
criminately urged nearer and neaIer to the
wooden barrier preserving the sanctity of
that inclOsure. Closer and closer were
those IN front jammed. and women began
to shrek and men accompanied by femi-
niue or tender little ones began to shove
and swear.
The police did the best they could to re-
lieve the pressure round the grand stand.
but they were too few to do much Pretty
soon the hoodum and chippy element be-
gan to awaken to the chance of rowdvism.
and gangs of hard-lOoking citizens started
In TO wedge themselves toward the Mat
form.
AT last auth ority feared dangerous re-
suits and began TO relent. Women were
dragged up over the barrier, their pretty
toilets draggled and themselves linn and
exhausted. Children were passed up cry-
ing, and even men were admitted to safetv
and ushered out to the rear pur,ieus of
obscuriLy.
This was the hoodlum's chance If any
one was allowed on the stand, why not
he? So with his gang" he made still
more determined rush. and serious trouble
seemed imminent. At that minute the
band of the incoming parade announced
the arrival of more police and several Off
GERS were speedily on the ground.
The bluecoats advanced between the
grand stand and the excited, swaying
mass of people. Clubs were drawn and
hoodlums were ruthlessly pncked ont
from fancied security and thrust witbont
ceremony beneath the planking. What
became of them no one knew. A space
was quickly cleared before the grand
stand and this was maintained to the end
OF the exercises. Had the precaution
been taken before, the hoodlum would
have been spared a temporary triumph
and many delicate persons serious peril.
Elsewhere in the crowd there was q
packing of forms. but no serious conflict.
1t was a good-n atured crowd ANYWAY.
Except those near the grand stand, no one
could hear anything but the music, and
only snatches of that. But it was all
right There were keen eyed prophets
and experts among the crowd.
When any one advanced to the front of
the platform there was always some one
there to say: That's Hammond" mr.
That's Barnes" "He's telling them
what success it is would explain one
patronizingly. or Now he's going to stir
'em up for not contributing dollars
enough" And so il went.
The reflected light on the silver shovel
donated by Mrs. L. j. Wheelock was
caught at by every one. Every one. tho
knew when the shovel was to be nsed to
break ground, and mystic communica-
tions ran through the multitude rs to the
amount paid for the first shovelful of
earth. "a thousand dollars" was one of
the sums mentioned.
But see. hear or not, it was a great time
for the crowd. They knew what thew
were there for. and they enjoyed the half
holiday and the perfect weather.
Perhaps, too. they understood that they