The herald., 1894-04-12

Beneath the starlit skies the genius
OF the carnival opened wide the gates
of revelry last evening. The motley
throngs oi gay and grotesqusly raj
mented maskers made the air ring with
the jocund sounds OF merry making.
From east and west and north and
south came thousands of participants in
this mag nifcent festival, and for the
nonce Spring street, with its myriads Of
prismatic lights, its gay streamers. its
crimson lights and lite gorgeous combina-
tion OF brilliant costumes, looked much
like miniature Champs Elysees, into
which had been nodded all the life and
eparkle of Paris on some grand tete day.
1t was q typical carnival scene that
would rival the gayest scenes of Venice.
. 1t was in truth another glorious picture
in this succession of classic psgeants,
and the maskers' parade last night took
added charms with the portals OF
Southern California night draping the
overhanglng canop:es OF heaven. Truly
is the City OF Angeles vaet court in the
palace OF pleasure
Where throngs OF knights and barons bold
In weeds of peace high triumphs hold,
With store of ladies' whose bright eyes
Rain influence, and judge the prize
or wit, or arms, whie b 9TH contend
70 win her grace whom all commend
There let the Queen oft appear
IN 20 den robe, with taper clea',
And pom p, ami feast. and revelry,
With mask and antique pageentry
Such sights rs youthful poets dream
On summer ewes by haunted stream.
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the starry CLEANS msofinnumerable Of electric
lamps, screened by globes OF red, orange
and gold, while the white, dazzling glare
OF lime lights lent new beauties to the
floats typical OF the glorious industries
Of this sunny land. and blended together
the striking colors, giving force and en-
phasis to their spectacular characteris
tics. while the contours were eoftened
into lines of beauty and grace Taken
from any point OF view, the second car
nival parade was superbly royal pro-
gress, wing with those grandiose spec-
taeles OF the Elzabethan era in infinite
uaristv of picturesque detail, iniancastic
touches and in the lavish richness of
gorgeous eoloring.
Los Angeles principal thoroughfares
were thronged at an early hour by the
expectant multitudes. who lined the
sidewalks for miles, while every window
along the route OF the parade had its
hevy OF Interested sightseers. Out in
Central park, on the grand stand, where
the quesn OF la fiesta formally received
the golden key of the city, the fair
queen and her court OF beautiful angels,
masked in motley raiment, sat in etate
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A cluster of electric lamps aud two lime
lights illuminated the court scene, and
as each troop OF maskers passed they
bent in graceful salutatons before the
empress of the revels. In truth, it was
a goodly scene that would enthuse the
fancy OF the most ascetic recluse. The
charming feature which characterized
both maskers and spectators was the
absolute spirit OF good will which seemed
all-pervading. 1t seemed as though
each and every one of that vast army OF
people had become thoroughly imbued
with the true spirit of the ca rnival and
was determined for the time being to
extract the full need OF pleasure from
each paeHing hour, believing that while
the carnival queen wields her scepter
time treads on flowers
The parade WAS sn imposing one in
the fullest sense. The gaily decorated
floats, from which the groups of maskera
kept up a constant fusillade of brilliant
pyrotechnics looked fully az effective as
they did in the pageant OF the opening
day OF la fiesta. The added features
were the troops of maskers, who pic
turesquely filed in the spaces between
the fioats. There were all the elements
OF y Midsummer Nights Dream typified
by the revelers. There knights and
troubsdours, Goths and Vandals, Greeks
and Romans, almost every page of his
tory or canto of epic poesy found its
type and exemplar in the passing throng,
while the fancies in raiment ran feirly
riot in the realm of romance, Twice
was the hour glass turned ere this aai-
mated picture of the ages had passed
the throne of the queen. and With the
termination Of the parade it seemed as
though the merrymaking had Just be-
gun. Crowds OF masked merrymakers
were to be met on all the principal
streets, intent ON the maddest pranks of
merriment, and so on it continued until
after midnight. In sooth it was night
OF revelry such 40 the City of the An
gels had never known before in the long
train of festivals.
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