The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-04-19

| up constant ire OF their school yeus,
| bandying raillery back and forth, the girls
| being quite as much up TO date in this
matter as the boys.
! 1t required some time to get the little
army into place, although their drill was
little less than perfect, the companies obey
| ing commands with a precision that could
hardly have been expected of them.
As they passed in front of the Queens
quarters, many of the companies per-
formed salute that provoked applause
from the tribunes. Amid all the correct
ness and precision, proverbs and mottos, 1t
was discovered that at least one school was
not above it's jest. That of Ann street
! had surmounted its banners with a pale
blue representation of a tamaie.
| When ali was in readiness, the knoll be-
| ing now crowded with this army OF chill
| dren, stretching away in exact military
lines, its banners of purple and gold eaten
ing and holding the light of the sun as
| they hung still in the expectancy OF the
| moment; still, also, was the child army
and long line of spectators.
The band has taken position IN the
stand reserved for it to the right of and be-
low the Queen, and the cleaning brass are
raised. The director raises his hands and
there is hush over the great throng; he
lets them fall, and the band, with an en-
phasis designed to inspire the great chorus
of little people, bursts into the first meas
ure of america"
The companies Immediately in front take
it up bravely enough, and from that point
the waves run out to both extremities OF
the line, away down to Sixth street on the
one side and to Seventh on the other, the
sound swelling as it goes until it reaches
magnificent chorus. This is repeated in
less degree with the beginning OF each
verse. 1t rather adds to the effect than
otherwise, for it is in keeping with the
fresh color of everything connected with
this demonstration of the children.
The volume is reached at this climax,
and there is no appearance of overdrilling.
The Queen is standing all the while as a
sovereign should in the presence of this
song and this scene. When it is finished
the band retires from its position and there
is another pause of just a moment, and
then the leader proposes cheer for the
Queen.
Every child within sound of his voice
instantly answers with flag in the air, and
this, too, makes its run down the line
swifter than the song and becomes one
long-continued cheer or reclamation, the
little flags waving like field of wild flow
ers under changing breeze. The big BAN
ners are lifted and dip back and forth.
The band cannot keep silent and the bass
drum and French horn become violently
noisy. Tribunes join in the cheer, the
maids of honor wave their white hand
kerchiefs and parasols.
The Queen, in whose honor it is given,
is waving her handkerchief in return.
The cheer dies down and grows again
louder and more exciting than before.
The demonstration lasts for quite five
minutes until it spends itself and the
Queen takes her seat again upon the
throne.
Then there is the military feat to be
performed of getting this army of little
ones out of the grounds in good form. 1t
was accomplished very well, with military
precision, in fact, but before it was done
the lack of proper police arrangements
manifested itself to the point Of consider
able danger. -pv~
After each of all the demonstrations that
have taken place here the people from the
less favored tribunes have crowded down
the line with the hope of getting glimpse
of the queen, and her majesty's carriage
has had the greatest difficulty in getting
through it for the approach to the throne.
To-day this crowd fell in behind the last
company of the first division of the chill
dren in such numbers that the police were
simply lost in it.
They crowded up to the Queens quarters,
men and women of all ages, some of them
with children in arms. The carriage was
tardy and the crowd packed itself solidly
in the space vacated by the children and
crowded upon the other divisions which
had not been given a chance to form and
made out in line with the first division.
They were faced about, however, and
march away in the narrow space they had
held.
The crowd quickly filed in to this and
crowded upon the approach to the throne,
where a number of women and children
began to call for help. Committee men,
who had been vainly begging the crowd to
keep back, now set to work to extricate
these by pulling them upon the red-car-
peted platform.
Others began to climb up, and 1t began
to look as though the populace would be
crowding upon the throne itself, when out
in the center of the throng two women
tainted in quick succession. This had the
effect of checking the crush as no police
man could. An opening was made, and
women were carried away.
The queens carriage, arriving at the
time, was able with some difficulty to
make it's way through, and the queen, who
had been a somewhat alarmed witness of
all this, drove away, her maids of honor
following.
1t was now past noon and until night
fall, as stated, the children claimed their
right to this, their day of the festival, and
although they have not appeared much in
Spring or Main streets or the other haunts
of men, they have had things all their own
way in the parks. But with nightfall and
when they are abou: to be tucked away in
their little beds, the more jaded jewellers
comes to the front again.
This is the night of the great masoue
ball at the pavilion and a revel of laugh
ing maskers is in progress. The entertain
ment was begun with few tumbling and