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

III Tic CltludA WIS uOb pleCcO upOIl
ii the fiesta to-day, so far as its
II features are concerned, fancy
will pause and await develop
ments. She will find it difficult to conjure
anything more beautiful than was the
| marshaling and massing the school chill
dren, with their bright faces, fiesta colors,
small individual flags and big company
banners, their thin voiced competitive
school yells and their united and mighty
| song of america" massed as they were
on the knoll in the park before the queen
in the bright morning sun, with the
crowded tribunes for the background and
the spreading green of the park and the
fiuttering flags of the Maypoles and the
queen and her retinue high above them.
1t was the first demonstration that had
brought the Queen to her feet, and she
would not have been the good merry
hearted Queen that she is if she could have
resisted this. For, when the band struck
the first noble note of America" and all
that throng of fresh-voiced children joined
with and followed it through it's majestic
cadences and at the finish their leader pro-
posed three cheers for the Queen, and
every one of the multitude raised and
waved an American flag, the color-bearers
of each company waving their big banners,
while great cheer rose and ran down the
line and came back again, the thing was
so inspiring and contagious that the trib-
unes look it UP and led the roar of thun-
der to it; the press and reserved boxes
t1anking the throne on each side caught
the contagion, and long before this the
maids of honor, forming a bank Of white
on the red steps of the throne, were wav-
ing their white handkerchiefs in almost
hysterical delight.
And the Queen standing on her emil
hence smilingly waved her handkerchief
in gracious and enthusiastic acknowledge
ment and her ladies in waiting with her.
1t was an altogether refreshing thing fol-
lowing as it does the pomp and glitter of
the ceremonies of the earlier days of the
festival.
The city has been owned all day by the
children and they have shown that they
know how to appreciate festival built for
fun. The element of the cap and bells was
crowded out to give place to the simplicity
of pleasure. The parks were turned into
picnic grounds, where children were given
every license and persistently kept on the
grass.
Their mothers and big sisters and fathers
were with them with picnic-baskets and
from sunup to shutdown it was big chill
dren's frolic. The streetcar companies
had given the children carte blanche to
get TO the park and the outer districts and
loaded up the early morning cars with
early-morning children in a way that made
them look like another procession of floats
that might be happily designed to repre-
sent spring.
1t is the only thing on all the gay pro-
gramme to which the morning has been
given, this festival of the children. And
very happily so. 1t belongs to them.
They have been preparing for their share
of the fun for long time and knew their
lesson. The fiesta management had pro-
vided uniform cap for every child in the
ranks, blue, soft-crowned cap with a
Maltese cross on top with fiesta colors.
Every boy provided himself with some
other decoration of the orange, wine and
olive, rosette, a sack, and at least the trio
of ribbons in buttonhole. and every little
maid was dressed in white and wore her
hat quite iauntily.
And every boy and maid alike carried a.
small flag. They were marshaled in COM
panies of fifty under the banners of their
several schools, the banners being of in
finite design and taking their own liberties
with colors. Most of them carried the school
motto or some legend.
The teachers of the schools had COM
mand of the companies and Superintend-
ent Search not only had command of all
of them, but himself carried old glory at
the head.
The Queen was on her throne with her
retinue by the time all was ready,
arrayed in new robes for the occasion-a
dress all of the golden orange. Mrs. Frank
RAIDER, first lady in waiting was dressed in
wine colored gown and Mrs E. M. Ross,
both of them beautiful women, wore the
olive. Here were the fiesta colors en-
bodied on the throne.
The order of the children's parade was
reversed from that of all the others, for
they began at the park and, after passing
before the Queen, marched through the
streets of the city. Perhaps it was because
children rise earlier than Queens, but at
any rate the parade, which started at 10
o'clock went over the route first-not such
long route as the others-and finished at
the Park. The streets were filled to wit
ness it.
There were at least 5000 children in the
line, and the little red schoolhouse conten-
ton is thought to have had little effect
upon the original plans. All along the
line the children were greeted by en-
thusiastic applause, which they answered
by their school yell, for nearly all of the
companies seemed to have one. The pro-
cession was led by Director-General May
berg, escorted by the Gentlemen's Riding
Club, members of the City Council and the
Merchants Association. Superintendent
Search led the schoolchildren with the
flag just behind the Burbank band.
The company of High School cadets
came Immediately after, one OF the classes,
that of 81, wearing uniform of cap and
gown. Many of the other companies of
boys dressed uniformly, while the girls
were nearly all in white. The little people
marched in such order as to prove careful
previous training. 1t was II o'clock when
the head of the procession entered the
park from Seventh street. 1t took the
usual course round 1T. marching eight