The San Francisco call., 1895-07-15
Frenchmen of San Francisco
Observe Their Nations
Fete Day.
A VERY GRAND CELEBRATION.
Thousands Upon Thousands Enjoy
the Big Outing at Shell Mound
Park.

been exceeded in this or any other city In
the United States And this is saying a
great deal when one comes to consider
how dear to the Gallo heart the day
really is.
The 14th of July is to the French what
the Glorious Fourth is to Americans. In
each case it marks the formal and forcible
uprising of the people against tyranny
and oppression, the one sublime act in
both cases only being performed after
actual hostilities had been commenced
Had it not been for that Fourth
of July, 1776, it is more than likely
that the 14th of July of Paris and the
Bastile and the mobs of 1889 would not
have been possible. The French were
ground down under the heels of mon
archy, magnificently Indifferent to their
sufferings, but historians agree that 1t is
doubtful that the uprising of the oppressed
of France would have occurred as speedily
as it did had it not been for the sublime
struggle for freedom from a CALLING yoke
successfully made by the revolutionary
fathers.
But be that as it may, the 14th of July,
1889, came and passed burning into history,
to be welcomed and welcomed as 1t made
its annual pilgrimage athwart the face OF
the sun as the great fete day and national
holiday of France.
And the members of the French colony,
men, women and children, welcomed it
yesterday and celebrated its sunny hours
and its dying ones, lighted by myriad OF
beautiful fire displays, as they had never
celebrated it before. For weeks they had
been working upon 1t, the members OF
committees being buster than bees the
while The completed whole yesterday
showed how splendidly the celebration
had been planned, and how harmoniously
and well everybody worked.
1t was beautiful. The parade in the
morning was full of color and movement
and music. The exercises in the big pa
vilion at Shell Mound and the games out
doors in the afternoon we're extremely en-
ioyable, drawing thousands and thousands
of people from the City, but the grand eli
max took place only at night, when the
heavens were set in blaze by wonderful
and magnificent pyrotechnlcal displays. 1t
there were none who had the pleasure of |
participating to the full who did not re-
gret the last blare of the trumpet which |
heralded the dawn OF another day.
The celebration began at o'clock |
promptly, when, after the civic and mill
tary procession had formed in front of
committee headquarters, 31S Post street,
the signal to start was given.
The column was headed by the band Har-
monte Carnot, playing patriotic airs, to
which the brilliantly dressed Legion Fran
caise, which followed, kept splendid step.
Captain Froment was IN command of this
company and he presented most marshal
figure. Next came the Lafayette Guards,
Captain Milly. The Zouaves in fez and gait |
ers, with drums beating and colors flying, |
in command of Captain Deschamps, |
brought up the rear of the military display, |
its young vivandiere receiving quite as
much applause from the spectators as did
the pretty daughters OF the preceding COM
panies.
Following the military organizations
came the members of the various commit
tees. Down Post to Kearny they marched,
flags flying and music playing, down
Kearny to Market and down the latter
broad thoroughfare, followed by thousands
to the ferries. The procession then quickly
marched into the ferry-house and on to the
steamer, bound for Shell Mound Park.
Fully thousand persons wearing the tri-
colored ribbons of la belle France crowded
on to the boat with the procession and
plunged peIlmelli into the beautiful grounds
when the Berkeley engine stopped putting
with the weight of its light-hearted load.
Inside of the gate the procession re-
formed and once again the gayly attired
military paraded in line. Upon reaching
the great pavilion the band formed in line
in front of the soldiers at a rest and dis
coursed French national airs for half an
hour, being doubly applauded by the early
arrivals.
Then train after train unloaded its
crowds anxious to join in the pleasures
and exercises Of the day and the arms of
the ticket-takers we're tired ere half the
day was done. Long before noon the vast
grounds were fairly swarming with motion.
The merry-g -go-round whirled and soueaked
to the delight of hundreds and hundreds,
the swings swung high with precious loads
of blushing femininity, the popcorn man
dressed his sticky wares in red, white and
blue papers, the more readily to induce the
sweet-toothed patriotic sons of Gallo sires
to purchase his wares.
The man in the shooting gallery got an
extra wiggle on his targets and the tintype
man photographed everything in sight at
% cents per shot.
Beneath the shadiest of trees and in
leafy arbors family parties snugly en-
sconsed themselves and opened out dainty
lunches, fortifying themselves the while
against the exertions of what promised to
be busy afternoon.
Noon passed and the MONDAY meal had
been washed down by many cooling
draught, and still the gayly dressed crowds
trooped in from the City. AT 2 o'clock
there were easily 5000 people on the
grounds, in the arbors and booths, and
crowding the big pavilion. awaiting the
opening Of the formal exercises OF the day.
Shortly after 2 o'clock the sound of a
trumpet marked the reassembling of the
troops, and in few moments, headed by
the band, they entered the pavilion and
formed company front, the big shake of a
sapper OF the guards showing high above
all heads. With muskets at the present
the soldiers stood, the band playing the
"Alsace-Lorraine March" as French Con-
sui Lalande, Honorary President Sylvan
WE'LL, president of the day, the heads OF
committees and military guard made
their entrance on to the gaily decorated
stage. On all sides was an artistic pro-
fusion of sweet-smelling flowers and tender
greens, while all about were the waving
flags of France and the United States.
The stage picture was a pretty one and |
worth the applause which greeted the ap- |
pearance of the officers of the day. The |
grand pavilion, too, which was crowded |
to the utmost, was magnifcentiy draped |
in the colors of France and the United |
States.
AS the last note of the march died away |
in the rafters Sylvan WE'LL advanced to |
the center of the stage. He congratulated |
his countrymen upon the celebration and |
told them to go ahead and enjoy them
selves, remembering the occasion that had |
brought them together. He spoke of the
prosperous French Republic and touched |