The San Francisco call., 1896-05-01
Care Cast Aside by the Joyous
Residents of Sonoma County's
Metropolis.
BEAUTY OF THE DECORATIONS.
An Elaborate but Tasty Profusion of
Red, Green and Yellow Is
Displayed.

SANTA ROSA, CAL, April 30.-The
carnival holds full sway tonight, for the
Queen has just been crowned with pomp
and pageantry, and as President j. C.
Sims expressed it: "The peerless Queen
has revealed herself to her loyal subjects,
and has issued proclamation of banlsh-
ment to consuming cares"
The weather all day has been glorious.
and the preparations for to-morrow's pro-
cession have been progressing merrily.
Tonight the city is one mass of brilliant
carnival coors and fragrant flowers. Even
the oldest inhabitants say they scarcely
know Santa Rosa in her '96 carnival dress,
so greatly have the decorations trans
formed the city. The courthouse, from
dome to stairway, is resplendent in red,
green and yellow bunting. Streamers
t1utter from the apex of the dome to points
all along the para pet, the columns all en-
twined in carnival colors, and the statue
of Minerva, which surmounts the struc-
ture, wears tri-colored cap and waves
aloft the American flag.
The square surrounding the courthouse
is one mass of red, green and yellow, for
scarcely one of the buildings has omitted
to decorate, and Fourth street presents
one long vista of fiuttering flags, arches
and incandescent lights. Most of the
stores wear the carnival colors, many of
them being resplendent in artistic decora-
tons, where moss, flowers, bunting and
| colored lanterns play conspicuous part.
There are six arches distributed along
the principal streets, and strings innu-
| merable of huttering streamers cross and
| recross the principal street. Elaborate
decorations have been lavished upon the
Donahue depot, and even the streetcars
wear carnival colors and are garlsnded
| with flowers. Wherever a convenient spot
offers pretty airy-looking booths have been
erected along the route of to-morrow's
procession, and in these booths the weary
| wayfarer can find food and cooling drinks
for an almost nominal sum, while be sits
10 eat under garlands of roses and ever
green.
Last year visitors came in such hordes
that even bread ran short, but for the
present carnival enough provisions have
been laid in to feed an army. People have
been arriving in town all day, and before
8 O'Clock this evening there was a dense
throng assembled outside the Athenaum
to see the Queen and her cortege arrive
Her Majesty's procession was led by
Roncovieri's Band playing the Fiesta
March," recently composed by the bands
conductor. The Queen rode in a barouche
drawn by six milk-white horses with white
satin trappings, her coach being lined
with satin and furs of white. The maids
of honor followed in gayly decorated car
| riages. 1t was well on toward 8 O'Clock
before the strains of the band announced
the approach OF the royal procession. By
this timethe. crowd outside the Athenaum
had increased and every seat in the build-
| ing had been taken, while people were en-
camped in the aisles on stools.
| While waiting for the Queen there was
| plenty of time to admire the decorations.
The ROOF was festooned in carnival colored
bunting, Chinese lanterns and cypress en-.
circled the gallery, and the platform was
banked up with masses of lilies, ferns and
palms.
The throne was white, on dais of white
bearskin, and overhead was huge pink
and white butterfly. As the commotion
outside warned the people within the
theater that the procession had arrived,
there was loud and prolonged applause.
The queen and her attendants adjourned
to the anteroom, while the band took the
platform and played the overture to
robin Hood"
augural address, said among other grace
full things:
1.-The Santa Rosa rose carnivals have at
tracted particular attention and have
achieved special glory. The residents of
this community annually make princely
preparations for them, and all take pride
in their success. Thanks to the kind
efforts of the people ana of the press of
this State, failures are as yet unknown.
To these carnivals all are invited and
given fitting welcome"
The speaker went on to pay graceful
compliment to the queens OF the various
festivals and spoke warmly of the
athletic sporrs>and their beneficial influ-
ence on the young people. In conclu-
sion let me say to those who have favored
us with their presence during this festival,
that with the fragrance OF our flowers, we
mingle the sweeter fragrance OF our well
| come"
As soon as the applause aroused by the
presidents speech had subsidized, a bugle
blast from the entrance, answered by one
from the platform, announced the advent
of the Queen. The band struck up the
Coronation March," the doors were
thrown open, and a train OF eight little
maluS I'D WElte ensefeu, throwing MOWERS
in the Queens way. The children, who
all looked about Syears old, were led by
Mable Ware and Marguerite Kingston.
Next came the maids of honor. dressed
two ana two alike, in dainty shades of
white pink and green organdie. They
were: Dacia Fairbanks and Henrietta
Cantel, Petaluma; Lena Brash, Clover
dale; Annie McLain, Healdsburg; Sadie
McMullen, iSebastopol; Edith Brooks,