The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-04-20
|. .AF|ESTA'S
GAY REVEL
HAS BEGUN
Merry Makers Invade
Queen Francesca's
Realm.
FIND THE ANGEL CITY
GATES AJAR.
Homes of the Angelenos Dec
Grated as They Never
Were Before.
FEAST OF DELIGHTS FOR ALL
WHO COME.
Tonight the Civil Authorities VIII
Surrender to Her Gracious
Majesty.
Homes of the Angelenos Dec
Grated as They Never
Were Before.
FEAST OF DELIGHTS FOR ALL
WHO COME.
To- Night the Civil Authorities VIII
Surrender to Her Gracious
Majesty.

LOS ANGELES. CAL, April 19.-Like
swarm of dronins locusts the sob and
shrek of the fiesta whistle rises upon the
stricken night air from every street and
byway. appalling the transient and giving
cheerful token to the native tnaI MS great
annual festival has begun. Ahefe Is no
o'ner thing in the world so sad and so
'erriiylng by turns as the fiesta whistle,
10 which it has been given to yearly heraio
this season of most unbounded ioyousness.
To-day and tonight are preliminary.
Inc streets are already alive with
strangers, the hotel clerk has alreaoy
taken on that distressed look that lnol-
Gates congestion and is the harbinger OF
the small cot in the Railways and the
psrlors.
There is no doubt at all that the fiesta OF
81 will rise distinctly above its predecess-
ors as an event in every way-a successful
event. The programme prepared, the
elaborate details of every feature OF 1t, the
splendor of the spectacle, the i'm posing
arrangements for viewing it and the dress
and decoration OF the city were all put
forth on scale of magnifieence to which
the attempts of former years have been
but stepping-stones leading or showing
the way. The tribunes that formerly were
temporary structures designed to be torn
away Immediately upon the close of the
gay queens short reign have been ar
ranged and constructed as fixtures. to be
the scene of her gallant display year after
year. And the place and arrangements
serve the purpose nobly. They are built
at large open space at Grand Avenue
Tvua str far
from nor too clese to the center of the
city. They are made to accommodate
5000 people within the view of the queen
and her retinue.
The arrangement is that of an oval,
open at the Twelfth-street end. at the
further end is the throne, and sweeping
round on the right and on the left from
that elevated and favored position, under
Queen Francesca's eye, may be gathered
the multitude. The opening at Twelfth
street is just wide enough to admit of the
entrance and exit of the great parade. The
plan is that it shall enter, make the COM
plete circuit of the great oval and then
make its exit at the same point and wind
away back 10 the city in another direc-
ton. By this plan a noble spectacle may
be presented before the eyes of the Queen,
her retinue and all those enjoying seats
in the tribunes, for not less than half q
mile OF the procession will be i'm nj ediatelv
within the inclosure. The prancing cabsl-
leros will thus not merely pass before the
Queen in the brief interval of half block,
as under the previous arrangement, but
they may be watched as they make their
long approach toward the throne. and
then, swinging past it in the shorter
curve of the oval, retire down the equally
long stretch of the other side. So with
all the splendor and horror of the Chinese
pageant with its 500-foot dragon.
Heavy rollers were being run over the
wide amphitheater within the tribunes
to-day, making a level track for the
marchers. The finishing touches were
being put to the throne. There is plenty
of time to get it all into perfect order, as
the show does not concentrate there until
Wednesday afternoon.
Tonight the committee on decorations
has begun its big task of dressing up the
city. 1t has an army at work. 1t has
waited until the last moment in order
that the decorations may be quite fresh