The San Francisco call., 1897-12-19
=: The Calls New Home
=, A Ablaze From Base
to Dome.
Myriads Of Twinkling Stars
Shine Forth Upon the
Night.
Thousands OF Scintillating Lights
Announce PrOsperity's
Arrival.

AS the column of fire led the way for
the ancient Israelites when they jour
neyed forth to find new home in the
wilderness, so stood the magnificent
Claus Spreckels building last night, in
commemOration of the installation of
The Call in its new home.
From base to dome it flashed it's
greeting to the people of the surround
ing country from its multitude of VIM
dows, and the scintinating lights rose,
tier upon tier, until they reached away
p into the sky, shedding their beams
~ and wide, hailing all men with a
greeting of good cheer.
Towering high above the crowded
street stood the beautiful dome, like a
ghttering diadem, as it crowned the
Wondrous pile which stands as a
monument to the energy of one of
California's citizens, and as the beacon
fires of old blazed forth to announce
tidings of good to all people so it an
nounced the beginning of a new era of
prosperity to the people of the State
and to the Golden Coast
Viewed from the street Immediately
below, no adequate conception could be
had of the delicate beauty of the iIIu-
mtnation, but seen from the distant
hills or from the waters of the bay the
building stood like jeweled monoltth.
sparkling with the radiance of thou
sands of gems. To the traveller ap-
preaching by land or by sea it stood
as a beacon to guide him on his way
announcing not only the beginning of
new era for the country, but the
dawning of new day in journalism
as the rehabilitated Call marked its
ascendency over all competitors.
Ali day long a beautiful star-span-
gled banner streamed from the top of
the building, higher than ever flag
flew in this city before, telling the
glad tidingS of the completion of the
crowninS work of architecture which
stands as the most beautiful, most
magnificent and most wonderful re-
suit of human thought on the Western
continent. As the glorious god of day
shed his last rays upon the city, as he
sank to rest beyond the Golden Gate,
the parting beams kissed the stars of
the flag and sent a responsive signal
to the twinkling lights which began
TO appear in the streets below, and
then began one of the most wonderful
transformations ever witnessed in this
country Of wonders. The CLEAN of a
solitary light showed in the lower
story, and then as if touched by the
magic wand Of fairy queen the whole
vast pile suddenly shone forth in a
blaze of glory, eclipsed only by the if
Elimination fixed by the hand of
nature on the blue vault of the
heavens.
As this great building with it's thous-
ands OF cleaning lights stood an
nOuncing the cOnsummatiOn of one of
the greatest human concepts, so The
Call with its magnificent New Era
edition, this morning announces to
the world the beginning of a new era
of prosperity which will sweep over
the land from ocean to ocean, bring
ing joy and gladness to every home
with the closing days of the century,
and as its new home sent its tokens of
greeting far and wide with its myriad
Of flashing lights, so do the brilliant
pages of The Call send light to all the
world, telling the wondrous story of
California and extending her invita-
ton to all lands and all nations to
come and share of the good things
which are SO bountifully poured out
from her cornucopia Of riches.
While struggling crowds packed the
immense doorways of the building
taking the brilliant illumination as an
invitation to inspect the new home of
The Call, wondering citizens of far
away points gazed at the glowing
spectacle and spoke in terms of praise
Of the enterprise which had erected
such a beacon in the central city Of
the coast. AS the throngs on Market
street about the entrance Of the vast
structure were so great as to forbid
admission, so were the wharves and
ferries of the bay and the streets of
san Pablo, Tiburon, Sausalito, San
Rafael, Oakland Berkeley, Alameda,
Niles, Haywards, San Leandro, De-
coto and other cities, towns and vii
lagos for miles around, filed with peo-
pie, all looking to the central point
whence emanated the blazing signal,
and while unfortunately the crowds
about the doors were so great as to
preclude their being shown over the
building, those in the outlying towns
enjoying a spectacle that will be told
of in after years as one of the sights