The San Francisco call., 1897-04-21
'NOW LET
THE REVEL
BEGiN''
Thus Fair Francesca to
the People of Her
Realm.
ENTHRoNED QUEEN OF
LA FIESTA.
With CourtIy Ceremony Gay
MaSkerS Greet Their
Sovereign.
BY HER DECREE ALL CARE Is
PUT ASIDE.
Valiant Subjects Are KnIghted and
Then All MingIe at the
Dance.
ENTHRONED QUEEN OF
LA FIESTA.
With Courtly Ceremony Gay
MaSkerS Greet Their
Sovereign.
BY HER DECREE ALL CARE IS
PUT ASIDE.
Valiant Subjects Are KnIghted and
Then All MingIe at the
Dance.

LOS ANGELES, CAL, April 20-The
gay festival Queen has the ribbons in her
dainty hands and her gayly caparisoned
steeds are pranclng in the middle OF the
road. Talk of the caballerosl they are
but an incident.
With all her retinue and under an
especially arranged play OF electric lights.
so that there could be no mistake as to
ber identity, perhaps, the Queen came
upon the stage tonight and Mayor Snyder
retired from it. The proclamation OF
sovereignty was made. TO remain in force
and effect for the balance of the week,
ana the word was given to let the reveI
begin.
The city is in complete order for the
loosing of all restraint. Its gaia dress is
on, with all the trimmings. The wine.
orange and olive fly to the breeze every
where and in prodigal quantity, with
palms and evergreens sufficient to give
the city the appearance of great park.
Tonight the electric lamps are lighted
and the streets are made brilliant by the
subdued lights of the incandescent tri.
colored lamps strung III myTiads over
head, extending in converging lines in
every direction and here and there span
ming the thoroughfare at crossings in high
inverted V-shaped afches. The effect ID
very fine.
While the city seems crowded already
with out-of-town people, there is no doubt
that it is merely the sign of the presence
of the advance-guard, and that to- morrow,
when the festival puts forth its first great
public demonstration, the army of sight
seers will arrive in its full strength.
The initial mum Der of the five days pro.
gramme, which was rendered tonight at
the pavilion, struck high. fine keynote
for the whole. 1t was the fancy.dress
masquerade ball, with the ceremony of
installing the Queen of the festival. 1t
was distinctively artistic and esthetIcally
beautiful affair throughout, with no sug-
gestion of the amateurish hippodroming
that has characterized this part OF The
festival on previous occasions.
The pavilion was done up in the color
OF the poppy from end to end, ana with
its green trimmings and festoons of
Chinese lanterns, the ballroom proper, in
the center of the big hall, fenced in with
trellis OF sweet peas, was very beautiful,
The space under the galleries, as well as
the galleries the mselves, was reserved to
spectators, and IA thing quite unusual in
itself, both were filled to their utmost
capacity, even the high upper gallery.
In the center of the wide stage. filed
with courtiers and ladies in silks ana
shining satins, sat the Queen on her
throne, the lights so arranged that her
Majesty was properly conspicuous.
AT S:15 o'clock the band played its OPEN
ing overture the guests, strange as it is TO
record it, being nearly all in their places.
Two trumpeters announced the approach
of the Queen. and were answered by two
other trumpeters stationed at the foot Of
the throne.
With the band playing a march, the
royal party made its entrance, led by
trumpeters and followed by the colors,
officers of the guard. Queens colors, gen.
tlemen in waiting, one bearing the sword
with which the knights were to be
nnighted, and another carrying a pillow
upon which to rest the orders OF decora-
tions of the knights. Immediately after
came the Queen and her pages, and ladies
and gentlemen of the court.
The guard, with their golden lances up
lifted. formed on each side from the en-