The San Francisco call., 1898-05-24


 NU sweet as an Alpine horn, the
 VI voice of a silver-throated bu- 4TA gle at dawn awoke the sleep
 ing soldiers of the Presidio yes terday morning. The clear and pene-. trating notes of the reveille announced that 1t was time to shake sleep from soldiers eyelids and prepare for the voyage to Manila.
 And so the patriotic bugIer. standing erect and looking toward the purpling east at break Of day, waited to the ears of the dreaming soldiers of the First Regiment of California volun- teers the message that called them to go forth and f1gat for the flag of their native land.
 Again the bu6le winds. The day Is breaking. The soldiers stir and pre- pare to march from the tented field, to go forth from the quiet, woody places of the picturesque Presidio to fight for the principles of honor and justice an- nounced by the American Government. So, too. the city stirs, for the cause of her soldier boys is her cause, the bat ties of the country are hers. There is a muffled sound of feet. Flags that dropped listlessly the livelong night
 
 proudly in the morning breeze A pur- pie mist, giving promise of perfect day, hangs OCT sea and land, bathing spires and domes in & flood of golden glory.
 It is authorization day, the climax of weary days of waiting Inspiring strains of music echo through the streets, while colors dip and rise as sol
 
 ness of color, the benign sky with blue and golden tints breeding over all
 San Francisco gave the departing pa triots from her civilian ranks a heart felt and eloquent farewell that can never be forgotten. From the moment that her sons in blue marched from the parade grounds to the glorious music of old war tunes until they reached the monster ship that is to carry them to the support of the immortal Dewey they were greeted with re-echoing cheers from thousands of loyal men, women and children
 And as they marched proudly through the city's crowded streets the national colors waved from the tops of lofty domes and towers, and the scene was one of unexampled majesty and magnificence. Mingled with the cheers of the multitude were the triumphant notes of bands, while here and there, in quiet places, the tears of sorrow trick led down the furroWed cheeks of age. Mothers and grandmothers bade fare well to their darlings, conscious that the pride and support of many a fam fly would probably make his bed with the heroic dead who have battled for the rights of man since first the light of freedom dawned.
 Long before the day began homes and business houses were deserted. People stood for hours waving flags and cheering as the soldiers passed. There were flags in the hands of prat- ting babes who understood only the meaning of bright colors, and flags in the hands of veterans of historic fields, while women :; { the gates of cottages and at the windows of splendid man. sions cheered and cried as they remem- bered the gloomy days when dear ones fell where storms of leaden hail moved down heroes of the long ago.
 The escort of signal corps preceded the First Infantry. The columns pre- scented a picturesque sight as they formed in marching order. The good bys had been said to mothers, sisters, sweethearts and wives, comrades of the camp ground and lingering friends Suddenly the civilian soldiers marched in quickstep to their places, needless of everything save the commands of off, cers
 The music of the bands vas tenderly sweet, throbbing with patriotic inn pulses and memories of the battles of the heroic past. From the Presidio to the dock the scene was one never to be forgotten, either by the soldiers who went forth to offer up their lives for the flag they loved, or by the countless throng that cheered them as they passed.
 The march down Van Ness avenue was like the historic procession of Ro man legions going forth among strange peoples, carrying the banners of Caesar to lands of warning barbarians. From Lombard street down to the turn on Golden Gate avenue the march was a continuous line of cheering and pa thetic farewells. Jaded with their heavy burdens some of the soldiers faltered on the way and all were weary at the journeys end.
 On Market street the crowd was such as the city has seldom seen. Along the entire line of gleaming steel and pa triottc blue there were heartfelt cheers and sorrowful farewells And when the Picking steamed into the stream with her cargo of human freight there was a volume of cheers from thousands of throats, while flags and handkerchiefs waved good-bys until the last glimpse of the faces of the soldiers was taken by their lonely friends along the shore
 LEIGH Fl. IRVINE.