The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-05-02

anniversary Oh one OF the greatest
naval battles of ancient or modern
times, the tribute of people to its
hero, was indelibly marked yesterday on
the nations calendar by the citizens of
California. The prayers of patriotism
swept over the heartstrings of a CRATE
full populace to swell pean OF praise to
the greatest American, to the Man of
Manila Bay, to Admiral George Dewey,
the foremost son of rockribbed Yer
mont the most formidable bulwark of
the grandest commonwealth on earth.
From Sis1iyou to san Diego, through
out the width of the Golden State. in
every city, town and hamlet, the whole
people rose, joining their voices with
their sounding heartbeats to send the
music Of their souls in joyous volume
across the sea to mingle eternally with
the endlessly reVerberating bass of
Dewey's booming guns. From the tops
Of the highest peaks to the tips of the
slaves on the lowliest schOolhouses;
from the dwellings of the humblest citi-
zens. from the tallest skyscrapers. from
public buildings, from ranch and farm
houses. on cupolas and steeples, from
railroad trains streaming to their des-
harbor, the stars and stripes, the flag
of all flags, fluttered to the gentle
breeze that seemed to enter into the
spirit of the day to float the standard
of the nation to the sunshine of Cali
fornia in salute to Dewey.
Cannon doomed from the forts and
warships. music swelled from thou
sand parks, bells rang throughout day
and bonfires burned and rockets scared
at night. Orators lent their voices in
eulogy TO the one man that needed it
not, and great crowds cheered their
words to the echo. No such celebration
has ever been observed In any country
at any time. It was spontaneous, the
result Of grateful impulse an outpour-
ing Of the popular heart, the thrusting
or d mighty handgrasp across the sea
TO the man on the bridge of the Olym-
pia.
In this city. where the idea was or
iginated, the first Dewey Day celebra-
tion viii hardly be bettered-not unless
on the next the man himself is here.
which is not so improbable. Everybody
did his level best to make of the ami
Versary one never TO be forgotten, and
the result was beyond all expectations.
To begin with. business houses. almost
without exception did not open their
doors; the wheels in no factories re-
volved; the hands of rev men labored
and then only that the common object.
the success Of the celebration, should be
TO the full. Musicians footed and blew
and drummed; gripmen changed their
bells and conductors took the fares of
the crowds headed ror the various
pleasure resorts; caterers fed the pleas
ure seekers, walters put them in the
way Of quenching thirst induced by the
patriotic fires within; street takers
drove thriving trades in flags and flow
ers and Dewey buttons. Men. women
and children We're out in their summer
finery transportation lines were crowd
ed. places of amusement We're thronged
steamboats, were jammed with picnick-
ers and all went merry, as should have
gone such a doubly glorious day in
May.
The celebration was begun almost as
early as the battle which it commem-
Grated. Almost at the first streak of
dawn the popping Of nrecrackers gave
notice that the young patriots of San
Francisco were wide awake 70 the pos
sibilities of the day ahead Their
parents and bigger brothers and sisters
arose later, but also to the occasion. in
the thousands upon thousands of homes
in the peninsula and, fortified with
breakfast, sailed forth to Join the
crowds headed for the depots the fer
ries and the parks, to testify in his or
her 10y the love they bore to the man
who had made of a Spanish menace a
memory Of the Pacific. Flowers
bloomed on every coat, smiles spread on
every cheek, cheers lurked on every lip
There was music in the air, and sum-
merry balm and sunshine and gladness.
with flags flying endlessly above and
patriotism burning ceaselessly beneath
And that was only the beginning. The
early crowds poured into railway
trains, street cars, buses and steam
boats. headed in all directions, but to
no perceptible extent did the holiday
throngs seem to diminish. On through
the day they passed and repassed on
the streets and in the public resorts TO
rejoin at night those other throngs who
had sought the roOmy country to give
expression to the feeling pent up for
year past.
The greatest of these out-of-town
throngs was that which accompanied
the Native Sons Of Vermont to Sunset
Park in the Santa Cruz. Mountains To
that organization in this city is due the
credit for the newest and what will
run the Fourth Of July close as the
most popular holiday in America. AS
a son of the Green Mountain State they
agitated the propriety of doing honor
10 the hero Of Manila by setting apart
10 his memory the day Of his great
victory. They decided to honor his
achievement on the first of May, which
they dubbed Dewey day, and they
asked the other citizens of California
to ioin with them on the occasion. The
idea took like wildfire and while the
Legislature was too busily engaged in
the throes Of a Senatorial battle to set
il upon the statute books as a legal
holiday the sentiment in favor Of
Dewey day grew so rapidly that the
Governor Of the State and the Mayor
Of San Francisco remedied the omission
OF the Legislature and made it one.