The San Francisco call., 1899-08-27

situated geographically, not that they
were any better off. or were having any
better time. or were more willing or
better equipped to give everybody's sol
der boys the right kind of welcome.
There was no point on any building
where human being could gain foot
hold, or hang on by tooth or nail, that
was not pre-empted long before the
hour set for the appearance Of the pa
rade. Telephone poles, which from time
immemorial have been the roosting
places for the. small boys Of San Fran
cisco, bore an extra crop of youth;
roofs were crowded with it; the crowds
teemed with it.
And babies-well there were 50, many
of them in arms that a visitor from
Mars might have thought President
Mckinley had issued another call for
volunteers to lick into proper shape
some new-found foe. Stand where you
would in the densely packed street,
you would see women and men with ba-
bies at breast and on shoulder, with
any number Of little toddlers at skirts
and coattails; and it speaks volumes
for the infants of San Francisco that
none of them exhibited fear at the
great gathering or the unwonted lights.
1t speaks other Volumes too, for the
crowds Of San Francisco that parents
dare venture their darlings in their
midst After last nights experience it
would seem that they can do il with
impunity. No case was reported where
any little one had come off the worse
for most delirious experience.
And there is no doubt that it was
delirious. Everybody was going every
which way. Nobody knew and very
few seemed to care. The only idea that
seemed TO possess all minds alike was
to get the best possible position to view
the parade and shout for the warlike
sons of California Men and women at
loss for a seat in stand or win
dow did the next best thing and Sc
cured standing room in some wagon or
hired hack or buggy and were driven
around on the side streets until such
time as they believed the procession
was due TO pass, when they took up
their positions as near Market street |
as they could get.
Stepladders were borrowed by others
from accommodating friends in stores
and office buildings and planted on
other side streets as near the line of /
march as might be. Men and women |
with camp stools and chairs and boxes |
chased around frantically pushed and |
elbowed-maybe some of them swore
cuss words-in the effort to get within
spying distance.
1t was all movement, except for the
parade. which did not seem as if it
would ever come, and light and smoke
from the red fire and noise from the
shouting voices, the horns and bells
and bombs and cannon.
And so it got to be half-past o'clock
before the signal rockets from the
stand at Van Ness avenue and Market
street announced to the watchers in the
stand of the finance committee at
Lotta's fountain that the great process
sion was in motion. 1t was, but the
motion was slow by reason of the great
crowds that blocked its passage on the
avenue, forced back unwillingly on the
crowd on Market street that contained
the promise of blocking it altogether
1t became apparent to those in charge
of the parade that something had to
he done to clear the way for the march
ing men. The police, for the time be
ing, had thrown up their hands
1t was thought that cavalry might do
better and troop was sent out on
Market street TO see what it could do
1t did fairly we'll considering. The
crowds gave way as it approached and
closed in as it passed, leaving condi-
tions exactly as they were and the
troopers none the wiser.