The San Francisco call., 1907-03-31

up coiored umbrellas. some others
put M ordinary ones and these latter
are soon just as gaudy as the others.
covered In streaks Of every color by
the cenfetti which rains upon them and
sticks there. OF course it Is the long
suffering man who holds the umbrellas.
The girl walks at his side, sheltered
from the rain, holds the bag tight un-
der one arm and with the other drives
blow after blow at the passersby with
every now and then handful for the
fellow who holds the umbrella.
You become tired and want to rest
for Just a moment. So you stop at 4
cafe with tables eu the sidewalk and
sip something cool as the crowd. ever
changing, always deliriousIy happy.
streams by, Each glass is provided
with a saucer, on which is marked ths
cost OF your drink. After each sip
you clap the saucer over your glass To
keep out as much confetti as possible
iou don't have to bury confetti when
you sit on the sidewalk OF a cafe. Just
pick II up as il lies inches deep on your
table and send IL back whence il came.
A worn -out opera singer stations her
self in front Of your cafe and begins
and no room for singers. so a policeman
rudely drives the poor artist away.
One fellow has just begun Tit willow
in pretty doubtful Englfsh and with a
good voice, but a policeman tells him
TO clear out before nc has finished the
first stanza- It's strange how much
confetti these artists can face and still
smile back ;'merci.'
A faker harangues the crowd. eats
burning torches dipped in Kerosene,
takes a long drink of kerosene and
passes around the hat before a police
man can get at hina. Fakers poster you
with hopping rabbits, crawling ser
pents and drumshaped instruments that
cackle like hens when you pull the
string. A group OF girls dressed Ike
boys. with their arms around as many
boys dressed as girls, come crowding
in among. the tables and raise such
racket that.the proprietor has to call
the police.
The afternoon IS passing. Tou scurry
about to md good place from which
you can see the procession and all the
queens of Milan. Turin and Paris. You
did not think il possible that the
streets could hold any more people.
and you supposed that everybody ain
Paris was out, but before you stopped
at the cafe you could at least make
your way along. Now you are closed
in on every side and there is not even
breathing space. The rain has lasted
but few minutes and the air be-
cores heavy Every once in a while
somebody faints and is carried TO one
OF the temporary hospitals which have
been stationed in the omnibus and
tramway Offices.
still the crowd retains its good
humer. Out of the windows of a
restaurant some local millionaire scat
tsrs cigars and sous and the crowd
scrambles for them
The pickpockets. tribe which
French people say comes over from
England, reap rich harvests in the
midst Of the eIose-paeked crowd. An
other trade, which is easy and profit
able during a Partisan Mi-Careme. is
hair-stealing. One fellow is caught as
his scissors are about TO snip and FIVE
long tresses OF blond hair are found
upon him.
But a few naiefactors cannot mar
the joy OF the multitude. The bugles
OF the procession can be heard long
before II draws near. Every window
along the boulevards is crowded. every
tree and every lamppost is dotted with
boys and girls and the streets remain
as closely packed as ever 1T the ap-
proach OF the procession the noise
grows deafsning. and there are you,
who came out TO be mere spectator.
cheering France and italy and queens
OF all sorts as wildly as your neigh
Dor.
Twenty-Five floats pass by. each one
more DGAutlIui OF ElOltSQUt LHNN the
preceding. The bakers. the butchers
the washwoinen. the wine merchants,
the fishermen. the hunters; every in
dustTy which makes iife possible is
represented. Crowds and crowds OF
horsemen picturing every epoch in
French history, nasqueradors in every
imaginable costume surround. prccede
or follow the floats singing. gesticulst-
ing. mocking, playing every trick pos
slble 70 amuse themselves and incident
ally the spectators. But the best part
OF the procession is American. A little
boy peFched on his fathers shoulder
suddenly breaks into song OF Joy and
almost tumbles over in his excitement
Les sauvagesl Les peau-rouges. Les
Bias -de-cuirt" he cries and sure enough
along come hfty OF sixty as savage
looking American Indians as the world
ever POSSESSED. follawed By as many
cowboys. For Buffalo Bill Is IN town
the first time since the exposition or
1889 and has already begun bis per
formances at the Champ de Mars
But everything has an end. The pro-
eession passes, you empty few more
bags OF coEfetti and berry home hair
starved. half dead and a. happy As a
lark. Then In the evening you begin
again. this time ever IN the Latin
quarter where confetti reigHs. and the
balls and cafes hold open house till
well into the next morning. Then with
half OF Paris you go 70 bed and the
ct,ier half goes to work