The San Francisco call., 1908-12-27
GPROv|D[DFOR
new YEARS. FIESTA
Back to Market Street" Is the
Refrain Adopted for the
Downtown Carnival

Back to Market Street. is the name
of a song that will be in everybody's
ears this week. That song that will
be sung by tens of thousands of roll
/ licking merry makers in the downtown
district New Years eve, for it was
written especially for the big carnival
and is a dashing little song with a
thread Of sentiment running through
one of those that jumps into. instant
favor The Emporium is distributing
copies of the song free: theater orches-
tras are playing it nightly, and the
public is catching up the refrain.
Plans for the New Years eve cele-
bration in Market street and in the
rebuilt shopping district are complete
and the various committees of mer-
chants who have striven so hard to
make a success of San Francisco's big
gest fete are putting on the final
touches
SURPRISES ARE IN STORE
There will be surprises sprung that
night that will overshadcw anything
ever before attempted. 1t will be the
inauguration of an annual New Years
eve carnival that will rivat the famous
Mardi Gras Of New Orleans, the Yelled
Prophets of Kansas City and dozen
more or less elaborate affairs conducted
as annual events in other American
cities.
That Market street is the only logi-
cal thoroughfare for carnival of so
great a magnitude is the contention of
all the downtown merchants, and they
say that the revelry will reach its
height this year in the street where
the fathers and mothers and grand
parents of those who will celebrate this
year reveled in years gone by
SONG FOR CELEBRATION
The words of the song, Back to
Market Street" are expressive:
When the FIRE overwhelmed us. to the park we
camped out on Rue de Fillmore sud Van Ness
Rut our hearts were true to Market street-that
grand old thoroughfare.
We all love TO do our shopping ard our stroll
Once more the crowds move down the line In
just the same old way;
/ Again we meet our friends downtown ana al
Back to Market street, etc.
Two months ago number of down
town merchants organized and appoint
ed a committee to arrange for an old
time New Years eve carnival similar to
the memorable events that occurred
annually in Market street before the
fire. At first the plans were simple, but
the characteristic energy which has re-
built san Francisco was dominant and
small plans faded before large ones
that developed with amazing quickness
The result is that instead of being q
feeble imitation of preconf1agration
carnivals the present celebration un-
doubtedly will be the greatest that San
Francisco has known
MERCHANTS SUPPLY FUNDS
Every property owner and merchant
in the downtown district has given
funds and backed the enterprise with
| tremendous enthusiasm. Already the
downtown district is ab1aze with the
thousands of incandescent lights strung
over the streets and the big buildings
are Illuminated from sidewalk line tc
cornice.
on the night of the carnival red fire
will burn from sunset until the baby
year is born; fireworks displays and
! thousands of novelties will provide en-
tertainment; confetti will fill the air
searchlights will play from the Ferry
tower. The Call building. the Fafrmon1
hotel and the st. Francis hotel, flash
ing the message that the people OF
San Francisco are back to their owr
} and enjoying themselves as no other
people in the world can, and 30 bands
will blare music to help along the spirit
of enthusiasm.
EIGHT BANDS ON FLATCARs
Eight fatcars will be put on the Mar
ket street tracks of the United Rail
rroads, and these, gayly bedecked vii
be drawn back and forth with bands
aboard. No other cars will be run III
the street The automobile parade will
be another big feature, thousands oi
entries having been already sent in tc
, John A. Hammerspith, chairman of the
; parade committee
: All the music for the night will bs
under the direction of Paul Steindorf
who will personally direct a band OF
Il 30 pieces in front of the st. Francis
hotel. One of those who has Loyalty
assisted the committee of arrangements
in working for the success of the. car
niyal. and who has taken a prominent
/ part in the making of plans,4is Mar
shall Hale of Hale brothers. The gen.
eral committee of arrangements con-
sists of Paul T. Carroll, John A. Ham
mersmith, A. G. Mccarthy, Robert A
Roos, w. d. Fennimore and Rollin C
Ayers