The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-07-06
NOISE RFIGNS IN
OAKLAND ALL DAY
Patriotic Celebration in the
Bay Cities Proves Suc=
ceSSfuI

OAKLAND, July 5.-Alameda county
was bubbling over with enthusiasm
Of all sorts today and from early
morning until long past midnight the
patriotic celebration continued without
intermission. It was a noisy day in
Oakland, with incessant rattle of fire
crackers and sharp popping Of bombs.
A thick cloud of powder smoke hung
over the downtown districts nearly
all day.
Dealers in explosives report the
heaviest sale in many years. In the
city proper there was no organized
celebration until evening, when Lake
Merritt was transformed into carni-
val scene of floating lights and fire
works. During the afternoon and even
ing band concerts were given on the
city hall plaza.
ALAMEDA CELEBRATION
Alameda held the most pretentious
celebration in the county. The festivi-
ties started at 10 o'clock in the morn
ing with a parade and ended at mid
night with a grand Mardi Gras car
nival In the interim there were lit
erary and patriotic exercises, athletic
games, a baby show. a sham naval bat
tie on the canal and fireworks galore.
Miss Geneva Els was Goddess of
Liberty.
At Melrose Heights and Fitchburg
thousands of people took part in the
Independence day celebrations, which
were Of a very elaborate character at
both places.
Berkeley had no official celebration,
but big crowds attended the band con-
cert in the Greek theater at night.
Captain H. B. Rand, retired police Of
hcer and veteran of the civil war,
made his annual pilgrimage to the
city hall today, carrying the venerable
hintlock musket which his grand
father shouldered in the battles Of
Bunker Hill and Bennington. The
aged warrior rammed a tremendous
charge Of powder from an ancient horn
into his weapon and standing dra-
matically in front of the plaza set the
startled echoes aroar with a mighty
discharge. Then, with a martial sa-
lutte, he shouldered his fighting piece
and marched away to Alameda, to take
part in the celebration there.
Ice Cream for Children
The most attractive feature of the
fourth Of July exercises at the Tomp-
kins and Prescott schools municipal
Fairgrounds to the hundreds of young
SLSfS WHO participated was the QlSIri-
button Of 2,200 ice cream cornucopias
at the conclusion OF the program. In
cidentally there were speeches by
Mayor Frank Mott, President A s.
Macdonald of the municipal play
ground commission, and others, inter-
spersed with patriotic songs and
cheers for the flag. a party of society
women assisted in the distribution Of
the cornUcopias, including Mrs A. S.
Macdonald; Mrs. @. W. Bunnell, a
member Of the playground commission;
Miss Frances Hughes and Miss Viva
Nicholson, directors of the Tompkins
schoolyard; Miss Johanne Johnson and
Miss Pearl Horn of the Prescott
school, and Miss Smith Of the social
settlement
St Columba's parish gave an outing
at Piedmont park, which was attended
by happy throng of picnickers.
Counter attractions had little or no
effect upon the attendance at the Re
lance athletic clubs automobile and
motorcycle races. Fully 10000 persons
viewed the contests at the EmeryviIle
racetrack.