The San Francisco call., 1909-10-22
Don Gaspar de Portoa UnhoTsed by His Spirited Steed
But Escapes Without Serious Injury

animal arose dangerously. There was
a click of swapping metal The mar
tingale broke. Before the terror strick-
en- throng the horse reared. bolt on its
hind feet and fell over backward. The
rider hit the ground With thud. The
sound was echoed with groan of the
people. 1t seemed as If the hero of
the pageant was TO be crushed to
death. The horse rolled free from the
body of the prone horseman. Then it
ieaped to it's feet, and, almost as
quickly, Nicolaus Covarrubias, for the
instant not part of a pageant. but
quickly Nicolas Covarrubias, for the
man, was on his feet again, in spite OF
70 years which. had the most of them
not been spent in the saddle. would
have weakened the fiber of the cavalier.
Nicolas Covarrubias assumed charge
of the situation. Army officers and
policemen and a groom stood by, but
the Californian went to the steed that
had just laid him low, unbuckled the
broken bride. borrowed a few hand
kerchiefs. twisted together a neck strap.
and within three minutes was again
mounted and guiding his forgiven steed
with the kindly sound of his voice and
the gentle pressure of white silk
handkerchief There was a spontaneous
cheer from Van Ness avenue. The
pageant was under way again. Don
Gaspar de Portola, first governor of
California. was in the saddle.
Behind him came the parade, with
its undulating ranks of marching men.
its floats of pretty girls, its representa-
tions of the nations. Brightest and
most applauded among the spots of the
march were the ideas and men from
across the Pacific.
JAPAN AND CHINA
Japan had the prettiest,. most grace
full display; China the most splendid
in color, the most typical in sound, with
the clang of the gongs and the Won
derful iridescence of the standards,
and the wrlggly dragon. The Chinese
section of the parade was as true to
the manner as if it had been winding
it's way through the narrow streets of
Canton. 1t was gay with the red ana.
vivid blue. 1t sparkled with the effects
which Chinese artists can produce with
paint and brush and loom.
It will ever be a question for dis-
lecticfans TO PROFOUND, which was the
more amazing. the spectators yesterday
or the show There were more people
here than ever there were before.
The people had come from all over
the state, both TO see the parade and
to take part, in it.. Los Angeles was
represented in the pageant with the
white squadron of the ElSs drill team
of that city. splendid looking men,
marching with the precision of in
fantry. Sacramento was in the pa
rade. All of Santa Clara was there.
Marin county came over bodily and
took part in the pageant. Stockton
sent an interesting detail, an OK team,
attached to a prairie schooner. Oak
land sent its Elks and handsome
float. The entire state contributed Ma
tive Sons and Daughters of the Golden
West. And with every person from
out of town who came to march there
came a hundred to look on.
It was expected that there would be
congestion at the foot of Market street,
where the state spills its great dippers
full of people out of boats.
FOOT OF. MARKET STREET
But there were more than dippers
full yesterday. The boats that crossed
the bay in the morning were Uttered
10 the smokestacks with folk from
leveryzvhere. And the good Lord knows
that il looked threatening enough in
the morning to have caused an ex-
cursionist to think twice of the possible
rain drops before thinking once on the
pageantry and Portola. But If any
one cast his eyes upward yesterday
morning it was in insolent disdain of
the gray masses that half spanned the
heavens, like the cantilever of Da-
mocles. So there was congestion at
the foot Of Market street. But not
| only on the sidewalk was the mass
But the sidewalk may first be con-
sidered. From street wire to building
wall. were the people along the line of
march. That meant two thick braids
of packed humanity, reaching from the
foot of Market up TO the shoulders at
| the rise by the Market street cut at