The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1909-09-22
SAN FRAKCISCO'S
GREAT FESTIVAL
Discovery of the Bay by Don
GaSpar de POrtOIa, 1859,
to Be Celebrated.
ALL NATIONS TO TAKE PART
FESTIVITIES WILL BEGIN OCT. 10
AND LAST SEVERAL DAYS.


nations Of the world to come to the
Golden Gate in mid-October and see
the results of her handiwOTk and be
her guests at the big festival that is to
celebrate the rehabilitation of the city
The festival, to be held Oct. 10 to %
is also 30 commemorate the discovery
in 1863 of the Bay of San Francisco by
Don Gaspar de Portola, first Spanish
governor of California. From this the
celebration has taken its name and is
known as the PortOla Festival.
In the latter part of April. 1906, the
greater part of san Francisco existed
but as a memory. Three thousand
acres comprising the heart of the city
had been devastated by fire in the
greatest disaster of modern times. More
than $4,000 buildings had been convert
ed into piles Of smoking ruins, and the
loss reached the appalling total of $500,
100000
More Beautiful Than Before.
Within forty months San Francisco
has built herself out of herself. A mod
ern city of marble and granite, far
more beautiful and substantial than the
old city, has been reared, and but a scar
here and there remains as evidence of
the great fire. The new buildings erect
ed exceed in value, by many millions,
those destroyed.
The invitation to the powers to in
spect the result Of San FranciscO's Ia
bors and to participate in the rehabili-
tation jubilee has been generally ac-
cepted. England viii send her North
Pacific fleet to San Francisco bay.
Warships will come from Germany,
Holland and Italy.
Delegations of diplomats from France
and Spain will participate in the jubi-
lee. A cruiser bearing a prince Of the
royal blood is on its way from Japan.
From China will come two cruisers es-
cOrting Prince Tsai Flu, cousin of the
emperor. Many thousands of visitors
wiz come from all parts of the United
States and the world.
Planned on Grand Scale.
To fttingly entertain the nations of
the world and to be IN accord with the
task of rebuilding the city, the PoTtOla
Festival has been planned to eclipse
anything Of its kind ever before under
taken in the country. The revels Of the
modern giants who rebuilded the city
will be titanic.
For queen Of the festival, Miss Vir-
ginia Bogue, declared by judges to be
the most beautiful woman in Califor-
mia, has been chosen. She is the daugh-
ter of Virgil s. Bogue, vice president
and chief engineer Of the Western Pa
cific, the new transcOntinentaI line that
IS rapidly nearing completion
Miss BOgue is d truly western girl Of
the highest type, an accomplished ath-
lete, a magnificent hOrsewOman and
splendid swimmer. Though moving in
the most exclusive society in this coUn-
try and Europe. she Is a devotee of lit
erature and a recent book by her, THE
Strength to Yield has attracted con-
siderable attention.
BY some "The Strength to Yield"
has been characterized as torrid and
risdue. But to her critics Miss BOgue
has replied that the book is a true story
of modern life, and that there are only
three kisses in the entire volume
VIII Impersonate PortoIa.
To impersonate Don Gaspar de Porto
Ia, whose discovery Of the Bay of san
Francisco the festival is TO commence
rate. Don Nicholas A. COVaTTubias Of
Santa Maria, Cal, has been selected. He
is famous throughout California, and it
has been said that he was q delicious
combination of vacquerO and foreign
ambassador such as only the west-the
Spanish west-cOuld produce.
Expert horseman, former sheriff and
United States marshal. Covarrubias is
one u LllE AllDEL PIT N7lAE NAltAA tlCA =
of the west. Though past the allotted
three score years and ten, he bears his
six feet of sturdy manhood as proudly
as when a daredevil in the years gone
by his exploits took away the breath
of his more sedate neighbOrs.
Famous Feat Recalled.
One OF the most famous Of the feats
of COvarrubias was when he deposed
ss~1r
of San Miguel and took possession in
the name of the United States. 1t was
one of those intense little personal
tragedies or comedies that history
passes by, because of the lack Of epoch
making qualities in them.
Captain Waters claimed the island Of
San Miguel which lies a few miles
from Santa Barbara, because of a Span
ish land grant, and maintained that as
il had never been ceded TO the United
states his authority was supreme. He
was a fire-eating adventurer, and had
at his back scores of retainers ready to
do his bidding. He allowed no person
to land on the island without his per
mission.
For years the matter drifted along
few caring to clash with the belligerent
captain, until il reached the attention
OF Washington. From President Cleve-
land came orders to Marshal Covarru
bias to take possession OF the island in
the name of the United States.
In small sloOp, with few deputies,
Covarrubias set out for the island of
San Miguel. Captain Waters had been
warned of his coming, and attempted to
prevent his landing. There was a sharp
conflict, and the king of San Miguel
was vanQuished-
Old Spanish Fiesta.
All the delightful features OF the old
Spanish fiesta, with its music-mad rev.
elry, are TO be incorporated in the Por-
tola Festival. The old Spanish colors,
red and yellow, have been chosen as the
ones Of the fete. There viii be a bull
fight and flower battles A great
masoue carnival with dancing on the
street corners, and concluding with an
immense masque bail, viii wind up the
festival.
A half million dollars will be spent by
San Francisco in entertaining its
guests. The Examinations and decOra-
lions will be the most elaborate ever at
tempted in this country. Spectacular
pageants and parades viii follow one
another closely during the i've days Of
the celebration.
Many Special Features.
An airship tournament with a flight
across the Golden Gate; big athletic
meet. q naval review, an Open-air con-