The San Francisco call., 1909-09-08
COvARRUBIAS AIDS
FfTF COMMITTEES
Spanish Don to lmpersonate
Discoverer Portola Honor
Guest at Luncheon
Tells of Old Time Festivals and
Promises a Big Crowd
From the South

/
met the members of the Portola execu-
tive committee at a luncheon given IN
his honor at the st. Francis hotel yes
terday, and at the conclusion OF the
affair 1t was the una nimous opinion OF
| the guests and committeeman that the
selection of the handsome and stately
Spaniard to impersonate Don Gaspar
de Portola during the coming festival
had indeed been wise one Don
Nicolas demonstrated that besides the
obvious qualities of striking face aho
figure, soldierly bearing and certain
old time ,courtliness-that of the cav
alier, more than the courtier-he also
possesses the more subtle one or men
tai charm. and that he is a raconteur
of rare ability.
Covarrubias spoke of the true mean
ing of the fiesta, of the important part
which these celebrations played in the
early life of the state when the Span
ish element prevailed, and related anec-
dotes OF old time fiestas in the south In
which he had participated as boy and
young man.
M. A. Esberg of the executive COM
mittee presided at the luncheon and DR..
w. T. Lucas of Santa Maria, a lifelong
friend of Covarrubias, was one OF the
guests. Edgar Peixotto and other
members of the Portola committee
spoke of the plans for the pageants and
parades in which Don Gaspar will par
tfcipate. Portola champagne, new
brand of wine lately put on the mar
ket, was used at the luncheon and
pronounced equal to the best foreign
brands, and not at all unworthy to
bear the great name.
GORGEOUS ATTIRE FOR HIM
Covarrubias will be here for several
days and has a great deal to do In
the way of preliminary preparations
for the festival. Today he will be
waited upon by the costumer, who Will
measure him for his festival attire, the
gorgeous regimentals of a captain of
the Spanish dragoon and the various
court and ceremonial costumes worn
by a Spanish colonial governor. He
will also be presented to Miss Bogue.
whose consort he will be when she
wears the royal costumes of queen of
the festival.
Don Nicolas laughingly declares
that his stay thus far has been a mat
ter of interviewing and snapshooting"
and that If every branch of the Portola
arrangements were exploited as he has
been that there could be no doubt OF
the world hearing about the festival.
Doctor Lucas, whose home in Santa
Maria is near that of Covarrubias, de-
clares that the choice of a man to rep
resent Don Gaspar is most popular
one throughout the south and will
bring hundreds of people from that
section here for the festival
PREPARE FINE FLOAT
Citizens of Petaluma have already
commenced to prepare for the big dis
play that they will make in San Fran
cisco at the time of the Portola fes-
tival. Yesterday Mrs. c. G. Northrup,
Mrs. Virgins and Miss Virgins, rep
resenting the Petaluma chamber of
commerce, had a conference with Otto
Schiller. engineer of the festival COM
mittee. regarding the float that will
display PetaIuma industries in the Por-
tola parades.
If time and money can achieve it Pet
aluma Is determined to have the most
attractive float of any California COM
The main feature of the float
will be an immense egg shattered so
as to reveal one of Petaluma's beauties,
who will be chosen to act queen.
Attendant upon the queen and reposing
in smaller eggs will be a bevy of
Petalumas most beautiful daughters.
The float will be drawn by six white
horses and will be attended by pages.
The Petaluma citizens are searching
for the tallest man in Sonoma county.
When found and captured he will be
called upon to act as herald striding
in advance of the float and calling upon
the crowds to pay heed.
Tot Christened POrtOla
The first baby to be named "Portola."
in honor of the dscoverer of San Fran
cisco bay is the little daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. James Smith. The little
one was only two weeks old when it
was baptized with the pane of Portola
Smith, August %, and already has been
chosen as mascot of Portola parlor of
the Native Daughters.
BY curious coincidence. Portola
parior is the baby parlor of the Native
Daughters, being known as Portola
parlor No. 172, and the tiniest Portola
is the youngest member
Mrs. Smith, who was one Of the or
ganiZers of the new parlor, is the
daughter of Attorney Thomas E. Cur