The San Francisco call., 1909-09-28
CITY DONS ITS
FESTIVAL DRESS
FOR GREAT fFTf
Flashes of Red and Yellow. Por-
lola CoIors, Beginning to
Adorn Big Buildings
csrsaI5 for the PantOmimlc
= o.icaI Spectacles Are
Bounding Into FORM


in which to decorate stores and houses
and buildings, prepare carnival dresses.
Law in supplies of confetti, streamers
and ribbons. TO prepare the house for
visitors. become thoroughly lmoueo
with the festival spirit and-to make
the contribution to the festival tuho.
Daily gangs of electricians, decor
ators, scenic painters and workmen, as
well as actors and stage directors ana
stage mechanics, are working feVerlsh-
lv 10 prepare the gorgeous pageants
and snectacles and to install the dec
oratfons. Wood and lath and plaster
are rapidly assuming form and color.
and what were apparently meaningless
movements of groups of men ana
women are. when rehearsed with soma
scenery and properties, becoming
pantomimic representations OF actions
which have made history in Caltornla-
, The preparations have reached the
stage when much money is daily spent
and ali the cash that can be raised Is
needed at once but the finance COM
rnittee is optimistic and there is little
doubt but that the sum necessary to
make the elaborate plans a reallty
will be raised
RECORD CROWD ASSURED
Every newspaper of any Importance
on the coast and in the east speaks
enthusiastically of the festival, and
the attendance of at least half mil
lion people is assured. Many or the
smaller cities and towns will be prac-
tfcsllv deserted for every man,
woman and child is looking forward to
spending the week of october 19 in
san Francisco. This city will be prac-
tfcally one huge hotel, and rooms that
are not engaged for some time in ad-
vance will be at a premium The Por-
toIa information bureau is registering
rooms of all kinds that viii be avail
able during the week of the celebration
free OF charge, and many reservations
are being made even at this date from
the country and outside towns.
The demand for posters and stickers
and the official postcards increases
daily and yesterday an order came
from Austria for quarter of million
stjckers which are to be distributed
there. The official poster has been for
warded in quantities TO every city OF
any size in Europe and every hotel on
the continent has been supplied with
advertising matter which is being
prominently displayed.
WORLDS EYES ON CITY
Because of this publicity and the
splendid work done abroad by Com
missioner -. N0OOAOB ZIG SsNS ~ N--~
wbnle civilized world are on San
Francisco. The thousands who will
come from every corner of the globe
are expectant, and if the program is
a worthy one which there is now little
doubt of. they will see San Francisco
and California at their best and will
come to the Portola festival year after
year.
Every window, store and building
p
tee and every citizen is urged to do
his share to promote the carnival spirit.
The increasing number of small dona-
lions indicates that the bulk of the
people are anxious to cooperate to
make the festival a huge success
Many of the firms and individuals
who responded TO the first call for
funds have since increased their con-
fributions and a number of the mer-
chants in Oakland are being heard
from Among those who increased their
subscriptions yesterday was Sherman.
Clay & Co. who sent in a check from
the Oakland store for $3.50. This was
in addition to the original sum of $500
which was at first subscribed.
DONs CARNIVAL ATTIRE
The city is beginning to assume the
dress which it is to wear on the days
of the coming Portola festival Already
some OF the big buildings are being
decorated, and when the first day of the
big fiesta dawns the prospect is that
San Francisco will be one solid splash
of color an inteTminable array of red
and yellow. and red, white and blue.
There is great effort on the part of
the different concerns to outdisplay one
another in the matter of elaborate
schemes of decoration. The buildings
along the line of march will probably
be the most gorgeously arrayed. but
the entire city promises to present an
enlivening display Of life and color.
All the wires have been strung, and
within few days the thousands of in
candescents will be installed The
great colonnade at the ferry is now in
the course of construction and prepara,-
tfons are in progress for the commence
ment of the immense electrical bell
which is to be erected at Third and
Kearny streets, and which will be seen
for a radius of 80 miles.
The Balboa building for some time
past has been one mass of carnival
colors, and the Humboldt bank build
ing ownersN have already begun to
string its huge dome with brilliant
lights. and the forms of men can be
seen creeping about the dangerous
cornices high above the busy streets.
BENEFIT SEAT SALE
The sale OF seats for the Portola
theatrical benefit will begin Wednes-
day, September 29, at all of the local
theaters. The fact that all of the thea
ters are TO have tickets will lessen the
crowds at the box Offices and make ii
less difficult to procure the seats which
are already in great demand.
The program which the theatrical
managers have arranged is an excep-
tionally fine one and we'll worthy of
a packed house. Something from every
local theater will be offered to the
public on that afternoon of October 8
in the Garrfck. Billie Burke will an
pear in a scene. from Love Watches -
Evelyn Vaughan will give another
scene from Sweet Kitty BelIairs. !"
Kolb and Dill will be there. too. and
viii several of the Orpheum's hest
specialties. Two other scenes win he
from the Niennese musical comedy
Mile. Mischief" and the George Cohan
success, Fifty Miles From Boston"
Commercial Travellers Banquet
In honor of the opening of the Por-
tola celebration the joint committee of
the commercial travellers has decided
to give a banquet in the colonial ball