The San Francisco call., 1909-10-24
DINNERS At HOTELS
LAST TILL MORNING
Joyous ReveIers Besiege Cafes
and Continue Festivities
After Parade
Supper Parties, Given at st.
Francis and City Newspapers
Provided With Desks

Life surged in the Hobbies of the
great hotels last night. The capacity
of the vast dining rooms of the Fair
mont and the st. Francis was taxed
as 1t has seldom been. while foyers
and reception halls were packed with
q multitude of joyous revelers. So
also, We're the cafes besieged by the
crowds. and every table surrounded by
happy. singing, cheering group of
diners. The assault upon the hotels
and cafes was simultaneous with the
ending of the parade and the begin
ming of the street revels. Like the
latter, it ended not at all. Hours after
midnight every big dining room and
cafe In the city was still thronged.
At the st. Francis the merriment
reached its height and the spirit of
the last night of the carnival was at
its best. Special attention was given
by the mana cement OF the caravansary
to the arrangements for the night, and
the supper served at midnight in the
main dining room and the white and
gold room was elaborate to the last
detail. Every table in each dining
room was reserved, some of them hay
ing been spoken for many weeks in
advance. 1t was sight long to be re-
membered by every one who partici-
pated
DESKS FOR PRESS WRITER'S
The center of the ST. Francis revel
was around large telegraph and
press headquarters built opposite the
main doors Of the white and gold din
ing room Over long desk draped
in the carnival colors were trans
parent electric signs bearing the
names of the citys newspapers, and at
the desk sat FIVE telegraph operators
handling copy prepared for them by
women writer's of the various dailies
The writer's occupied a semcircular
| table directly in front of the tele-
graph stand and the news of San
Francisco's last might of carnival was
flashed to all the world at the very
moment of the revers height.
The messages sent out over the te1e-
graph wires were not mere make be-
lieve. Two ordinary wooden tele-
graph poles were set in the aisles of
the room and the wires strung upon
them led through the windows to Post
and Geary streets. At one end of the
telegraph desk was the sign of the
Western Union telegraph company and
at the other that OF the Postal COM
pany. The wires led into the news
paper offices and the main city offices
of the two telegraph companies.
DINERS SEND MESSAGES
Advantage was taken of the wires
by many diners. The newspaper writ
ers flashed stories of the night to
papers in a thousand cities. to civic
and government officials and to dig
nitaries of other lands. but the diners
added to this hundreds of messages
to friends in other cities. The tale of
the night was scattered broadcast at
the hour of midnight.
Confetti paved the halls and lobbies
OF the st. Francis, while from it's mez-
canine balcony spread a gorgeous net
work of colored paper ribbon. In the
throng were many gowned in evening
dress and many more in costume and
mask. Even the clerks the bellboys
and other office employees of the hotel
were in carnival garb. George Wash
ington might be found performing
pages duty or a clown might answer
the call of guest.
HOSTS AT SUPPER PARTIES
Among those who entertained at