The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 25, 1897, Page 17

SAN FRANCISCO, VUND;‘;Y MORNING, APRIL 25, 1897. history has invaded orching circle of ribbo the M orming they are Hereto- When first bt it im- dea was necessary ymen who take is sortto be d the ut void col t is necess n be preserved as A faise move by ole combination e an entire eginning. It se rider to let rely, and never p more than one hand c e interest- should he w eing the case it can t the cyclist must not ie wheel for a mon tween eels of new d ary to reverse a ved to, as the sailors around the pole. 3 begins. Four front, and, while lit- s is made in the change s b e more and rear stationa: : hoid for a mom | permit, and reached ned very he pole, the en them there At this point rider is drawn a MAYDAY AMID THE WILD FLOWERS witness the opening of the flower season. 1d grasses to dancing merrily. i-ht-plumaged choristers. All nature seems glad in anticipation. Over the hills the warm The sun fills the atmosphere with & quivering light that mingles "Tis May day in California. In no land in the world does nature show to better advantage at this time than she does peaks of the high Sierras, where the tiny alpine flowers are just beginning to peep from stals of last winter, to the shores of the Pacific, where sea birds scream, the great voice of rature is singing. me of England nor of the East, when buds are just commencing to open, but a springtime fully cevele the wild flowers are at their best and the fruit trees are aglow with bloom. After the dreary winter just 'day comee, if anything. a little more brilliantly clothed than usual. The winter rains soaked the earth d the cool days of last month neld back vegetation. Then came the warm days of April and the sunshine e sap hurriedly tingling to the end of every twig. Almostas if by magic the hilisides burst into bioom, red, e, green, pink, purple and violet—all the colors of the spectrum and all the hues of science. The plains of the San Joaquin Valley are literally ablazs with color. On the wild lands the poppy reigns in all her glo d on the cultivated lands the fruit tree rulesthe day. Wherever a house can be found re are roses in profusion, The country within a few miles of San Francisco is, perhaps, the most beautiful in ail California. The hills are more varied in their outlines and the forest depths are more picturesque than elsewhere. There are certainly more birds. The soil of Marin County has been found to be the most prolific in the State for its grow(h of wild flowers. On a single equare yard on the hill just north of Mill Valley thirty-two different kinds have been found. Of colirse, they were not ali of the gorgzeousness of the poppy, but ail were beautiful. May day is, of course, the beginning of the picnic season. There may be picnics before that time, but there is always something lacking, even though the skies are biue and the fields green, and the forest echo with the songs of birds. It does not seem natural to bave a picnic befors Mayday. When the April showers have brought forth the May flowers, oh, then is the time for picnics. Of course all who can will go {0 some sort of a picnic on Mayday. It may be to some distant point with a trainload of others on the same errand bent. It may be only a small party of three or four, or you may go alone with some lunch in your pocket. But it matters little how you go so long as you go. No city in all the world offers such opportunities for Mayday outings as San Francisco. For a few cents you can board a boat or train and be carried to as beau- tiful spots as exist anywhere. A short walk from the siation will take vou into the depths of nature, where there is nothing to suggest modern civilization, There is no day like Mayday for the real lover of nature. And, after all, bow the real lover of nature is to be envied! Nature is always willing to give if vou will only take. The real nature-lover is an early riser on Mayday, and almost as soon as the sun 1s up will be far on his way to the wilderness; over the hills and through the valley, across the brook and through the forest, shade and sunshine attending. Perhaps he will wander to some unfrequented spot where no buman foot has trod for many months. Into the depths of some canyon, where the only sound that breaks the stillness is the murmur of waterfalls splashing over moss-covered stones. Thers nature is in her glory. How soothing is the influence. How beautiful the sunlight comes aslant through the rustling branches of the giant redwoods. How comfortable and happy every living thing within sight. See the wild flow- ers nod in that patch of light when a sofu breeze pene- trates to the solitude. As the sun gradually descends to the western horizon, each moment seems to increase in beauty, The shadows grow longer and lonzer and the \ights grow dimmier and dimuaer, and in the a tance a soit purple haze comes, as if from fairy. land. Lower passes tise orb of aay until the distant hills are only a shadow and the west- ern sky is a blaze of light. Graduaily thig 1ades away and the day is done. Buteven night has its pleries. What mystery there is in the shadowy clump of oaks How dark and gloomy, and yet how . soothing. J; Truly Mayday is a glorious day, and he or she who spends it properly will be amply re- paid. Life will look brighter. The mind, long shut up in the business house, will open and expand like the blossoms of spriny, The day will be one of vleasure, and when nizht comes there will be a peace that could be obtained in no other | f‘///” Tty little hammer and a double-neaded brass tack, from which depends a tiny streamer. With almost lighting-like rupidity the cyclist pins the end of the ribbon to the pole with the tack and a smart blow from the hammer instantly following fastens the end securely. While at first thought this programme may seem an almost impossible array of effort experiment has proved that it is entirely feasible. A prettier sight than a Maypoleadorne this fashion or a more clever exhibition of eyclinz powers than tne riders cive under thess circumstances would pe difficult to conceive. Fashiona- ble persons who know say that the bicycle Maypole party will surely be a fad the first of next month and that we may look for a general turnout of the riders of varie ous sges to take part in the festivities that have latterly been left to the children. Inasmuch as the pastime is to be a fashe ionable fad, the matter of costume at once becomes an impo; titem. Itisdeclared that it will be very : proper for the chil- dren, or the young men and women, or their mothers and ‘athers if they choose to take part, to attire themselves in cos- tumes of bright stuffs that will harmonize with the gzarlanded adornments of the Maypole.” There has been just one party, and this was indoors and. for- practice, which -has tried this sort of costuming. The effect is declared to have been beyond compare, and 1t is saidthis incipient pageant was fully as charming to the eye as the attractive features of the spectacus lar performances at the theaters. The advent of the bicycle into the May- day festivities is likely 1o cause a partial return to the customs of a century ago, when all persons who were physically able to do so took part in the Mavpole dance. As a rule, the younger children, to whom Mayday is a period of elysium, will be com pelled to forego the delights of the bicycle feature, and -in - this way it will devolve upon that portion of the cycling contingent which considers itself sufficiently skillful to enter the lists, res garaless of age. This calling the attention of the adults to the celebration of the 1st of May prom- ises to make the observance of the day far more general than in many years. It has not been infrequent to invite the elders to the juvenile parties, which took place on the evening of May L. This custom will be improved upon this year, for it has been decided that theelders will form out- ing parties fora trip to the parks or some suburb during the day, the evening to be spent at the home of the host and hostess. Thus, if there is nota Maypole dance in the daytime, there surely will bea May- day hop in the evening, and so, fashion or another, young and old will dance in the fullness of their joy that the springtime 1s really here. All this is due to the bicycle. Thus the wheel has mot only given to many of us heaith and strength, but it is bringing about tiie return of one of the good old customs that the older ones used to ob- serve 0 long ago as the days when Queen Elizabeth smiled over her ruff at the merrymakers, and biuff King Hal did not disdain joining the dapce around the Maypole. MAYDAY BESIDE FOREST STREAMS There are different kinds of lovers of nature as there are different kinds of men in the va one who is content to roam over the hills or through the forest simply for the love ied walks of life. Thereis the of nature, and there is the one who to enjoy nature must sit on a mossv bank watching a cork fastened to a fishing-line. Both will be given an opportunity to enjoy Mayday, the latter particularly, because on that day the trout season really opens. For the trout-fisher this year there are only a few new things in the way of tackle. Nu real innovations, however. And, by the way, have there been any real improvements over the methods of the fisherman’s saint, izaak Walton? The principal difference in this year's tackle compared to last year’s is that everything that can be made of aluminum can be obtained in that metal. The advantages of this are obvious to any sportsman. Tackle can be obtained cheaver this year than last. There are a few improvements in reels, all of which are very high priced. Jointed poles are lighter and prettier than ever. Hooks and lines are of the same old style. There are a few new flies out, which, however, do not look any more ‘‘tempting” than the old kinds and would have to be tried befors their advantages can become known. But judging by the amount of new tackle that has been sold during the past week Mayday will be a bad one for the trout. Hundreds of devoted anglers will leave here next Saturday morning and in a few hours be scattered along the streams within a bundred miles of San Francisco. Just where they will all go it is hard to say, but of course the old favorite fishing grounds in Marin, Sonoma and Santa Cruz counties will come in for their share. There are a number of old anglers who have little “private” pools of their own staked out, but as well ask them for one of their eyes as for the location of the vlace. That is their secret. Of course the first day’s fishing of the year is really the most eajoyable—even though none of the finny tribe are lured from their hiding places under the rocks. A good fisherman gets on Mayday the advantages of the beauties of nature and the advant- ages, if any, of the excitement of the sport. What pleasurable anticipation there is in the walk to the trout stream in the early morn. ing hours. A well-stocked lunch basket and a box of tackle are your only companions. Down the road under the trees to the path that leads to the fishing place. There were lots of fish there last year. What's that? Somebody else there. Well, no matter, there are other places. This is a better place anyhow. Hear the water roaring over the rapids and the wind whis- tling through the redwoods. Inspiration enough for a work of art. How dark that pool looks. Surely there are several bic teilowsin its depths. Get out your tackle. That bright red fiy isa good one to begin with. If he will rise to that he will rise to anyihing. Swish, r-r-r-r-r, and your first cast of the season is made on Mayday. Butwhat's the matter? The fly is getting water- soaked, It has been offered with no takers. Try again. No better. Maybe there are no trout in the hole. Try the yellow and green fly. There, thav's better. My! but he is a big fellow. How he makes the reel hum. Now he has stopped. Wind him in. Slowly. Now he’s off again. Ot course your first fish of the season makes a game fight. Half an hour slips by like a minute beiore you manaze to get him beneath the lid of your basket. But what a pleasurable half hour it was. And such a successful one. The first is a beauty. Now for some lunch. How good it tastes. Ah, if you could only have that appe- tite every day in the week. And as the day wears on, the sun rises higher and higher, and it gets warmer and warmer. You have a basketful of fisn and are healthily tired out. Now for a rest until train time. And perhaps a smoke and a pull at the—but that is another story. Perhaps as you lie half asleep, half awake, and you surely know this is the ideal repose, you may dream. Most likely you will dream of catching the largest trout that ever was caught. You will in vision cast your fiy and, after the gamest possible fight, land the tish. Then you will wake up and feel for yonur basket of beauties. They will be thereand You will be as happy as you ever were in your life. 1f you are not—well, there is no poetry in you. Of course, you may say there was neverany poetry in you, whic only goes to show how little you know about it. The ride back to the City is a e long one. Much longer than theride /" to the fishing grounds. Butyouare 9 glad that you went, and on the ferry-boat across the bay will bave the pleasure of compar- ing your catch with your friend’s. What joy it is if you have made the larg- est catch of the day. But no matter if you have not. You may some other time,and you will atleast have the 0 “fl“,/ satisfaction of = S feeling that = . ”i“m'l'l'.”l‘ your May- (| ‘!"mn#],n 2 day was - q i iy, - | W (| ey 5 5 I, e