The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-12
DON PIATT AT THE INAUGURA.
TON BALL.
narrowing ExPcrIenccs.-.HOrRc
Greeley.

figured the Inauguration of General
Grant. Into the narrow corridors and
small rooms of the Treasury was pack.
ed to suffocation, crowd of men and
women, pushing, struggling, fainting
and almost fighting. Over two thous.
and tickets had been sold, and each
| ticket averaged three people. There
| were men in swallow tailed coats, white
chokers and tight breeches, and women
| in all sorts OF costumes, of which the
bare neck and arms with immense trails
predominated.
We climbed four flights OF stairs. TO
the ladies' dressing rooms and gentle
mems cloak-rOoms. We gave-unsus-
pecting mortals as we Were-Our coats
and hats to the reconstructed, receiving
piece of pasteboard, with number
on it, in exchange. a dark suspicion
crept over my prophetic soul that had
parted with my tile and coat forever.
| SandWiched between two lovely fe-
males, began the descent. A stream of
humanity was rushing up the winding
stair-a stream of humanity was pour
ing down; and, by the watch, took me
one hour TO reach the last step at the
bottom. Here we fell into tide setting
heavily westward, good deal agitated
| by stream of stout policemen, cotton
gloved colored walters, and some feeble.
minded young men, with hair parted
| in the middle, that made pretty
|
half an hour l and my convoy whirled
In an eddy, caused by projection at a
corner. Escaping from this we fell into
midstream, and made steady, but slow
progress.
suppose that by morning we might
have cached the end OF the corridor,
had we not encountered Il cross sea,
made up OF the Diplomatic Corps and
some military pumps, that carried US
into a reception room where the Presi-
dent and family stood firm. Against
these we were dashed with great ViO-
lence, made more fearful by stout
man who bawled out, "Don't shake
hands, don't shake hands," as Presi-
dent and Vice President kept violating
this order. could not understand the
meaning of ii, unless the man was the
court physician, and feared we, or Gen.
Grant, would catch the itch.
This was varied by weak females in
tight dresses, fainting at intervals of
five minutes. And the character of the
officials may be gathered from a conver-
sation I heard between the husband of
lady i'll from the heat and fatigue,
and Il functionary. He had carried her
out, and fortunately found vacant
space In hall, where there was little
fresh air, and while he held her up,
some servants passed with chairs.
He made an earnest appeal for one of
them, but the stupid fellows refused.
At last he seized one, and was about
seating his wife, when an official came
at him, demanding the chair. The
poor man explained, but the fellow re.
needed for another purpose. The hus-
band bade his wife sit down, and then
said:
"Now, if you take that chair, you
must take it from under my wife, and
l hardly think that will be healthy
proceeding"
"You can gain your purpose In that
way" exclaimed the fellow, white with
rage; "but il your wife is sick you had
better take her home."
"You are an insolent hound," roared
the husband, "and if you give me your
address I'll smash your dirty mouth
tomorrow, when there are no women
to protect you"
i was told that the scene in the sup
per-room beggared description. The
doors were opened TO the entire crowd,
and in two minutes the rooms were
packed to- suHocation. To eat was im-
possible. But to stir up the temper and
destroy dresses was the rule.
The long trails, of rich material, SUI.
fered at every step. While trying to
get to the supper room, l felt, for some
time, under my feet, what seemed to be
soft carpet. l found, in few mln-
utes, that it was tho trail of a lady
some distance in advance. What guys
women can make of themselves, when
they try. l saw some youthful female
donkeYs, with their heads plastered
over with white powder and pomatum,
as If their d5ar little selves had termi-
mated in an apple-dumpling.
When at last, tired and disgusted, we
sought tho dressing-rooms for our
wraps, found that we were pinned To
the place for two days. Fortunately,
after invading the ladies' dressing-
room, very Improperly, found their
clOaks, and then / assembled for mine.
l found a crew actually lighting in the
hall above Al the hole in the door OF
the cloak room, an idiotic face made
mouths at us in the most exasperatluR
manner. Long lines were formed by
the police, and scarcely formed before
broken up. i happened to get near my
friend, the Professor.
at is my opinion" he cried, that we
will be here all night. do not see that
struggling outside expedites work in.
side. l cannot go home without my
garments. 1 balieve l can insert my
body in that aperture with your assls-
tance."
go it, Professor" said l, and the
Professor mads dive. seized him
| by the legs. Two stout men assisted f,
and, after brief struggle, in which the
professor lost one of his coat tails and
broke his spectacles, we shot him
| through, But, alasl and alack the
Professor is dreadful near-sighted, and
losing his glasses, he lost his eyes.
| left him moping about in the most dis
ordered manner.
Descending the stairs, encountered
Mr.. Horace Greeley. He.was sitting on
a step, and looked as dismal as Marius
amid the ruins ofthe Carthage Hotel:
"What is the matter, Mr.. Greeley" L
inquired.
II have lost my hat in that cursed
] room OF idiOts.'
/ mot your old white hat"
Eyes, my old white hat, and with it
nv overcoat. It is lamentable that the
rebels did not take this d-n town and
| burn it TO ashes. They showed their
spite by not doing so. 1t is an Internal
sink-hole OF iniquity, depending for its
miserable existence on the govern
| ment."
/ left the venerable philosopher la.
menting. What an extraordinary fact
| n was that he lost his old white hat. L
had an idea in common with the pen.
siye public, that it could not be lost. l
believe he could not sell tiff he were to
try. He could not give 1t or throw II
away, and here it was lost IN CLOAK
room.
| This event impressed me deeply. ]
went home in the cold without hat OF
overcoat, in the bitter cold, but ruml,
mated, 1 marveled and wondered, and
all last night dreamed that the vene,
| rable Horace was a ferry-boat and
steered him.
Lost his old white hatI
IT is stated as a scandalous fact thai
when ex-President Johnson left the
afF oil