Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1881-03-12

| RfCoILECTIoNs soF rHK yKSER.EIx MICHAEL
| cAroS-nlp JEFFERSON RIDE TO rHK clrrroI
go" nssbsCks-waSHlNGToN CITY wHks ks.
| NAloN WAS BOY.
the question as TO whether Thou,as fersor
.oue W ,he Capitol on horse back u2on the oc-
A., Vi ais Inauguration. has been Dismissal
. o newspapers. but without deanite nm
.e'iouH III oraer 10 throw all the light poss,tAa
upon lhe matter, a representation n, 1,gy s..
called the other day upon the venerah,a N,,nsa,
eaton. one OF the oldest citizens of ms n,S,-S,
now living, and probably only living eve y,t
ness OF Mr.. JeGersons Inauguration. Mr. eaton
came to this city I'm 1922 when he was not aeoy,
two years old-one year before the removal OF
the seat OF government from Philadelphis-an
has spent the most part OF has life here. ths
Only en- absent intervals being the years spent in
Dsltlmore, where he learned the printers trace
WDen he wa5 twelve years or ,fZe and alter
S Saaos oecasionslly working In That CITY. Mr..
laton has, through long iife enloFed uniform
good health, and by regular and temperate
naDlls now possesses his faculties nearly untn-
pied; ae resides With his family OF sth street,
near the spot here be has lived for more than
AalI centsry. gooG specimen OF a well pre-
stiktu old gentleman, surrounded ty comforts
ana hosts OF personal friends. The Reporter
was welcomed and the oo, eCt or the call m ade
known. when Mr.. Cation very chperfrIlT az
scented 10 giving 81 the Information he had unon
tht subject OF The early inaugurations
/ YVES six months old. y. said he when
ny parents brought me 10 this country and
St lea N montgomery county, Nd. where they
Nv, ABOUT two years prior to moving 90 this
city, w1ich had not then been long laid cut
and hsd very few houses built. My rathes-
moved INTO
i. COUNTRY FfRM HOUSE,
which then stood on what is now sth street
This was In 30. and the Offices OF the General
government were moved here the next year,
was but child at that time and have now no
distinct recollection OF any particulars OF Mt.
JeHerson'S nrst Inauguration. which took place
Ia 1871; only an impression that | was carried
In my mothers arms she TO witness that
event, which remember fothing or being then
out an infant There Were but few houses
then, and none at all between nv fathers
house and the Capitol There were but few
people here then. and most OF them were me-
chanics and working men, who had come here
TO build the government Offices. can not say
whether Mr.. Jefferson rode hOrsebac- or not on
his first Inauguration" or the Incidents con-
nected with his second Inauguration in 1905.
MT. eaton has distinct recollection. al re-
member WE'LL he said. about the second in
augnralon; was small boy then. and went
70 pennsylvania avenue and stood en- tho
gravel path, between ID and 9Th streets when
MIR. Jefferson passed.
HE RODE on HORSE
with three friends beside him all mounted.
Who they were / oon't know. There was no
one else. no procession, no Carriages nor
horsemen besides the four. The people on the
road came out OF their houses and saw thom
pass On towards Capitol HILL | did not GO uB
there as i was but a boy, ana PENNSYLVANIA
avenue was Just the same as a country road
With gravel paths FOR sidewalks. / don't
remember OF there being any firing OF guns or
cannon Dor any military display at that time.
MR. MADISON RODE IN CARRIAGE
With three friends on horseback beside his car
mage. There was no procession OF any kind
following. nor any military escort, but it was
tha rofT
The city had not grown much AMI there were
but few people here. There We're not many
government clerks there, most or the popUGa-
ZION being poor working people.
Mr. Monroe was
rHB FIRST PREslDBST WHO HAD PROCESSION.
His Inauguration was after the war, AMI then
there were several military companies here.
They met and formed a military escort, and
since then the practice has been kept up. The
inaugural ceremonies OF Mr.. Monroe took place
In front OF the old brick Capitol.
TIE PROCESSION At Mr. ADAMS INAUGURATION
was formed at his house on street, ana there
was both military ana civic display on that
occasion. I have seen most OF the Inaugural
lions since Mr.. ,Jefrerson's second one. The
last one. that OF Mr. Garfield dii not see, as
the weather was too had 20 go out" Mt. Cation
states that he went 20 his trade quite young
and worked at the case for many years When
he was quite small his father bought the lot OF
ground on street where Mr.. Markriters store
now is. and built frame house there where
they lived many years His father was a con-
tractor and builder. Ee paid eight cents per
Got for the ground In preference 10 paying i've
cents per foot for a lot
on PENSS LvASIA kvESVs,
ground II that time being though 10 be more
valuable then Oh street. because OF the erection
OF Blodgets hotel, the principal public house,
where the General Post Office now stands. Mr..
Cation was lad seventeen years old al the time
OF the Invasion and capture Of Washington by
the British Ia 1914 and With other young men
volunteered 1or this occasion. furnishing their
own guns ard cartridges. He denies that there
was d lack Of bravery on the part OF our forces,
and attributes the disaster OF reT ulse toa
Lax o. aOoS OFFICERS
ard to bal management, growing out OF per-
sonal and political iealousies or oflicials In
power at that time.