Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-03-08
Washington Correspondence.
SCENES AT THE IxAUGURATIos--IHE DECO
RArroSs-THE PRocEss!oS.-A GRAND
SrcHI.-THE Finest PAGEANT ErER SEEN
N W.sHIxGToS.-THE BALL.
wAsHrseLos, March I, 1881

The eventful day which occurs once in four
wears is at hand-the inauguration OF Pres
iden. of these United States. OF course the
telegraph will take all the principal news to
you on its lightning wings, leaving to your
correspondent the lesser but more difficult
task of forwarding to you in an interesting
manner, if possible, the gieanings or minor
incidents of the magnificent spectacle.
The weather in the early part of the day
was very inauspicious, drilling storm OF
snow and sleet setting in the night before
and continuing up to about eight o'clock this
morning. But the sun, just before the hour
of the moving Of the procession came out
clearly, and although a raw wind blew, the
crowds managed to keep themselves comfort
able with thick wrappings. The sleet and
snow quickly disappeared on the avenue, so
that but little discomfort was experienced
from the walking.
The balconies grand stand, and other avail
able seats were soon flied, and the avenue it.
self was seethng with a vast throng.
Never has President come into office I'M
der such favorable auspices with such over
whelming splendor Of welcome. All classes
have We'd with each other in making the az
fair a perfect success. And as | write there
seems to be not a shadow of doubt but that
it il made such. For weeks, and especially
the last, the preparations have been carried
on almost necessarily. The decorations
of public and private buildings have
been completed on scale of beau
ty never before seen at the Capitol,
and probably only exceeded at the Centen-
NAL and at Baltimore last fall Beginning
at the State, War and Navy Department "a
most magnificent white granite structure),
which is covered from the seventh story to
! the basement with flags. streamers. naval
ensigns and other bunting, the observer
passes along down by the White House and
its grounds all spread over with vari-coOred
flags and testooning. to the Riggs House,
where the President-eect Chat wasl had his
temporary quarters; which. together with the
| Citizens and Metropolitan Banks adjacent,
are ''things of beauty" so richly are they
adorned The Treasury (east 'front.' which
| is opposite, has all its lofty granite pillars
| (thrty- four in number entwined with hunt
| ing and the roof above brilliant with stream
south end of the Treasury j. the great tri-
umpha arch, which I mentioned in a pre-
vious letter, with its thirty-eight Gothic win
| dows. each containing a State shield-the
upper portion of the arch graced with two
| large flags innumerable streamers and ever
| greens.
Winding around 18th street we again come
| into our broad and beautiful Pennsylvania
| Avenue brilliant now for one mile from the
Treasury to the Capitol with most elaborate
decorations, which, together with the grand
moving hosts-military and civic-the i'm
mense crowds lining the sides and sitting on
the grand and all sorts of other stands which
are erected in every available space. and the
| crowded windows. balconies and even house
tops. presents a sight .hardlv ever witnessed
| in this country, and certainly never before
here except, perhaps, during the grand mill
tary review at the close of the war.
cannot begin to describe to YOU in let
| ter of common length the beautiful dccora-
tons from the Treasury to the Capitol. One
| only will mention because of its exceeding
| splendor. that of the Pension Office. This is
the ''Shephard building" $50 called eight
stories in height. and decorated from tower to
| basement, with red. white and blue bunting.
| formed into links and hung in festoons, looped
IN with silver stars. VI short spaces on the
west side placed the shields OF the several
States trimmed with evergreen, and on the
avenue side are hung in artistic style the por-
traits of the various Presidents of the United
States-the immortal Washington looking
down from the lofty window below the tower.
| The tower has an immense sunburst. All
the minarets end pinnacles at the top of the
building are gay with little flags, streamers
and evergreens. Notices of welcome etc.
complete the splendid adornmert
Much credit is due the clerks of the Pen
sion office for this magnificent display. They
raised $500 among themselves for this pur
pose.
And as to the procession. | cannot do it
Justice. How can describe one six. eight.
or ten miles long. composed of the flower of
the military both North and South with
their elegant trapping. their superb marching
ami splendid soldierly hearing? And then
the Knights Templar. the Pennsylvania State
Regiments, and Republican clubs in glorious
arrav and full ranks, the Grand Army of the
Republic and the Boys in Blue, those noble
old veterans whose marching once saved our
country and enabled it to behold this great
occasion-many Of them trudging along with
canes or crutches. And then the various. it
would seem, almost innumcrable civic organ
izations with their sombre or brilliant nsg
mia. From every State these hosts have
come. and almost every nationality Is repre-
scented. ''IIail Columbia Indeed what a
''happy land" YOU are. Zone and insepara-
BILE :" As said cannot describe this scene.
Besides. | am in the procession myself. Mr.. Ed.
itor, and shall have to drop out of INV COM
mand for moment in order to drop into the
mail this episte to YOU. The first division,
| there are five escorted the President elect
| from the Riggs house to the Capitol. while
| the other divisions were ranged along the
Avenue. and after the Presidential oath was
taken and the Inaugural delivered. all the
divisions fell in line behind the first, and
passing around the Capitol took up the reg
ular line up the Avenue westward toward
and past the White House, where we are
now being reviewed by the President. Ex-
President Hayes. Gen Sherman. Gen. Han
cock and other distinguished men.
The Ball of course will be on a scale OF
splendor to equal all the other displays The
building National Museum is admirably
adapted to such purpose. 1000 persons
can easily be accommodated in it. and there
being four naves. there will be four extensive
dancing floors, besides many smaller ones
Four bands will he in attendance The
tickets are limited TO 5000 persons. Thpus-
ands of gas Jets and several large electric
lights will add to the splendor of the glitter
ing silks. satins. diamonds. rubies Sc. and
beautiful faces displayed this evening. The
approaches to the building are lighted bv