The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1881-03-09
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
INAUGURAL FESTIVITIES-PARA
MISREPRESENTATION EsSIoNS-BALLs
-BILLS-BABEL

| w ASHlNGTON, IL. u, mdrCn D.
To the Editor of The Morristown Gazette:
We are just through with the in
auguration ceremonies, fetes, pro-
cessions, receptions and balls, and
every householder and his wife, in
Washington, is rejoiced that the
agony is over. l have seen the
crowds that focked to Fairmont
Park during the days of the Cen
tennial Exhibition, and in Paris at
the International Fair of 1871
have seen the two largest capitals
Of Europe en- fete, but, for a well APP
pointed and well performed pro
gramme of celebration and festivity,
have never seen anything that was
equal, alb initiS I'D fnem, to the in
auguration of President Garfield.
With the exception of Paris, no 9th
er city has such wide, smooth and
solid streets for inaugural display,
and no city has such a spacious and
well appointed building for recep-
tons and balls, as the new National
Museum affords. 1t was the remark
Of many, that, if this spacious sys-
tenn of salons had been built with
special reference to such feteS as was
witnessed there Friday night, it
could not have been better planned.
The Inauguration committee spared
neither labor nor expense to make
the ball successful, and the ecLat of
the occasion borrowed quite as much
from their work on the building,
and the perfection Of its appoint
mentB, as from the brilliant assem-
blage that gathered in its halls. 1t
will be impossible, in the space of
one short letter, to go into details
There were over four thousand
guests, among whom were the Pres
ident OF to-day and the President of
yesterday; Generals Hancock, Sher-
man. Sheridan, and many other dis
tinguished army and naval officers
in full uniform Ministers of foreign
powers, with their attaches, all in
full court dress; Senators and Mem
bers of Congress, Governors and ex- |
Governors of States; Ladies by the |
battalion, distinguished, individual
ly, as maid or wife, or mother, or
for beauty Of face, form, or costume. |
1t is impossible to paint a rainbow,
or linn in words the conclusion of |
an earthquake. This ball was stun
ming. The programme had eigh-
teen dances. At times, there were
three hundred sets dancing, in tune
to a score of bands. Thousands Of
walters and racqueters glided to the
compositions of Strauss,
or shot about like comets to the wild |
music of the racquet There had
been much talk about the number
of colored people that would be at
the ball, but this variety was ex-
ceedingly scarce, and it must be
said 10 their credit, very well be-
haved.
This morning, Saturday, thous-
ands Of visitors are crowding the
trains on their return home, but it
will be at least a week before the
city will have simmered down to its
customary level What an oppor-
unity was missed in taking the city
census before the Inauguration
week! Washington might have
'isen to rivalry with Chicago or st.
Louis.
All the Department buildings, the
Capitol, the Smithsonian Institution,
Corcoran's Gallery, the White House
md other places open to the public
nave been crowded, and thousands
# citizens will return home like the
average congressman, with a super
icial acquaintance with their coun-
RVS Capital.