New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-02-23
BIRTHDAY OF WASHINGTON.
OBsERYANcEs IN THE CITY.


The northumberland fifty second anniversary Of
the birth of George Washington celsbrated In q
quiet manner in this city yesterday. From nearly
every prominent building foated the National
colors, and smaller flags adorned many
housetops and windows The gathering crowd of
children of various ages about Union Square carly
in the day, suggested the viGion OF the prophet,
when the streets Of the city should be full of boys
and girls playing in them. A Park policeman, when
asked why there was such crowd there, said that
it was evidently attracted by the fact that there
was a monument there that had the same name
the holiday had and that the people expected to
something wonderful done there. If so. they were
doomed to disa ppontment, for the statue, while
receiving many comments, did not receive single
wreath.
| The In the streets were not un-
like those of every holiday. Business
was generally suspended. The Custom House
maned open an hour for the entrance and clear
ance of vessels. The Post Ofics was closed at 10
O'clock. There was only one delivery of letters
| throughout the city in the morning, but
| the windows where stamps be purchased
are never closed. All the Exchanges and the
State courts were closed. Some stores divided the
day with their employees, giving them a bslf-holi-
day. The schools not only closed yesterday
but will remain so to-day. Although the weather
was so unproptious, the streets and avenues were
| filled with people. aud places of amusement were
| well attended There many public and social
dinners In the afternoon and evening. Washington
tea parties and other entertainments calculated
| to keep In memory the life and works
of the Father of his Country.
The only places OF activity down town were the
Barge Office the ferries, Castle Garden aud the bar
rooms. The employees at Castle Garden aud the
Custom House inspectors, who know n9
holidays, were unusually busy because OF
the arrival -, of so many foreign !, vessels;
bunting along the water front. The vessels lying
as Pier North SSe aas
dressed with signal flags from yardarms TO trucks,
and sloops, schooners, bngs. barks ships tugs and
steamships were gay with flags. The United States
steamer Nipsic. which arrived from Lisbon on
| Wednesday and anchored off the Battery, was
dressed in rainbows of flags from the end OF the
bowspnt over the tops of the masts to the tahrall
The receiving ship Colorado, and the training snips
| Minnesota aud Saratoga were also decorated. At
| Castle Garden Murray & Nugent. the restaurant
| keepers, gave a dinner to about 200 immigrants
who ars destitute aud waiting to be provided
| with employment.
MANY of the theatres did a very large business in
the afternoon, Washington's Birthday being of
the most favorable holidays in the calendar for
"standng room room onIy1 was cOnspieuously dis
played. It's nearest neighboi; the Bilon Opera
House, was not 50 fortunate: Scarcely y, more
5Sar bear Lecocqs @ opera 'ei' Of Heart and Hand1
Further up Broadway the Standard and Cosmo-
poIitan Theatres and the new Casino did a large
Ius ness The may be said OF the Union
Square, the Madison Square and other houses az
the other end of the line The second annual bene-
fit of the Benevolent Protective Order OF Lady
Elks occurred at Steinway Hall az O'CLOCK ana
drew an appreciative audience. In tine evening
the theatres were everywhere thronged. -
| A matinee performance of the Chidren's Carnival
was given III the Academy OF Music Tor the buisdlng
Ss Of ss as and nsa
| all the boxes occupied. Mrs. Commodore van
derbilt occapIed one of the proscenlum boxes ls
| was after $50 d. IN. when the curtain went up and
succession OF pretty tableaus, marches and dances
began All of the participants were warmly APP
| plauded and many received handsome bouquets.
The features of the entertainment most in Keeping
with the day were the minuet which was danced
in costume, and George Washington, VINO rode os .
S%snouHeaS %an each " of Continental soldiers In
drill % was a'V we'll performed, and when the troops
formed Gordon With levelled nuskets around ther
general or represented battlefield the eject was
very realistic. Il was nearly P M when Professor
Narwig ped his hands for the last time and the
curtain fell on Prince and Princess Carnival,
flower girls soldiers, sailors, George washington
''Ih The veterans Of 1912 celebrated the holiday in
a patriotic manner, AZ daybreak' Adlntant =:
old fort at Central Park About Gclaek
srmory and escorted the veterans to the Battery.
| where David Van Arsdale. who for the past forty
years has hOisted the flag on the Battery assisted
| by Lieutenant Robinson and Captain Oer1ng
raised the flag amid the cheers of the soldiers and
10 the time Of" Yankee Doodle by the band AZ
IL o'clock the veterans assembled in Military Hall,
No. 1893 Bowery where they were met oy Dahlgren
Post, No. 113, q. A. R., which escorted them 70
Walhalla Hall, where dinner had been PREPARED;
the post for their kind attention and
hoped that they might all 1--we snothsr year: -
the Order Of United American Mechanics, with their
friesds, filed the large hall of the Cooper Union
in the afternoon tull-l ngin pctahLe OIL W asn, @
| the National coors. the only decorations;
The programme included vocal and lnstrum1.tssl IA
music recitatiOns and addresses Ile priacipal ad'
| dress was by the Rev. Henry A. Powell. The order.
| he said upheld pure aud undefiled Amsreansin'a and
| was not antagonisIc to the foreign element. o ons
insisted thai every foreigner coming here should
| cease to be a Frenchman, lrishman or uerJial ano
become an American citlzsn and respect AlaerTan T
Flag of the Free; Its Foes Its Friends de SAID
that while foreigners were the iriends
of the order. American citizens won'a no. g nave
this country made fort from which to %, oomosra ,
fon,ipu countries Miss Ida Bebeil sang ne starry
Mag" MARSHALL P. Wilder conyn!sed the audience
with his erotesqae rectations; r. d. Ospoine ave
patriotic recitatlons; the Brooklyn Quartet wnien
inclde negro. sang The Artilierists oa.n,, s,,
and National s0ns' ns ms9,ss nns by tne audience
The students OF Manhattan College. at One-hnn-
dred-and- thirty -irst-st. and Eieventn-aye, % 1o-
| served the day with an oratorical contes, IN TUG
afternoon at the college Thirty students took part
| in the contest, which consisted OF exercises In
| Adam t;oss Post No $780, had dinner az No. 80
| Chivstie.s st. The Irma GIee Club furnished music
while the members aud their friends we're at tsoe'
| Among those present were Past senior ,ice,Com-
mander o. Keith of the State of New-York Dennis
| SniI;vap Junior Vice-C commander Colonel James
Egolf w W. Cook and Henry j. Johnson
GATHERINGS IN THE EVENING.
The annual banquet of the Washington Club
in honor of Washingtons Birthday took place
last night at the Hotel Brunswick.
Ex-Congressman William r. Roberts. the
president of the club presided There were present:
Ex-Mayor Grace. Maurice rruy, the French Assist
ant Consul o. b. Potter, Ex-Governor Walker.
Frederick A. Conkling, Commissioner James y