Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-12
The Great Day.
Mr.. Cleveland Inaugurated i'll
Due and Ancient Form.
The Greatest Pageant and Dis
play Ever Seen ON this
Continent.
4 Monster Display OF Fire
Works in the Evening.
Inaugural Day.


hundred thousand strangers are es-
timated TO have been in the city to-
day. Never In the history of Wash
ington has there been such a multi
tude drawn together for any one
specified purpose.
These strangers began to pour in
to the city before the dedication of
the monument, and have steadily
continued coming by day and by
night ever since. They have come IN
couples, family parties, clubs, com
panies and latteraly, in regiments.
All hotels and available places of re-
sort were filled a week ago, and the
accommodations have of a necessity
extended to private families who
have since done what they could to
lodged the shelterless and feed the
hungry, nevertheless not e few of the
later corners. who brought little be-
sides their patriotic manners and
exultant hopes, tramped tAe avenues
last night from necessity and break
tasted this morning with coffee and
sandwich from the vendors at the
markets and street corners,
THE MORNING OPENED HAY, BUT WITH
EXCELLENT PROMISE
of fair weather, which was fulfilled
before 8 o'clock, The throngs were
abroad early, walking and riding
from point to point to see what they
could of the public buildings, the
parks. statues and monuments before
the great event of the day began. Eff
ing and drumming and maching
of clubs and troops were the
enlivening elements of the early
forenoon while the morning sere-
nades rendered to the popular po-
litical fav0rites served to anuse and
interest the participants and crowds.
Whatever it is possible to do with
scantling and boards and bunting and
gilt to bedeck town for an occasion,
Washington has underwent and per-
formed. The harvest of decorators
and carpenters began tea days ago,
and the noise Of their saving and
pounding, and the click Of their ham
mers have been heard day and night
ever since down to the starting of the
procession. At first ugly ereetions of
rough timber broke out all along The
proposed line of march from the
white house to the capitol cover
ing doors and windows of stores
and dwellings, and filing up the
little parks and openings and
upon these were backed an advertise
ment of seats to rent. Later flags,
banners, steamers and tasteful de-
vices IN showing colors concealed the
rough wood work, and then building
fronts began to blossom out. The
completed work is very beautiful, and
the
STATELIEST OF AMERICAN AVENUES
has been transformed to a moving
maze of gay colors, which fttingly
typifies the heartiness of this city's
welcome to the new administration.
The building at the corner of Twelfth
street and Pennsylvania avenue,
occupied by the pension bureau, was
perhaps the most deliberately decora-
ted structure in the city, and the
decorations were at once pleasing and
unique, Long lines of streamers were
suspended between the flag
staff on the roof, and Just
below on either side of the
building, an immense golden eagle
clutched long lines of red white and
woven into vast net work covering
the entire building. At the intersec-
ton of the lines of bunting shone
stars, and framing the whole design
We're handsome shields bearing the
names Of the states of the union, all
linked together with gilt chains. At
the second story, slender stats bore
graceful tri-colored standards with
the names of the various presidents
Of the United States.
The west front of the building re-
presented the legislative branch of
the government.
MAMMOTH PICTURE OF THE CAPITOL
was fanked by great ''Romas fasces, :"
and above all colossal heralds sound
ed "paetents. At the corner of the
building the goddess of liberty, armed
with sword ana shield, represented the
executive branch Of the government.
An eagle, bearing national shield,
surmounted the figure, and an excel
lent oil portrait, of heroic size, of the
president elect, was suspended above
shield, bearing the name of New
York state. On the south face of the
building, justice blindfolded, with
sword and scales, represented the
judiciary altogether the effect was
very pleasing.
The hotels were tastefully decorated.
Wizards was profusely draped in
graceful iestoons OF. gaily colored
fabrics. Words of welcome, wrought
IN tlnsels, shown ABOVE an immense
blazing star at the doorway. and
great arch of gas jets
spanned the circle enclosing
q symbolic owl head Of the Americas
club, OF Philadelphia. Elegant de-
signs IN cunnngly woven bunting
transformed the marble facade of the
Metropolitan into thing of beauty.
THE EBBITT HOUSE
was fairly covered with flags and pic
turesque figures, and the other hotels
showed GREAT ingenuity IN devisjn o.