The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-01-28

Gideon j. fuckers Experience I'm Int all
ing President Buch snan.
New York Sun.

Gideon j. fuckers Experience In Install
ing President Buchs nsn.
New York Sun.
Hon. Gideon J. Tucker sat in an easy chair
in the cosy library of the Press Club, strok-
ing his snowy white whiskers with both
hands. "Are you going to attend Cleve-
lands Inauguration. Mr.. Tucker" one OF the
younger members of the club asked.
mot If l know myself" the veteran re-
piled. Ny experience when Buchanan was
iDaugurated President will last me for lite-
time. A trip to Washington in those days
was by no means the rapid and comfortable
journey it now is. There were no sleeping.
cars, nor even any through trains. You
took a ferryboat at New York, then a train
to Camden, ferry boat across the Delaware
to Philadelphia, an omnibus through PhiIs-
delphhia, train to Havre de Grace, q ferry
boat across the Chesapeake, another train
to Baltimore, morse car through
Baltimore. and then a train to Wash
ington. Getting in and getting out OF con.
veyances all through a winter night was
lively exercise and kept everybody broad
awake, so that by the time you were finally
land by the hotel omnibus at the door of
Wizards or Browns about daylight, you
were sleepy enough to go.to bed at once. 1t
was not, however, the expectation of our
party to waste any unnecessary hours in
sleep. We proposed to witness and psrtici-
pale In the ceTemor les OF the day at the
| Capitol. to attend the Inauguration ball a.
night. and to fnd our way back to New
York at our own convenience afterward.
ut was distinguished partv," Mr. Tucker
said, DusiDely. 81 can recall most of them.
My old friend, political precepter and part.
ner, Edwin Croswell, OF Albany, was one,
al d as he was q man to VIII I'M all the others
looked up as a leader, he may be consid sred
10 have been the Chairman of the dslegs-
ton There were also Augustus Schell, Hor.
ace +. Clark Elijah Ward John @. Msther
of Troy, Charles ID. Mesd Ed yard J. Hamil
ton, Thomas J. Barr 81 d Peter B. Sweeney,
Messrs Clark and Ward were Congressman
| elect, and Mr.. SchelI was candid ate for
| the Office of Collector of this port to which
he was afterwaId appointed by Mr.. Bn.
cbsnap.
well, we were rumbling along on the
Philadelphia. Wilmington and Baltimore
| Railroad, somew here about midnight, and
approaching the Havre de CIR ce ferry when
our locomotive suddenly left the track, aud
| the passenger coaches Of the train tumbled
over. doubled themselves up. snd huddled
| together with more rapidly than regularity.
Fortunately nobody was hurt, bat every
| body was profoundly scared As soon as we
| all got out and learned the condition of
| things il vas evident that relief could only
| be had from an extra train. Our cars were
| shattered and the locomotive and tender
| were badly wrecked. We rejoiced at our es.
cape, and, there being great wood pile
| near by the scene of accident, bon fires were
] lighted by which we might more comforta-
| bly, pass the chilly hours of night These
| wore away slowly. Some of the trainmen
had gone down the track with horse bor-
| rowed from neighbOriog farmer aud we
| said 10 each other that they would soon
bring as the means OF resuming our Jour-
| ney. But day light came, and no sound of
an approaching locomotive wss heard. Rail
| roads and telegraphs, too, worked much
more slowly in those days than they now
| do, ard slI the rolling stock running into
Washington was Just then pressed into &C
| tive service. So the morning passed over US
| tired, hungry, and helpless. seated on the
| logs near our shattered train, in 40 old
| Maryland cornheld.
| "Drcidedly, this was not the entertain
| ment which we had anticipated Tor the
| fouI tn day Of March! There we were, aud
away eff from Us was the Federal city. gay
| with flags, throbbing with brass bands and
strutting itself in PROFESSIONS We could
| imagine all the goings on-the long parade
| up to the Capitol, the solemn sdministra-
| ton OF the oath OF Office to the elect of the
people, the salutes, the acclamstions, the
general Joy. Could there ne anything more
| absurd than our condition, denied perticipa-
| ton in all these proceedings, and wasting
| morn and noon of the fourth OF March
| STATED upon logs in that old cornfeld.
The sun had gone over our heads before a
| train appeared headed for Baltimore anu
| took on board our starved and wrathful ew.
The hysterical female who had screamed at
| intervals OF few minutes ever since the
| nights accident, was soothed aud trundled
| aboard. The three young men with bot.
tie, who had yelled and sung till they had
| fallen into slumber, we're awakened. Mr..
Scbell, erect. but terribly sleepy, with bat.
| tered hat and dust on his spectacles, Mr..
/ Par aa No hrie thnrCh a
| good nights rest General Ward, quiet,
broker up and tagged out, Old Mr.. Croswell,
/ pale and infirm, all got aboard, aud we were
| once more on our way toward the town
where 100 600 of our fellow citizens were
making historical event But all that af-
ternoon, and away into the evening, was
| spent IN reaching Washington. When We
| got there twas night again. The pageant
4 over, the crowds were melting from the
| streets, bunting IS being taken down,
| over loaded outgoing trains were creeping
| away, and, worse than all, our rooms at the
bofel. carefully engaged in advance, but I'M
| claimed all day had been yielded to other
guests. It was with difficulty that those of
| as who were going to the inauguration ball
| could get place in which to struggle intoa
dress coat. Never had such = crowd been
| seen before in Washington, and woe TO those
! who bad no beds reserved for them that
night Hundreds who went to the ball
| staid there till broad daylight because they
| hsd no other shelter.
at will be twenty eight years next March
| since these occurrences" said Mr.. Tucker,
with another ting at his long 81 lie whiskers,
"and it has so happened that have had no
desire to attend any Inauguration since.
| But should determine to see Mr.. Cleve-
land sworn into Office shall set out early
| enough to be safe against possible delays on
| the journey, and be sure of a sieeping-plac
in Washington when get there"
| unon the KEYS sonth OF Daytona there