The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-22
Scenes at the Base Of the Monument,
and in the House of Representatives.
Appropriate Speeches by President Arthur
and Senator Sherman, and Eloquent Ora
tions by Messrs. Winthrop and Daniel.
THE DAY IN GENERAL.
A General Effort by Residents of the Capital
To DO Honor to the Occasion.


Special to the indianapolis Journal.
WAsHTNGToN Feb 21.-Everyb body and every
thing in Washington was given up to-day to the
dedication of the monument nothing else was
done. In this they have been very ably assisted
by many thousands of strangers from distance.
The city has been crowded. and in many
respects, the scenes presented have been quite
similar to those of inaugurations on the 4th Of
March, Washington was never so gorgeously
decorated with flags, bunting, streamers, ETC.,
emblematical of the Father of his Country.
Most things and people were thoroughly con-
tinental The New Enelanders, including the
traditio nal and veritable school -marm were hero
in great glory. There were continental military,
civic and secret organizations, almost without
end, accompanied by continental and almost
every other kind of band.
| The day dawned bright and beautiful;
there was a perfect Italian sky, but
the suns rays came down through an
atmosphere that was piercingly cold. A stiff
wind cut its way to the marrow and those in
! the parade suffered much, especially the musi-
clans and those carrying guns, flags, or banners.
| There was no snow on the ground. The ceremo-
| MES at the monument were brief, on account of
the unpleasant weather. At noon a battery,
stationed on the hill Immediately south of the
| Capitol building, began firing q salute of 100
| guns, as the procession moved. When it reached
the foot of Capitol hill it had to wait some time
for the President to take his place, with the Cab
met, on the stand at the east Capitol front, to
review the soldiery as they passed. But little
| life was shown about the hall of the House Of
fafi ivac tvha sc
| throp and Daniel were delivered, until IL
| o'clock. Then people began to arrive slowly
No one could enter the building unless
he or she had a ticket of admission,
so that at no time was there any jam. At 2
O'Clock the gallery seats were all taken. About
half the members were on the floor. Their reg
ular seats had been removed and smaller cane
bottomed chairs put in for the accommodation
of eight hundred people. Everything was SO
quiet you could almost hear pin drop 1t was
as If a funeral was about to take place Finally
Representative Ochiltree walked in and down
! the main isle toward the Speakers desk Some
roguish boys in the gallery whistled softly and
clapped their hands, and it was taken up by the
members on the foor then the ladies clapped
their hands, and it wound up in a regular storm
This opened the way for many such ovations
Every man of prominence was warmly greeted.
When Gen. Phil. Sheridan entered everybody
on the floor and in the galleries arose and
applauded him for fully two minutes The
grand old warrior never seemed to notice the
demonstration, except by his face growing red
der. When General z Lee, of Virginia, came
in, followed by some .eher distinguished ex con.
federates, those on the Democratic side of the
House almost went into fits of enthusiasm A
great crowd f1ocked about him, shook him by
the hand, and gave him Southern greeting
that was both hearty and long continued Then
came President Arthur, and the Senate, and the
| members of the Supreme Court, the diplomatic
corps and officers of the army and navy The
people arose and applauded during all the time
those personages We're entering the hall Ban
croft, the venerable historian, bending
low with the weight of almost four-score years;
! w. w. Corcoran, the first president of the
Washington Monument Society, and Admiral
! {. r. Rodgers, of the navy, were probably
the most closely watched trio in the hall. They
sat up in semcircle in front of the Speakers
desk President Arthur, with Secretary FIRE.
linghuysen at his left and Secretary McCulloch
at his right, sat in front of them. Judge David
Davis, of Illinois, walked in with the senators;
he occupied seat Immediately across the aisle
| from Secretary Frelinghuysen and the President.
and for five minutes lie stood up before them
with his hands to his sides, and talked and
laughed until ne could have been heard all over
| the hall. The President joined him in converse
| tlon. and seemed to enjoy it very much from mis-
hearty laugh and the way he held the old states
mans hand when he tried to break away. Judge
Davis carried an immense black slouch hat, and
| seemed to be in splendid health His hair was
! cropped closely, and there was a skinny look
about his face and fit about his clothes which
told palmer than words that he had lost many
pounds of flesh since he accepted the Vice presi-
dents chair in the Senate. a couple of years ago.
1t was not until Vice e-presdent pro tenn. Ed
munds at $50 o'clock, raped order that Mr.
Davis slapped President Arthur on the knee and
whispered something in his ear that made him
roar with mirth, and then the Illinois man went
back to his seat, crossed his legs and looked
solemn.
1t took nearly three hours to deliver the ora
tons, yet there was patient attention, for they
were very eloquent Senators Harrison and
Voorhees,, and all the Indiana members, were
present. Messrs. Browne Steele. Stockslager
and English, were clustered together on the Re-
publican side
Special trains carried thousands of visitors
| away within few hours after the exercises at
the Capitol were over, and but for the decora-
tions, which still give good appearance inside
and outside the buildings a few parading bands
and bolching cannon, and the fireworks, you