The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-03-04
A TREMENDOUS CROWD.
The Hotels and Public Buildings damned
with Visitors-Inquiries for Mcdonald.

with Visitors-Inquiries for Mcdonald.
Special to the IndaLapolis Journal
WASHINGTON, March 3.-This has been an ex-
trenlely restless day in Washington. There has
been steady tramp, tramp, tramp of sodiery, q
constant roar Of band music, and an unceasing
jam of people. One has to walk in the middle
of the streets to make any Roadway at ALL
Hotels and streetcars are packed, and yet there
are those who say tonight that four years ago
there were more people in Washington than
now. If the stream of incomers continues, how
ever, before the sun rises again it will be abso-
lutely painful to exist here. Trains are arriving
on the three roads about every half hour, and
they are all heavily laden with human freight.
Thousands are going over to Baltimore to spend
the night and it is feared by their friends that
there will be railroad blockade in the morning
and they will experience much difficulty in re-
turning The weather bureau predicts fair
weather tomorrow. and the preparations for the
parade and the fireworks and ball at night are
being extended.
There were many inquiries for ex-senator
Mcdonald, of Indiana and good deal of sur
prise was expressed by New Workers, upon ar
irving, az not finding him here The absence of
no one seems to attract so much attention or
elicits such deep regret as that of Mcdonald.
At the Capitol there have been, of course the
greatest crowds of people. It was impossible to
move from one end of the building on the floors
upon which the House and Senate are, without
extreme effort The police were unable, all day,
and are tonight, to keep passage way open.
Members of the conference committees at both
ends of the Capitol are compelled to traverse the
basement floor. Dense crowds surround every
door of the galleries of the two houses, peering
through and awaiting the departure of the more
fortunate occupants of the seats within.
These crowds are composed, for the
most part of well-dressed, well-behaved
people, and by far the larger half
wear overcoats of army bluo, with their red
lined capes thrown back the better to display
the buttons and military trappings beneath.
Many civilians are bedecked with silken badges
bearing gilt devices. The old citizen who re-
members the inaugurations of Pierce and Buch-
anan, and who loves to tell any chance passenger
of the glories of ancient Democracy, elbows the
younger and more sportive patriot who, in de-
fault of cheering memories, cherishes with equal
ardor and chats as freely about his terminating
hopes OF the hereafter dating from tomorrow
noon. A majority of the latter have come to
pay their first visit TO the halls of Congress, and
betray, in face and demeanor, sense of pro-
prietorship in the building and its contents.
They bear their disappointment, however, with
patience, not unmixed with painful surprise, as
the sturdy, methodical police turn them back,
and ask their equally uninformed neighbors if
any way is open to a free but untitled American
citizen to get where he can see the process of
law making.
The proceedings to which such as get admis-
sion are witnesses are not so well calculated to
excite feelings of reverence those of the earlier
days Of the session. Senators and members of
the House are worn out with protracted sessions
and the excitement of the last two or three days
and nights, and betray the fact in their uneasy
attitudes, and sometimes in the unparliamentary
vigor of their expressions