Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-02
THE COMING INAUGURAL.
STRANGERS FLOCKING TO THE
NATIONAL CAPITAL.

The President Elect to Arrive Tuesday
MOrning-A Dinner at the White
HOuse-A Neat Reply from Mrs. NIGEL
roy-SpeculatiOns on the Weather
Condition of the Bali Room.
WASHINGTON, March 1.-Several of
Mr.. Cleveland's personal friends, who
have preceded him here, think that he
will leave Albany quietly tomorrow
night, arriving here on Tuesday morning
and going quietly to his hotel. He would
thus be able to attend the dinner rendered
him by President Arthur for Tuesday
evening.
Vice President-elect Hendricks called
on President Arthur yesterday and had a
pleasant word with him. He will also be
a guest at President Arthurs Tuesday
night dinner.
A NEAT REPLY.
Mrs. McElroy, President Arthur's sis
ter, is said to have made an excellent an
swer at a party recently, when some one.
thinking to commend himself to her. said:
Il shall not stay here during Demo-
cratic administration. Nothing would
tempt me TO do so. | hear that Mr.. Cleve-
land is a very ignorant man, and that he
actually supposes he will have to furnish
the White House, not knowing even
enough to be aware that it is already fur
nished." To this Mrs. McElroy quickly
answered, with gentle emphasis: "Mr.
Cleveland is a friend of mine. | know
MIN well, and / assure you he is as thor
Oughly informed about the customs of the
White House, and is fully as capable of
presiding there as any one who has lived
in IT.
STRANGERS ARRIVING.
The city is filling rapidly with strang-
ers. The committee and the citizens are
hard at work preparing for the pageant.
The decorations along the streets through
which the procession will pass are to be
elaborate and beautiful. Some of them
are finished already, and give the streets
very gay aspect. The change at the new
pension building is almost magical.
court, with the snow and ice lying in
heaps on broken soil, is now a hall of
imposing dimensions and dainty beauty.
When finished and filed with gaily
dressed dancers, it will he one of the
most splendid features of the Inaugural
tion. The Reception Committee have
provided for the comfort of the several
visiting organizations.
THE MAIN PROCESSION
will be postponed until after the inaugu-
raj ceremonies proper, on account of the
length of the line. The President-elect
will be escorted to the capitol by only q
selected bodv-guard, composed entirely
of military, to the disgust of very many
people who think that the civic element
should not be ignored. After the Presi-
dent has taken the oath of office ON the
east front of the capitol the procession
will form and escort him to the White
House, where he will review it. There
will, of course, be an enormous cOncourse
of people along the line OF march, and the
chief question now is how to deal with
this crowd. Probably half OF Pennsyl-
vania avenue only will be reserved for the
procession, leaving abundant room for the
spectators. Soldiers can march company
front on half the avenue width. The
stands IN the reservations will accommo-
date many thousands, and every window
and roof will be utilized.
Owing to the chance of bad weather,
front rooms along the route are in de-
mand, and are renting at from $40 to 500
for the day.
IF THE WEATHER IS COLD
it will be impossible to heat the ballroom
sufficiently to make it comfortable. The
attempt to cover the building with a can
vas roof has proved dead failure. The
first high wind ripped the canvas into
strips. Now the roof is being made of
pine planks, with felt covering. If there
is a storm it must leak. The committee
has had some trouble in the decoration of
the room. Senator John Sherman, who is
Chairman of the Senate Library Commit
tee, has been suddenly seized with scru-
pies. He has refused to permit the plants
in the botanical garden to be used for
decorating this ballroom. He says that
there is no law TO hermit it. Col CaspV
under his direction, has also refused the
loan of plants from the conservaJOries of
public buildings and grounds. There is
no law to permit it, to be sure; neither is
there any law forbidding it. 1t is hard to
understand what these cOnservatories are
established for, if they are not to furnish
ornaments for just such occasions.