Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-01-01
THE LAST DEMOCRATIC PRESI-
DENT.
The Ceremonies and Incidents At
tending His Inauguration.

! ington was hardly more than a vii
/ laee. scattered over territory large
enough for ana immense city. 1t con-
! tanned less than GO, 600 inhabitants,
and what vert then considered the
finest houses were just below the capt.
toll and above the avenue. The fash
ionable northwest part of the city was
swamp, and even the negro huts
which later sprung up had not yet
! appeared. The whole country con-
tanned less than 80, 600, 600 OF popu
lation. Still the records state that
$50 600 strangers came to see the in
auguration, and on the night of the
I'd of March thousands walked the
street to keep warm, being unable TO
procure lodgings. Several of the diff
ferent hotels, small as they were then,
had 800 guests registered, and every
boarding house was packed, halls,
cellar, and garrett.
March Sd was a bleak winter day
and the president-e elect rose before
day break at his home at Wheatlands,
Pennsy lvania, and as soon as he had
finished breakfast he started for Lam
caster in his carriage. He had writ
ten and rewritten mis- inaugural mes
sage, and he only made one change
ia ii after he got to Washington. A
crowd Of Lancaster citizens went to
Wheatlands to escort him to the
depot and a band of music played
while he rode into town with his pri-
vate secretary, Mr.. Henry, Harriet
Lane, and another young lady in
his carriage.
AT the Lancaster station he found a
special car waiting for him, built for
the occasion by Robert Magraw, a
railroad friend of his. This car had
painted windows. and these represent
ed the scenes about Wheatlands.
President Buchanan's home. All
along the road from Lancaster to
Washington ovations were given the
president elect, but be arrived in
Washington two hours earlier than
was expected, and the programme of
his reception here was rather thin.
He was driven at once to the Ma
tional hotel, which still stands oa
PENNSYLVANIA avenue, half way be-
tween the capitol and the treasury,
and here he was crowned with visitors.
Nearly everybody was admitted, and
politicians, office-seekers, and disln-
terested parties pushed this way and
that to get at him. That night he re-
ceived invitations, saws Gohight, to
dine with President Pierce, Stephen
A. Douglas and others, and declined
all invitations.
All night of the Sd of March, 1857,
congress was in session. The 4th broke
bright and sunny, with an atmosphere
full of the blandnesS of spring. AS it
did so hundreds of people were
already at their stands to get an early
watchpoint for the procession, and
the city hall steps, where it was to
organize, were crowded. At ~
o'clock the procession was formed
and it marched to Wizards hotel, at
the head of Pennsy lvania avenue,
near the treasury, where the two pres
! idents, Pierce and Buchanan, were to
meet, and go TO the capitol in the
same carriage. President Pierce was
few minutes late. He came
in a private carriage, and the crowds
cheered as he and Buchanan shook
hands at the Fourteenth street door of
the hotel, and entered the open ba
ROUGH prepared for them. With them
rode Senator Bilger, of Pennsylvania,
and Foote, of Vermont. The process
sion was long one 1t was made up
of military organizations, citizens,
and clubs, and in it were two Penn-
sylvanians who, it was said, had
walked sixty miles TO be present at
the inauguration of "Old Buck, as
they called him. One wagon repres-
ented peace, war, commerce, and
agriculture, and bore a liberty pole in
its center running up seventy feet,
with gorgeous liberty cap on its
top. The president-elect was near
the head of the procession, aud near
1 him, throughout the ceremonies, was
physician ready to administer medi-
cines should the little touch which he
/ had caught Of the National motel dis
ease prove dangerous. 1t the capitol
fifty thousand people were present,
and it is recorded that Beau Hickman
was among them, passing from one
to another and soliciting small loans.
/ The inauguration address was de-
! livered on the east portico of the capt
toll, and the president was duely
sworn in. AS the oath was admins
tered it is said it was as still as death,
and at the close of the Inauguration
there were cheers, salvos of artillery,
and music by the Marine band. The
president then proceeded to the white
house, which ex-President Pierce had
vacated, and here Buchanan received
the people,
The Inauguration ball that night
was held in a room prepared for it in
connection with the city hall, and
thousands were present. AS Buchanan
came in, at $50 the band struck up
Hail to the Chief, and here another
reception was held for several hours,
when the president left at about mid
night He took supper before he
went away, and it is said that the
feast on this occasion was very fine.
Good wine flowed like water, and
there were five hundred gallons of
oysters and eight hundred chickens.
SO closed the Inauguration. OF course
I IL i I. ~.