The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-25

Gideon j. fuckers Experience In Install
ing President Buchanan.
New York Suu

Gideon j. fuckers Experience In Install
ing President Buchanan.
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 botn
hands. Are you going to attend Cleve.
lands Inauguration, Mr.. TuckerT one of the
| younger members of the club asked.
IN OF If know myself" the veteran re.
piled. My experience when Buchanan was
lnaugurated President will last me for a life.
time. trip to Washington in those DAYS
| wss by no means the rapid and comfortable
journey it now is There were no sleeping.
cars, nor even any through trains. You
took ferrybost at New York, then a train
| to Camden, ferryboat across tne Delaware
to Phi adelphia, an omnibus through Phila-
| delphhia, train to Havre de Grace q ferry
| boat across the Chesapeake, another train
10 baltimore, morse car through
baltimore, and then a train to Wash
lngton. 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
lan ded by the hotel omnibus at the door of
WllIaids or Browns about day light. 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 partici-
pate In the ceremonies of the day at the
Capitol. to attend the inauguration ball at
night, and to find our way back TO New
York at our own convenience afterward.
1T was distinguished party" Mr. Tucker
said, musingly. 81 can recall most OF them.
My old friend, political precepter and part.
ner, Edwin Croswell, of Albany, was one.
and as he was man TO whom all the Others
looked up as a leader, he may be considered
TO have been the Chairman of the delega-
ton. There were also Augustus ScheIl, Hor.
ace f. Clark, Elijah Ward John C.. Msther
ofTroy, Charles ID Mead EdSari J. Hamil.
ton, 1nomas ]. Barr and Peter B Sweeney
Messrs Clark and Ward were Congressmen-
elect, and MIR. Schell was candidate tor
The office of Collector of this port to which
be was afterward appointed by Mr.. Bu.
cbsnaD.
We'll, we were rumbling along on the
Philadelphia. Wilmington and Baltimore
Railroad somewhere about midnight, and
approaching the Havre de Gree ferry, when
our locomotive suddenly left the track, and
the passenger coaches of the train tumbled
over. doubled themselves up, aud huddled
together with more rapidity than regularity.
Fortunately nobody was hurt, but every
BODY was profoundly scar ed As soon as we
all got out and learned the conditio of
things, IL was evident that relief could. only
be had from an extra train. Our cars were
shattered and the locomotive and tender
were badly wrecked. We Jejoiced 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-
ply pass the chilly hours of night. These
wore away slowly. Some of the trainmen
had gone down the track with horse bor.
rowed from neighboring farmer, aud we
said 10 each other that they would soon
bring us The means OF resuming our Jour
Ley. But daylieh came. and no sound of
an approaching locomotive wss heard. Rail
roads and telegraphs. too, worked much
more slowly in those days THAI thew now
do and all 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 an old
Maryland cornfeld.
Decidedly, this was not the entertain
ment which we had anticipated tor the
foui tn day of March There We were, and
away cit 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 administra-
ton OF the oath of Office to the elect of the
people the sasutes, the acclamations the
general JOY. Could there he anything more
absurd tnan our condition, denied psrticips.
lion in all these proceedings, and wasting
morn and noon of the fourth of March
s, ated upon logs in that old cornfield
The sun bad gone over our heads before a
train appeared headed for Baltimore ana
took on board our starved aud wrathful crew.
The bystercal female who had screamed at
intervals of few minutes ever since the
nights accident was soothed and trundled
aboard. The three young men with q bot.
tie, who bad yelled and sung till they had
fallen into slumber, were awakened. Mr.
Schell erect. bat terribly sleepy, with bat.
tered Rat and dust on his spectaces. Mr..
RAJ ~ A-sr
good nights rest, General Ward quiet.
broke up and tagged out, old Mr. Croswell,
pale and lDirm, ali got aboard, and We were
once more on our way toward the Town
where 100 coo OF our fellow citizens were
making historical event. But al that af
ternoon ard awsy into the evening, was
sps at in reaching Washington. When we
got there ii was night again. The pageant
over, The crowds were melting from ths
streets, bunting was being taken down
over -loaded Outgoing trains were creeping
away, and, worse than all, our rooms at the
hotei, carefully ENGAGED in advance, but IN.
claimed all Gay, had been yielded to other
guests IL WAS with difficulty that those of
Us who were going TO the inauguration bali
could set place In which TO strugkle intoa
dress coat. Never had such a crowd been
seen before in Washington, and woe % tbos.
who bad no beds reserved for than that
night. Hundreds who went to tue bal
ethIu tneIt I'LL Orodu uhyIglt, because tney
had no other shelter.
1t VIII be twenty eight years next March
since these occurrences" said Mr.. Tucser,
with another tug at his long 81 lie WHISPERS,
land it has so happened that / have had no
desire TO attend any Inauguration since
Bat should determine 10 See Mr.. Cleve-
land sworn into Office l shall set out early
enough to be safe against possible delays on
the journey, and be sure of sleeoing- place
in Washington when l get there"
] will frankly tell you that my experience
in prolonged scientific investigations con-
viDcss me that belief in Coda God who
is behind aud within the chaos OF vanishing
points of human knowledge-adds wonder
full stimulus TO the man who attempts to
penetrate into the regions Of the unknown.
OF my self may say that / never make the
preparations for penetrating into some small
province of nature hitherto undiscovered