Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1885-03-04
Scenes on the Streets
HUNDRED THOUSAND STRANGERS IN TIL
CITY.

A HUNDRED THOUSAND STRANGERS IN THE
CITY.
Washington entertains to-day q hundred
thousand strangers. They began to come be.
fore the dedication of the monument and they
have been coming day and night ever since
They have come in family parties, in clubs and
companies and regiments. The hotels were
filled week ago. and private boarding houses
and dwellings have since done what they could
TO lodge the shelterless and feed the hungry.
Nevertheless, not a few of the later corners. who
brought little besides their patriotic memories
and eXultant hopes, tramped the avenues last
night from necessity, and breakfasted this
morning with the coffee and sandwich vendors
of the markets and the street corners
The throngs were abroad early, walking and
riding from point to point, to see what they
could of the public buildings the parks, statues
and the monument before the great events of
the day began. Filing and drumming, and the
marching of clubs apd troops were enlivening
elements of the forenoon, while morning sere-
nades, rendered to popular political fayorities.
served to amuse and interest the participants
and the crowds.
A BRILLIANT SCENE on THE AVENUE
Whatever it is possible to do with scantling
and boards and bunting and gilt to bedeck q
town for an occasion Washington has under.
taken and performed The harvest of the
decorators and the carpenters began ten days
ago, and the noise OF their saving and
pounding and the click of their tack-ham-
ever since down to the moment of
the starting of the procession. At first ugly
erections of rough timber broke out all along
the proposed line OF the march from the White
House to the Capitol, covering the doors and
windows of stores and dwellings, and filling up
the little parks and openings, and upon these
were tackled advertisements of seats to rent
Later flags, banners, streamers and tasteful de-
vices in showing colors, concealed the rough
woodwork; and then the building fronts began
to blossom out. The completed work is very
beautiful, and the statliest of American ave-
nueS has been transformed into q moving maze
of gay colors, which ttingly typifies the hearth
ness of this city, welcome to the new admins
tration.
SCENES IN THE CROWDED STREETS.
By 10 O'Clock the entire population of the city
seemed to have deserted its homes, and occu.
pied the streets on the line of march. The
crowd was something unprecedented, even In
this city, accustomed to receive the outpourings
children pushed and elbowed in the vast throng;
yet it was q good-natured crowd, and evidently
disposed to do justice to the occasion. II was
willing and anxious to be amused, and plucked
fun from the slightest Incidents, as for instance
the Avenue in his shirt sleeves, pushing wheel
barrow, in which reclined, with q SELF.
satisfied air, another person bearing o dag,
shouts of laughter and all sorts Of iibeS
and quirks greeted the equipage on Its
the White House, and another equally large
around the entrances to the Arlington hotel a
an early hour In the morning for the. purpose Of
obtaining view of the President and President
In the line. Both gentlemen rigfdly denied
themselves to visitors during the morning. The
members OF the general Inauguration commit
tee met at the Arlington before 10 o'clock, and
placed their services at the disposal Of the Pres
ident-elect.