The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-02-27
The Investigation Concerning the Working
of the Pension Bureau-Colonel Dudley s
Again ON the Witness Stand.
Indiana Will Furnish Plenty of Appli-
cants for the Desirable Positions.
The Anxiety of Good Business Men to Secure
Minor Places in Government En-
ploy, and What 1t Indicates.
INAUGURATION PREPARATIONS.

Decorating the Pension Building, and Pro-
viding for the Public Comfort.
Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
WASHINGTON, Feb. 26-There were very lively
scenes at the new Pension Building to-day
Workmen were so thick making ready for the
inaugural ball that one could scarcely trace
them. 1t is intended that the room shall be
fully completed by Saturday night all the
decorations will be finished then, except the
placing of potplants, which will not be done till
the Sd of March. Members of the executive
committee are personally experimenting the
work. When the Journal correspondent visited
the ballroom, this afternoon thero were dec
orators, gas-ftters, carpenters and artisans of
various kinds engaged in their different occupa
tions, and the sharp taps Of hammers and the
shouts Of the foremen awoke the echoes
of the great building Gunsell, the dec
orator, had most of his material
on hand, and much of the work of draping the
ceiling had been completed, and the shields and
decorations adorning the pillars on the lower
floor had been placed in position The huge
columns in the center Of the building had been
swathed in white muslin, and the work of twin
ing garlands of smilax about them has been
to bring the rich materials to be used in hang
ing and draping the hall into the building until
the last moment. The spacious rooms opening
into the hall on the lower floor have all been
signed to different purpose-one to tho Presi
dent, one to the diplomatic corps, one is fitted up
with a telegraph instrument for the
press, another for the reception CON-
mittee, and another for the general
committee; the other rooms will be used as cook
rooms, supper-rooms and winerooms. The pro-
vision for the comfort of the guests will be most
complete. The cook-rooms are commodious.
Each attendant will have charge of 100 boxes
which have been designated according to a sys-
TEN of letters and numbers There are also
commodious toilet and retiring rooms. The
kitchen will be in separate frame building. out
side the main building. and the service between
the kitchen and the dining rooms will be through
windows. The supper rooms will accommodate
700 people at time, Or it is estimated, 1,400
people an hour. 1t is proposed to place fire
company in the gallery at each end of the hail.
and besides there viii be force Of police In tho
buil The chief of police and the chief of
the fire department will have a room, and cleo
trio bells will be put in, SO that they can com
municate at once with their men if there is oc-
casion.
The walls of the series of rooms fitted up for
the Presidents reception are now being painted
and decorated Five thousand dollars worth of
furniture will be placed in these rooms. The
committee public comfort is very busy
answering letters, kilograms and verbal inquir-
les and it announces that there is plenty of
poav uxaf OF lnla
being laid within the city by the railroad com
panies to accommodate the inaugural business
These are but temporary, of course, and are laid
upon the streets by special permission. Trains
will run between here and Baltimore on the two
roads every twenty minutes.
Very extensive preparations were begun to-
day for fireworks the night of March T.
They will be placed on the monument grounds
The contractors having the fireworks in charge
propose to paint the sky red. They have brought
large quantity of material, which will be manu-
factured on the ground. One set piece will be
as large as the front Of the new Pension
Building. There will be fiery rcpresen
tation of the Capitol, G5xl50 feet;
one piece will be portrait of Jefferson.
sixty feet high; a view of Niagara.
65x3OO feet, will be given. The object of doing
much of the work here is to avoid the expense
of bringing several carloads of scaffolding and
frames from New York The contractors prom
ise the finest pyrotechnic display ever seen in
this country.
The inaugural platform, in front of the main
portico of the Capitol, was completed TODAY
1t is the largest one yet constructed being level
with the middle landing Of the portico steps and
extending out nearly thirty feet, with semi
circular 'front.' and the outer edge protected by
threefoot rail. In the center is platform
four by Six and one foot high on which tho
President will stand while taking the oath of
Office and delivering his inaugural The front
with is closely boarded, will be appropriately
festooned and decorated