St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-05
Washington Gaily Decorated
for the Greatest Of All
Political Events.
Pennsylvania Avenue Hand
somep With Its Forest
Of Bunting.
The City Accommodates Three
Times It's Normal Popu-
latiOn.
A Scene of Pomp and Pageant
py Never Before Wit
messed in America.

WASHINGTON. March 4.-With simple
and solemn ceremony, in the presence
OF all OF the wisdom and authority en-
bodied i'll the coordinate branches of
the government, and surrounded by the
representatives of all of the great na-
tions on the face of the globe, Benia-
min Harrison was to-day inducted into
the highest Office within the gift of the
American people. Gathering up the
reins of power as they fell from the
grasp of his predecessor. he took the
oath which bound him to the service Of
his country, and charged himself with
the destinies of 100000 people. And
so it was that Washington, the Capital
City, was to-day the Mecca of liberty
worshipers in all parts of the land.
They were here in countless thou
san s. Weeks ago little rivulets Of
humanity began to flow in, al
most unnOticed. AS the day drew
nearer, the streams increased to rivers,
the rivers combined in floods and to-day
a veritable ocean of fervent life surges
through the city. 1t has filled all the
hotels that form the regular channels;
it has overflowed the boarding house
by-ways and finally it has permeated
the sacred fastnesses of the private
home. There never was such crowd
in Washington. Trainmen could not
begin to estimate the numbers of inconl-
ing passengers. Boats on the river
were laden with human freight and the
roads leading in from the country saw
professions of wagons filled with family
parties: all coming to see a president
inaugurated. Every available room
in the hotels had been en-.
gagged weeks in advance. The boarding
houses had changed their halls
into dormitories. A great army of SOL
diers had camped in the public build
ings. Poor. indeed, was the private
family that did not accommodate its
country cousin. A myriad of cots
sprang up like mushrooms overnight
and filled almost every place that
boasted roof and walls as shelter from
the keen March weather. 1t was the
reign of the cot: it whitened every floor
and appeared in every shape, from the
humble cross-legged army couch to the
new-fangled two-storied variety, which
some genius invented to help out city
in such emergencies as these. In
all of its many forms it was welcomed
and not despised by the vast majority
of the half-million of free American
sOjOurners in Washington. Great num-
bers of them had not even this COM
fort and were forced to content them
selves with a mattress thrown on the
floor, or an uneasy slumber on billiard
table, while it is matter of record that
more than one village magnate reposed
last night in state, in the cool embrace
of the copper sides of a bathtub. Many
other persons, too, more unfortunate.
disregarded the kindly precautions of
the hard-worked committee OH public
comfort, came at late hour yesterday
to the city, and straying from the over
crowded benches of the railroad sta
tions. wandered about the streets at
night seeking for shelter and places to
rest their travel-worn bodies. Yet in
all cases where intelligence was shown
in the quest, thanks to the indefatigable
efforts of the public-spirited committee
having their comfort in charge, some
sort Of shelter was found, and it may
truthfully be said that Washington sue
cessfully accomplished the hercuIean
task of receiving and caring for an
army of strangers, twice as numerous as
the population of the city.