Waterbury evening Democrat., 1889-02-11
PRICE TWO CENTS.
newspapers did not know how to gossip. but they were great on printing speeches"
 ''Was that inaugural procession large

young man who had been about the world good deal, but thought that | parade down the avenue was one of the most imposing spectacles had ever wit messed. As look at it now, however, it must have been a very small show. The military display consisted of five organizations, four local and one from Philadelphia. There were two or three thousand civilians in line, and of course several log cabins. Gen. Harrison rode a big white horse and continually bowed to the right or left. Probably not moro than 20, ,0OO strangers were in the city on that occasion, the most of those from the surrounding country districts. This IS not surprising, considering the fact that there was but one railroad in the city then, and not more than four trains a day between Washington and Balti- more. Of course the telegraph was not then in use, and it was physically inn possible for the newspapers in Philadel- phla and New York to give any account of the balls till day or two had l passed" IT,
 Admiral Porter expects to dance at the inaugural ball of Harrison II, for which all arrangements are now nearly complete. Arranging for an inaugural ball and an inaugural parade is a task of somewhat greater consequence now than it was in the day of Tippecanoe. Just now every body in Washington is talking about the inauguration. The committee of citizens has been at work for moro than two months preparing for this greatest of all capital events. There are twenty-one sub-committees, and for their use and the use of employees at the inaugural ball 1,6OO badges have been printed. The committee has in hand $5O,OOO with which to defray expenses. Pennsylva- nia avenue is to be roped on both sides from the Capitol to the White House. requiring three miles of rope Fifty thousand men are expected to walk or ride i'll the great procession. One hun- dred and twenty-five organizations have applied for places in the line. Three hundred thousand visitors are expected in the city, and the committee of public comfort says not one person need go without board or bed, or pay exorbitant rates for accommodations. Already this committee has secured quarters for more than 10000 persons Citizens are buying bunting by the ton, and carpenters are already at work erecting stands from which the pageant may be viewed. It is estimated that enough of these stands to seat 6O,OOO people will be erected along the avenue. The one put up at the treasury building for accommodation of treasury employees and their families, will alone seat 5,88O persons and cost $2,000, There is not a window facing Pennsylvania avenue that was not engaged month ago. In many cases fancy prices have been al- ready paid. Five dollars per person is about the standard rate for an average window, but often much larger sums are paid, and paid cheerfully. In some cases a single window brings $75, even at this early day, and attic and garret windows are salable at good prices. The people of Washington arc not at all backward about making hay while the sun of a new president is rising toward the zenith.
 If everybody could be certain of the weather it would make q lot of differ ence i'll the inaugural preparations. If people could have assurance of sunny day the window market would experi- ence a shock. But storms are generally expected here on March 4, and this ex- pectation has been disappointed but two or three times in thirty years.
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 The citizens of Washington have had so much experience in the management of great affairs of this sort that they ought by this time to have become ex- pert, and it can be said with truth that they are at this time evincing unusual skill and energy. Nowhere does this apply with greater force than to the ar arrangements for the inaugural ball. Not only will it be a brilliant ball room, an Aladdin's palace of flowers, flags, cleo trlc lights and fountains, but it will be a comfortable ball room, with an amaz- ing array of conveniences for the thou sands of guests. The supper will be a marvel of elegance, served buffet style, knives to be almost entirely dispensed with for convenience sake, and at the low price of S1. In the barber shop no extortion will be permitted, the regular price for a shave, 15 cents, being all that the proprietors are per mitted to charge. There will be 15,OOO hat boxes in the cloak rooms. Admirable arrangements have been made for carriages. Nearly all of the livery and hack men in the city have joined a pool not to put up prices but to keep them down to reasonable basis reconl- mended by the carriage committee. In this way it is believed all extortion will be averted. Tho best part of the ar is one that will enable gen. tleman who goes to the ball in hired conveyance to take the first vehicle in the line when he is ready to go home, in- stead of being compelled to wait until the carriage which brought him can be found and driven to the door. The en- trance to tho building will be covered with long shed, protecting guests from tho inclemency of the weather on arriv- ing and departing, and at least fifteen carriages will be able to discharge their loads at the same time under these roofs.
 x*x
 The coming pageant, the ono truly national pageant which this country af- lords, bids fair to eclipse in magnifcence all its predecessors. Good old Admiral POltar will hto :,.