The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-03-06
AT THE WHITE HOUSE.
Thousands Fass Through to Shake
the Presidents hand.


WASHINGTON, March 5.-The white
house was the center of attraction to-day,
ana nearly all the thousands of visitors
made it visit. Busine.s was practically
at a staudstill in all the departments pend
ing change of the official heads. Sight
seers streamed through the corridors and
kept the clerks busy ans wering questions
The day at the white house began about
8 o'clock The President and his family
did not finish their breakfast and morning
duties until that hour. A large crowd was
gathered about the gates, and it was with
difficulty that they were restrained from
forcing their way by the guards. The lat
ter were instructed to keep the grounds
clear till 10 o'clock, as it would take until
then to prepare the House for the reception
of the immense crowd in waiting.
THE RECEPTION.
The President came down about 1915
O'Clock and took his stand in the east room.
Col. J. NJ Wilson, u. S. A., stood by his
side and assisted him whenever necessary.
He announced the names of the earlier call
ers, but they came so thick and fast that he
was obliged to discontinue so dol &
and allow the callers to shake the Presi-
dsnt's hand and pass a.ong. The
President is an adept at hand-shak-
ing, having been in continuous practice
since Q election, and he stood the ordeal
remarkably well. The reception continued
steadily for several hours with but few
short Interruptions. The scene was a gay
one, comprising civilians, soldiers, bands,
etc, mixed up Unfortunately. Bands
played patriotic airs in front of the h use
while waiting their urn, and some of the
glee clubs sereuaded the President with
stirring campaign songs.
ALMOST BEAT THE RECORD.
With hrief intervals until o'clock it was
one of the greatest hand-sh king days seen
at the white house since Grandfather Will
lam Henry Harrison expended niS strength
in this violent way. President Harrison
really gave up most cf his day to
this exercise, barring the time given to sign
ing the cabinet nominations. Even Sec
retary Blaine had to coafe with him down
in the east room surrounded by admiring
republican club men and then make his
own way out thr ugh the throng by main
strength, smiling and shaking hands, Cf
course, while the crowd cheered him as he
went, and one over-zealous Pennsylvanian
gulrdsman distinguished himself by slap
ping Blaine in the back until ne got out Of
the gate.
THE EFFECT ON HARRISON.
After the handshaking was over Gen.
HarriSon's hand was too swollen and his
arm too strained o do much work at his
desk. The republican clubs which came to
march in the process ion and view it from
the sidewalk contributed most of the hand
shakers, a large majority of whom were
men. The Home Market Club of Boston made
an impression. Escor ed by Rerresentative q
Cogswell of MasSachu etts, they marched
in smiling, and g tandard carer pre-
sented the President with a large floral
eagle. ut as screeching pretty load for
you in the fall, Mr.. Pres dent,n said the
bearer, whereat everybody laughed.
LONG SIEGE.
Hour after hour the President stood there
leaning o the b ok of sofa and shaki &
hands almost incessantly. Hour after hour
the crowds surged in the front door,
through the east room and out of the win
dow, across the bridge, to the sidewalk
again. Part of the time they varied the
performance by trying to 60 in the bridge
window and the door at the same time,
choking up the two possible exits. Up
stairs Col. Halford was trying to get the
hang of things in his Office, and at the same
time file several thousand applications for
Office