Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1889-10-21
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Washington, Oct. IA.

three score bands playing "Auld
Lang Syne" and "The Girl Left
Behind Me- with merry good-byes
and good luck the Knights Templars
have, as body, gone away. A few
stragglers remain, but they are only
a few, and the conclave is over.
That it has been Il triumph for
Washington hospitality goes without
saying. Dissatisfaction has been
we'll nigh unknown and the visitors
depart full of enthusiastic admiration
for the city of celebrations and su-
perb pavements.
The grand parade beggars' descrip-
ton: For four mortal hours the pro-
cession drifted by, a sea of dancing
white plumes, thousands of musicians,
cheering, excited audience, these
were the distinguishing elements. The
flashing mountings of two score
thousands of swords flashed in the
sunlight.
To thousands of the Knights this
was the first vacation since the meet
ing at San Francisco three years ago
and it may not be repeated until
three years hence at Denver. They
made the most of it. Like school
boys let loose, they played to their
hearts content.
The reception of Monday night was
the largest ever had in the White
House, there being over 20, 900 peo-
pie in line to see the president. The
crowd, ridiculously large as it was,
would have been greatly increased
had not so many Knights had the
good sense to stay away. Compare
lively few of the visitors had a
chance to shake the presidents hand
and only a minority ever saw the in
side of the building. The crush was
terrible, and the line was so long that
it was away into unexplored back
streets beyond the state, war and
navy building.
The landlords of Washington are
still figuring on the Knights from the
conclave. Most of them are fairly
we'll satisfied with the results. The
liverymen have made a fortune and
are thankful, after the chaste manner
of liverymen.
1t was left for San Francisco man
to strike the best opportunity. When
the conclave was held in that city he
was running a small job printing Of
flee and was overrun with card print
ing for the Knights. These cards
have Masonic emblems and the name
of the Knight and the designation of
his commandry. The cards cost
about twenty cents a hundred and
the knights are glad TO get them
printed during conclave for s3,O a
hundred and upward.
The San Francisco man brought two
small presses with him and in less
than ten hours after he opened up he
had two local job offices running
presses until o'clock in the morning.
He claims to have cleared S25, 900 on
the week and it looks probable. He
simply printed cards by the ton. So
much for grasping an occasion.
The president has been deluged
during the past week with inquiries
as to whether he is or is not a Mason.
The same question has been put by
mail several hundred times during
the last few months and to each
letter has been written, stating that
the president is not and never has
been a member of any secret organ
ization. Indeed, by some chance
there is no Knight Templar in the
cabinet and only two of the members
are even Masons of any degree.
The size of the crowd during the
conclave is seriously estimated at
about 100000 to $4,000 people.
This leaves it, despite reports to the
contrary, less than half as large as
that in the city during Inauguration.
Perhaps the uniform good nature and
absence of noise and drunkenness
make the number seem smaller than
the bowling, disorderly mob that dis
tinguished President Harrison's in
auguration with its presence.
The society pet idea that Mrs.
Harrison would to great extent re-
linquish the office of first lady of the
land to Mrs. Morton is shattered by
the semi-of1icial announcement that
Mrs. Harrison will enter into the
swim, so to speak, up to her neck.
The Morton millions and the long So
ciety culture and the magnificent face
of Mrs. Morton will not be allowed
to overrule Mrs. Harrison. People
who have good dinners and old wine
will be disappointed.
The White House is already dis
turbed below stairs. While the chill
dren gorge themselves with infant
food the culinary arrangements OF
the household are disarranged. This
week the steward departed. lie used
to be steward in Chicago's most ex-
elusive hotel and Mrs. Harrison deem
ed him too extravagant. The high
priced servants are being disposed of
as fast as possible. How Mrs. Har-
rison expects to stand the trials of a
society season at the head of the adj
ministration without the best trained
servants is past finding out.
Senator Manderson's return at