Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1889-03-08
THE INAUGURATION.

promising, Wcttci ioih
which started in on Saturday after
noon at five o'clock and kept up un-
til late Monday night in Washington.
The writer struck the town Saturday
afternoon a couple of hours before the
rain did. but the rain was still there
when he left. The weather clerk pre-
dicted good weather right straight
along. but that didn't affect the rain
any.
Saturday night the town was full
of people-perhaps we might say full
of full people-and more a-comlng;
the railroads had more than they could
do. Saturday and Sunday and even
on Monday people just poured into
the city-and the rain it poured In
TOO. The b. & O. landed most of its
passengers in a mudhole at the edge
of the city instead of carrying them to
the regular depot, and the Pennsylva-
mia Railroad disembarked some OF It's
patrons five miles out and made them
walk in. A train full of soldiers was
halted at this place and told to get
out and walk the rest OF the way.
They said they wouldn't do it. The
trainmen said, every well, these cars
are now going back to Jersey City"
80 are we," said the soldiers. And
the railroad company hauled them
up to the proper depot in Washing
ton. Both railroads were crowded
fearfully, and all the trains were late
going and coming. Saturday night
the theaters and places of amusement
were all crowded. The pavements
were filled with people. Soldiers and
clubs and bands paraded the streets,
and many persons walked the streets
all night. Sunday was the same way
even the churches being filled TO suf-
location. Lots of people went into
church to get out of the rain. 1t
wasn't much like Sunday outside OF
the churches, though The soldiers
were parading, bands were footing,
stores and bar-rooms were open and
all doing big business, hundreds OF
thousands of all sorts Of people were
tramping the streets, fakirs were sell
ing their wares-and the rain it was
a-raining.
Monday morning the great day
dawned. The weather man predicted
clear weather, and it made the clouds
weep more than ever to note such
lie. 1t was estimated that there were
a quarter of million strangers in
town-mostly fools There were 217,-
1854 umbrellas on the streets at one
time. Each umbrella was busy punch
ing some one in the eye or dropping
cold water down some PERSONS spinal
column. Everybody was in good
humor, though, Notwithstanding the
discomforts caused by the rain.
Stands had been erected along the
line of march for 100000 people.
About one seat in hundred was oc-
cupied. This meant heavy loss to the
owners of the stands, but no one
pitied them, because they had made
arrangements to bleed the public
terribly. A party of Shepherdstown
folks bought four-dollar tickets on
the front row of one Of the stands for
one dollar. A little later they were
sold at - cents, and finally dropped
to quarter
Between II and IL o'clock a process
sion came down the avenue escorting
the Presidential party to the Capitol.
The first carriage, drawn by four
splendid horses, was occupied by the
President and the President-elect
and by Senators Hoar and Cockrell'
Mr.. Harrison didn't look particularly
happy, nor did he seem to notice the
somewhat faint applause of the
crowds. Mr.. Cleveland, on the con-
trary, seemed in very good humor,
and wore broad smile as he passed
us. Then came another carriage in
which were Mr.. Morton and Senator
Cullom. They looked as if they felt
their oats. The party went to the
Capitol, where the President and
Vice President were sworn in and
where the inaugural address was de-
livered.
There was just heaps of fun in
watching the crowds on Pennsylvania
avenue and noting the many Incl
dents. The people were all kept on
the sidewalks by means of ropes
erected along the edge of the pave
ment and guarded by policemen every
few wards. OF course there were lots
of people who wanted to go on the
other side. The policemen thought
they had no business to be crossing
over, and there was the rub. Occa-
sionally a person or a party Of per
sons were allowed to cross, but these
were few. Every now and then some
one would try to sneak across. They
were seldom successful. Their maneu-
VerS were watched anu dpplduueu
by the immense crowds. A man and
a woman started over together AID
were just lodging under the rope in
safety when an officer nabbed them
and escorted them back amid the
whoop. of the crowd. Men would
start to walk or run across when a
policemen would stop them. Then
there would be expostulation-gen-
orally vain, for back they would have
to go. The richest incident of this
sort was that of a "cullud lady" She
started in a dignified walk across the
broad but muddy avenue, and had
only gone a short distance when she
took an idea that a policeman was