The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-03-05
WELCOME, PRESIDENT HARRISON.

On the front of the old National Hotel,
pretty half rOsetteS Ia general feature)
made of bright flags caught MP on edge,
capped every, one of the numerous win,
dOws, while here, also, the national bird
appcard above the national cOat-of-arms
Across the way the st. James, newly paint
ed, showed what might be accomplished
with shields and flags of red, white and
blue, and with sky line made up of little
streamers of fantastic colOrs and designs
woven between it's flagstatfs. In this sec
tion of the avenue Erin's green banner was
noted radiating from a brilliant center
formed by a national shield.
Against all this great artistic display un-
kind nature had opposed all her forces. A
week ago the Chief Signal Officer, scanning
the weather map, had discovered a spOt no
bigger than mans hand away. off on
Puget sound. Thereupon he predicted
endeavored to. relieve. the agonized
apprehensions of the public by moderating
the force of his first prediction, but with
out avail. The rain began to fall Satur-
day. and poured relentlessly up to a late
hour last night. 1t turned the back streets
into mud-holes. it soaked the bunting,
caused the flags and streamers to droop
around their stats in dreary inanitiQn< The
morning dawned under an angry, gray sky,
the air was surcharged with moisture, and,
although it did not actually rain, the shin
ing beads of water clung to every exposed
surface. But, Just in time, n northeast wind
sprang up, and, catching the banners and
pennonS and streamers, in futterlng lines
and rounded folds, bade defiance to the
storm-king, and restored, In large measure,
the picturesque beauty of the scene. True
it is that where from economical motives,
cheap colored muslins entered largely into
the decorations, the plenteous washing of
the rains has caused the cOlors to flow.
Eagles. originally white. flushed in angry
red at the treatment. and the portraits of
the next President and Vice-presdent
assumed a bilious-blue tinge. But,
Notwithstanding the fact that the
pected by the decorators, the general effect
was not much diminished, as hard lines
were broken up and the hues blended subtly
where they met.
The first reflection of the average Wash
ingtonian as he stepped ont of his bed this
morning, and one that seemed to be almost
fair inference. from the volume of sound
that filled the air, was that every visiting
militiaman had brought with him mu-
sician possessed of an enthusiastic dev0-
may have risen before the drum-majors,
but they were sufficiently numerous in the
early morning hours to divert attention
from all the gorgeous objects: Before the
dawn the din began. Belated troops COM
tions and took up their hungry march for
breakfast to the strains of the Boulanger
quickstep, and other cheering martial airs.
Civic organizations from Baltimore and
other neighboring cities that had secured a
Function or consideration for the morning
nap of the thousands of pilgrims who had
preceded them, and marched gayly to their
rendezvous, with flying banners and play
ing bands. The air was filled with sound;
it throbbed with the cadence OF marching
feet in thousands; it ,quivered with the
shrill pipe of the fife and the snarl
of the kettle-drum, and it rung with
the elare of the brass horn.
hs dpnd eaeb to
been of the family of that French postll-
lions instrument, which, as Munchausen
relates, when hung in generous warmth
gave out with undiminshed force all of the
notes that had been frozen in toll during
long periods of time. To swell the din. an
army OF "fakirs" gave tongue. The shrewd
knights of the curb, seizing the opportunity
to combine business and pleasure. have
been coming down on the town like the
locusts of Egypt. The old familiar variety
dirt eradicator," and he of the "Philadel-
phia cough drops" and he of the "test-your-
lungs" machine, disappeared, and in their
places came new set, breathing politics
miniature log cabin for your watch chain,
or remarkable rebus badge. which
ciphered out Harrison and Morton, or a
cane concealing within it a. small
American flag, All of them had in
their hat bands more or less indiffer-
ent likenesses of the heroes of
to-day. and apparently they had in stock
all of the leftover campaign handkerchiefs.
The n-the-slot-machine man
could not prevail against their stentorian
voices, especially. as against one peculiarly
obnoxious set that reinforced the main
body this morning, armed with hollow
canes. which being blown into, emitted
doleful notes, and which they readily dis
posed of to the small boy at a small figure.
All these lent gayety TO the crowd as they
elbowed and pushed their way along with
cheerful faces, and bantered and joked
with the rustics. A more useful element in
their midst was the boy who pushed along
with tidy luncheon boxes which retailed at
fifteen cents. Indeed, the visitors were not
likely to go hungry. for under many of the
grand stands booths had been set up, where
an abundance of sandwiches and fruit
could be had, and mo extra prices" as the
placards declared. A legend familiar to
New Yorkers. on some of these stands read.