The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-20

occasion.
jackson had no ball-he felt his wife's
death too deeply But all Wayback turned
out at his reception and climbed with its
muddy boots on the damask- covered white
house chairs. 1t was the first time hut not
tie last that noisy mob had taken the place
by storm.
Van Buren, had brilliant weather, big
crowds and a splendid ball at Carusi's.
Harrison's Inauguration was celebrated
the night Of March 4, 1871, by thres or four
magnificent balls. There are women in
plenty who could tell Gen. Harrison how
worn out and pale his grandfather looked
as he dashed about from one packed assem-
bly, to another the night through, smiling
and chatting with his cabinet about him
at each in turn. There is white-haired
old lady in Brooklyn who has shown me
many times a scrap Of the rose-colored crepe
ste wore
at took just five breadths, scant, to
make the skirt, dearie, and | had ostrich
feathers dotted over it and more feathers in
my hair.
"a shall never forget how dropped my
fan--a carved ivory one, here it is, you see
right ia front If the new President He
picked il up, bowed, gave it back to me, and
| blushed till / thought my face would never
cool again"
There we're two big balls given for Polk,
March 4, 1915. II cost $40 TO 20 to one, 50
TO the other tn elite ball was at Carusis,
and Mrs. Polk, vino was a strict Presby-
terian and abhorred dancing, looked on al
comylacently as she could, dressed In
severely Dlsin black silk gown, long
black velvet cloak, with deep fringed
cape, and bonnet of purple velvet. Mrs.
Polk never permitted dancing in the white
house.
jackson Hall, Carusi's and the city hall
were the scenes of these free gorgeous fetes
graded in price given in honor of Zachary
Taylor. There was an immense turn out as
if TO dance for eight years instead of four,
for Pierce gave no ball, the inauguration
following hard on the death of the Presi-
dents son.
The radiant golden beauty leaning on the
gray old man. This was the recolle ction
which most of the spectators brought away
with them from the Buchanan ball. 1t was
latelp the evening and the dancing was in
full thrOb, but there was an involuntary
hush and then a stir as the ranks broke and
place was made for Harriet Lane, beautiful
as when the Oxford boys caught sight of her
and broke into cheers on that day, then in
the future, when the English University
honored in company Tennyson and Buch-
anen. At the inauguration ball she wore a
simple white gown with pearls about the
throat and IN her hair. President Buch-
lovely girl as he consigned her to Gen.
Jesup, who took his post beside her,
tall, straight, venerable, IN full military
uniform.
There were many beautiful women at the
Buchanan ball An old Washingtonian
was INDUCING in "reminiscences the other
day. There was Mrs. 'Shdell,' he said,
whom southern women looked to as
leader. There was Mrs Senator Thomp-
7
ber, white and silver. There was Mrs.
Senator Douglass in her bridal gown, whom
people gazed on almost as eagerly as on
Harriet Lane There was a temporary
building put up for the occasion and the
decorations were the most brilliant the city
had SEEM
Merrymalting was the furthest possible
from peoples thoughts when Lincoln was
inaugurated, but March Mrs. Lincoln gave
leveo. Unhappy woman, she had aspired
all her life to rule the white house, and it
was hard if she might not once sip the
sweets Of her position. Somebody who saw
her on that occasion described her after
ward as "a pleasant-l0Ok!ng, elegant lady,
of perhaps 10, somewhat inclined to
stontneSs, but withal fine-looking and well
dressed
Lincoln's second Inauguration was cole
brated by brilliant ball on tine night of
March 4, 1860. There was grea5 display
Of bunting N the large hall of the depart
ment of the i terror and at one end was
built dals on which were placed chairs for
the presidential party. Lincoln Is remem-
bered, gaunt aud tired, in black suit aud
white gloves. Mrs. Lincoln wore her hair
rs shown in the pictures Of the Lincoln
family, brushed back from the forehead and
curling behind. 1t was twined with jas
mine. She had costly dress of white lace
drap9d over white silk, with pearl orna-
ments, white gloves and ostrich feather
fan. This was the last time that the demo-
cratic custom Of seating the President at
the same table for supper with the other
ball guests was followed. The heitar skel-
ter, pell mell scramble was disgraceful, and
IN Grants day q separate supper room for
President and suite was a feature Of the ar
rangement.
The bali at Grants first Inauguration was
a nightmare. People who were there think
of it with a shudder, and awake from
dreams Of it in a cold sweat II was held in
the treasury building, and the air, as Mary
Clemmer wrote of it, was penetrated with
fine dust ground till there was nothing to
breathe but desiccated grindstone. There
were mortals who were tucked away in their
graves because of it. There we're diamonds,
pearls and precious garments which were
ravished from their fond possessors forever
before the festivities closed. An army of
coored messenger boys manned the cloak
room. Not half of them could read num-
bers, and when the gala night was over
and hats and wraps were demanded, there
was no telling which was whose. Six
thousand tired people protested. The wor-
ried boys temporized Six THOUSAND i'm
patient people clamored. The frigA tened
boys tipped 5000 cloaks in promiscuous
heap on the floor Then came the fight for
anything to protect enc from
the pitiless air outside. There was snatch
ms and pulling. Women who could not or
would not scramble shivered in corners and
wept on window lodges, where morning
toUnd them exhausted. Greeley went to his
lotsl barc-headed. Another man walked
MS hat 1t was five years before letters Of
inquiry stopped coming asking for articles
Jst at that awful ball
T. ball which iniugurate1 Grants sec
md term cost $50 co.. Az immense build
& was INT up for the occasion with great
iais big enough Of itself for a hall; an eagle
spread mis- wings over head and 10 his talons
le cutcaed SrreamerS 100 fest long. Thous-
luds of cdnarieS were hung in cages in the
folds of the banners. Mrs. Grant was gor-
yoous IA white silk and black lace. Mrs.
Fish, stately and serene, sat beside her on
he platform. Nellie Grant stood by her
.ather holding fast to his hand. Tall Lady
Thornton, Mrs. Cresswell, Mrs. Boutwell,,
Nine. Flores from Ecuador, were only "a
'cw OF the brilliant figures in the assem-
)lage. The cloak room was everything chat
leart could wish, but everybody froze; 1t
vas IN The d 'pth Of a blizzard. West Point
'adetS had dropped in the ranks chilled to