The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1889-03-09
A BRILLIANT CLOSE.
The Inaugural Ceremonies End in Dane
ing and Festivity in the Big Pension
Building The President and Mrs.
Harrison Attend the Ball-1he Dec
orations and supper.

4
minated at night in the brilliant ball at
the new pension building. No more
| glorious pageant ever marked the mo-
/ mentous transfer of the destlnies OF
nation into new and honored hands.
Aside from all the patriotic sentiment
| which clothes such an event as this IN
national Importance, the eye leasteu
upon a scene unparalleled IN magnln-
| cence, splendor and social eclat. Inc
| richly decorated galleries ana Corridors
/ aid apartments made artistic DacK-
| ground for the notable asSemblage OF
men and women from all parts OF the
| country who promenaded the stately
! length of the vast hall or watched the
| gay scene from the galleries. Aside
| from the radiant pleasure OF such pic
| ture. and forcetful of the decorations
| that seemed so well a harmonious part
| of it, there was an atmosphere OF re-
| finement and O beauty that marke
| with an indelible touch the progress OF
| a great nationin those subtle arts that
| wealth cannot evince without cultlVa-
| ton and taste.
The ball room was crowded when, at
| 10 O'Clock, word came that the pres,
| Dental party would soon arrive. few
| minutes later President Harrison and
party reached the building, escorted by
Col. Britton, chairman of the executive
committee. They were met at the en-
| trance by the reception committee
| headed by Gen. j. X. McCammOn. An
open passage was formed by members
Of the comm ittee and through this lane
| the party proceeded TO the stairway re-
served Tor them. The President took
| the arm of Gen. McCammon, and Mrs.
Harrison WAS escorted by Col. Brltton.
The other members followed. The
President was in excellent spirits, and
pleasantly greeted all who were intro
duced, chatting for a few minutes with
those with whom he was acquainted.
While President Harrison was holding
his informal levee Nice-President and
Mrs. Morton and their daughters ar
rived, accompanied by Myron NJ. Par
ker and Henry A. Willard, and were
conducted to the apartments reserved
for them. The ladies in the preslden-
tial party We're Mrs. Harrison, Mrs.
Russell B. Harrison and Mrs. Mckee.
With Vice President Morton were Mrs.
Morton and his sister-in-law, Mrs. Hob
son.
About half-past 10 President Harri-
SOL was joined by the ladies of his
family, and the reception committee
the front and rear of the party, pro-
cession was made up for tour of the
ballroom. At the special request OF
President Harrison that no police
should surround him, the pleasurable
task of protecting him from the pres
ence of the crowd was devolved upon
the committeeman. From the stairway
leading to the floor, the ballroom
presented the spectacle of a vast
sea of faces apparently occupying
every inch of space. President
Harrison expressed his doubts Of the
possibility of opening a passageway,
| but said he was willing to make the at
tempt. After much eXertion an open
ing was effected in the crowd, and the
procession began its tour around the
hall, Col. Cody buffalo Bill and Capt.
Fred Brackettln advance, and followed
by about dozen committeeman pre-
ceding the distinguished guests. Pres
ident Harrison walked with Gen. Nc
Cannon, Mrs. Harr ison with Col. Brit
ton, and the other ladies with their hus-
| bands. Vice President Morton and
party followed, but separated by a con-
side rable space. President Harrison's
appearance was the signal for an out
burst of applause and clappiDg of
hands which was kept up all along
| the line of march Slowly and
| laboriously a narrow lane was made
| through the dense throng, and Presi-
| dent Harrison, stopping at frequent IN
! tervals to allow those ahead OF him to
force their way, marched entirely
around the immense court and, partly
| back again to tie upper rooms. Here
| the president caught up with the
| first part of the procession, and few
minutes later the whole party came ont
again and were escorted by one of the
! stairways to the first balcony and thence
10 their rooms
Another brief reception was then
| held, and at II 30 o'clock the presi-
| dental and presidential parties,
| escorted by the reception committee,
| left the building. Cheers greeted them
necessarily as they descended the
stairs and walked out of the ball
| room.
| The decorations of the ballroom were
very elaborate. From the floor to the
| ceiling it looked a wonderful and har-
mOnious blending of color. The great
court, which was the scene of such
! brilliant gathering, made probably the
! largest ballroom in the world. 1t is
| divided into three great sections, 100 by
| 100 feet, by four immense pillars, which
support the roof. Each OF these made
a ballroom larger than any two halls in
| this city. The task of decorating such a
| large surface was a work o considerable
| magnitude. 1t took ten men ten days
| to put the decorations in place. The
length of the hail is BIG fee, and It's
width ll6 feet.
Some idea of the quantities Of decora-
/ ton material that is used may be gIean-
! ed from the fact that it took 2,7l6 feet of
| flags formed in fans, 1000 feet of laurel,
6,G00 feet of streamers, and there were
/ 500 flags used IN the entire building
The three galleries and the pillars sup
| porting them were the background of
| the decoration. The gilded pillars were
| twined with a thick garland of laurel.
and on the f9ce of each WAS a silk ban
| ner mounted on gilded standard.
| These banners altcrnated around the
room with elegant plush banners with
/ aIegorlc and fancy designs embroidered
III bullion end flashing with Jewels.
! The Presidents room was the gem of
| all. The approach to it led through
| ag-draped corridor with flooring
| pianks along the aisle. The room itself
! "A big, square apartment with an
afched ROOF, handsomely frescOed-was
| completely changed in appearance.
nc walls al dTOuHu were smoothly
! covered with ruby plush, with festoon
/ of bronze plush as dado, Just next the
! ceiling; over each doorway portieres of
| dark-blue plush hung from a brass and
/ plush-covered rod. On two sides ofthe
! room mantels were simulated by
| shelves, which were smoothly covered
/ with the dark plush hung curtainwise
to the floor and Topped back with brass
| rings. On these mantels were boquets
| ana baskets OF long-stemmed roses.
/ The W ndows were draped with lace and
! plush curtains. The old-fashioned
Dutch chimney-piece and a glowing
fire burning on the hearth were the
| prettiest things in the room.
The ballroom, besides the gas-iets
that burned on the double row of
| pillars, l26 in number, was lighted by
| 1000 incandesent elc otric lights. These
latter cleaned like stars. Midway I'M
der the arches. all around the galleries
| eight imme lse chandeliers were sus
pended from the roof The electric
| lights in these were around squares