New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-01-20
THE GRANDEsT DAY OF ALL
CELEBRATING wAsHlNGToN'S INAUGURA-
TON.
WHAT Is BEING DONE BY THE CENTENNIAL
COMMITTEE TO COMMEMORATE THE ONE
HUNDREDTa BIRTHDAY OF THE

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT.

COhMIITEE TO COMMEMORATE THE ONH~
HuNDREDTIf BIRTHDAY OF THE
NATIONAL GOVERNMENT
Philadelphia has hitherto takea rank as the city Of
centennial celebrations, and her glory rests upon
substantial basis. 1t has always been considered
fortunate that many OF tho great events In Amer-
can history calling for centennial Observance oo-
CURED in Philadelphia Tho people OF that amiabie
town have lots Of spare time to attend to thhgs OF
this sort They give up week, or month"; or
even year TO preparations for great celebration and
not feel the loss OF It, In NewY0rk however, thoss
are different The people arc busy. Ihey "orh
They hustle. They live In a rush. as IL tho great
object OF life were 10 got to tho end Of It as soon as
possible. A New-York merchant does more business
in en- hour in a ten-by-twelve closet In Water.st
than Philadelphia merchant does in day, occupying
an entire house Of seven lofts and cellar ~ Achst'
This simply illustrates the difference In inc chaAdo'or
OF tho two cities, showing why 1t Is thar faueiphs
celebrates centennlas so splendidly and why Is
lucky that the duty of doing fell In such largo
measure upon her
But New-York. when she has anything to 40, Is
apt to do # with a whlz and a bang and when IL is
done II Is we'll done She doesn't begin as loDe aueau
as Philadelphia. She doesn't take as long "no 10
consider each point but at the right molnen. sn'
shovcs the thing through with blaze oil eiecucitS'
This IS the spirit in which the celebration VI ah
iugton'e Inauguration as the first President OF tho
United states undertaken, and now. when inc
event is but three months distant, preparations ior
1t arc going ahead with a vgor thoroughly char-
acteristic OF the town.
The General Committee in charge Of the ahair In
oludes about $50 Of tho best known men OIL new
York There has been some little straningi ehouIu
say TO get ornamental names, that Is the names Oh
the grandsons OF Continental heroes, whether me
said grandsons are in themselves heroes or not But
nevertheless and in tho MAN. the committee IS maie
up OF men who stand for something I'm the community,
who are leaders OF affairs and who can do thlhg OF
this kind In Just the way # ought to DO DONE hanll
ton Fish is the president Of the committee ana IL
bridge T. Gerry is the chairman of the executive com
mitee. Mr.. Gerry is tho principal engine IN supply
ing executive forco for tho show. He Is soneoodyS
grandson and somebody his own account also
He Is rich philanthOp!c, a man OF ahauS' rhI oI
public spirit. dash and vim. He Is tho comnouore
OF the NewYork Yacht Club. moro than sA le't IN
height, and when he stands forth decksd In nauucai
array with his fun allowance of gold lace, buttons
stars garters beads jewels, belts. bands, epaucts
and other insignia Of authority no looks Ike an en-
peror Not tho least important OF the many arrange
mens now IN progress for the Centennial Ban IS Tho
rubbing up of this glitterng regalia Mr.. Gefry's
graQdfather, EIbridge Gerry, Harvard graduate OK
1862, native of Marblchead. was one OF the signers
Of tho Declaration Of Independence one OF the trainers
Of the Constitution, though no lost his glory In this
relation by refusing TO sign IT, Governor OF MESA
cbusets an Ambassador with Pbnckney and Marshall
to France a Congressman under the Constitution ana
finally in 1879. tho oe-President OK tho Uniicd
States.
Nearly dozen subdivisions Of tho General Com
mittee have been made for the purpose Of
systcmatiling the work The Committee on
Plan and Scope, with ex-Mayor Hewitt as Its
chairman blocked ont tho features OF the celebration
The Committee on States. with william g. Hamilton
as iie chairman and James NJ Montgomery a. It's
secretary has TO do with those details In which other
81 Ill THa nm
mittee on tho General Government. OF which eS-
Congressman John A. King. whose father. John A.
King was a Governor and senator uf this State. Is
chairman and seth low secretary, attends 70 Az
matters dealing with the Federal Government Tho
Committee tho Army. whose chairman Is Colonel
Cruger Will have charge Of the military and Industrial
parade. This important committee includes. besides
tho Colonel, Governor John COchrane. Locke W.
Winchester, J. Hampton Robb. Frederick
uallatin, Frederick d. Tappon and John
c. TomIinson. Mr.. TomlnsOn its seero-
tary The Committee on the Navy. whose duties
arc obvious Is represented IN Major Asa Bird Gardiner
the chairman and Loyal Faragut. tho secretary IL
Is q large committee composed II persons Of social
standing for Il will have much to DO With foreign
cny0Ys and naval officers.
large amount OF social prestige Is concentrated
in tho Committee on Entertainment which has charge
of tho ball OF the banquet and OF tho personal comfort
generally OF distinguished visitors StUyvesant Fish
IS chairman OF the committee and ward McAllister
IS the secretary. Invitations VIII 10 issued 10 tho
ball to tho number OF 5000
Tho most numeruus committee and the one must
sought after Is the Finance Committee Brayton Ives Is
IFS chairman Dc Lancey Nicol It's secretary and Louis
Fitzgerald rs treasurer II IS composed largely Of
financial hcayyweighs. who are. OF course, expected
10 do their duty chcenuily. A committee on trans
portaon in charge Of Orlando B Potter has the bus
ness of free passes and special rafc6 in hand, and Is
now engaged in constituting the Interstate Commerce
law The Committee on Art, over which Henry @.
Maryland prcsidcs, with Richard watson Glider as
secretary Is making an interesting effort 10 get up
a memorial exhibition Of Washingtonian relics Tho
Committee on Literary Exercises has bat two members,
Chairman Gerry and Secretary Clarence W. Bowen.
Mr. Bowen is secretary TO the general committee and
one of the chief officers Of the movement In all its
phases.
with whom the idea OF celebrating this memorial
ori gnated have not been ablo 10 ascertain !, was
scarcely inspiration, since such anniversaries have
been coming on at intervals during the past dozen
years The victory at Bunker Hill, the Battle Of
Lexington, the Declaration, the winter OF discomfort
at Valley Forge, the surrender Of CORVALLIS and the
signing of tho Constitution have all been appropriately
celebrated, and this one, the formation Of the Federal
Government IS the last on the great series OF Revolu
tlonary events demanding recognition. II was ac-'
compllshed with stately ceremonies and amid uni
versal rejoicing. In fact all the preliminary events
were but steps incidents leading up 10 this grand
contamination, aud this not itly celebrated our
chapter Of National centennials would not DO 1tly
closed.
1t was an accident that Washington inaugu-
rated on April 30. That particular day not par
tcularly set aside for the ceremony. Congress was
TO have met on tho fourth OF March, but the great
trunk lines stage coaches In those days, and
nearly month passed after the appointed day before
the House secured quorum. When tho Senate mot
carly I'm April the first business transacted was tho
counting of the Presidential vote. This a per
funcory performance, Of course but It essential,
and then messengers had 10 be dispatched to Washing
ton I'm Virginia and to Adams In Massachusetts,, in
forming them OF their election II April before
Washington got away from Mount Vernon, and full
week was occupied IN reaching New-YorlG lie camo
through Pennsylvania, crossing tho Delaware at
Trenton very the spot where he had crossed In
his famous retreat after the Battle Of Princeton He