The Washington critic., 1890-02-23

Brilliant Costumes on the Avenue
Oldest Inhabitants Meet ana Dine
Thousands OF Visitors.
When the cordial face of Old Sol
peeped over the eastern hills and began
10 seLd his warm smiles down upon the
Capital of the nation yesterday morning
there was n spontaneoGs eXclama-
ton of thanks from Thousands
of grateful throats that made the
foundations of the houses vibrate and the
big bronze Indian on the dome Of the
Capitol tremble. AS the day god began
TO slowly ascend toward the me.
Iidian, little patches of fleecy clouds
skurried and skinned across the great
eXpanse of clear blue sky as If ashamed
10 show themselves on the bosom
Of such perfect armament
and dissolved into nothingncss
This is the way Washiugton's birthday
was ushered in at the city which bears
the name of the first ruler of these great
United States.
AS the day advanced the streets
throughout the city began to take on au
animated appearance. At first little
groups of men were to be seen;
then few matronly ladies car
rying baskets went on errands
which were to culminate in good cheer
and many thanks from their boarders,
trundled along, stopping occasionally
10 greet with a CHEEKY good morning
other matronly old ladies bent on the
same sort of GRAND; then two or three
early morning bicycle riders, out to
fill tn cir lungs with the early morn.
ing air, whizzed around the corner
into Pennsylvania avenue. Gradually,
however, the little groups Of
men and women began to swell
into crowds, and the crowds
into steady streams, until by 8 o'clock
the Avenue was perfect sea Of gaily-
dressed humanity. The side streets re-
semblcd little human rivulets empty
ing into the great human river
on the Avenue, which eddied and
whirled and surged in the greatest good
humor and enjoyment. The railroad
trains from every section emptied their
quota of visitors into the city, and when
the sun reached its zenith, the Capital of
the nation presented a scene of laleido-
scopic beauty. The Stars and Stripes
floated from every flagstaff, every young
lady was deckcd out in some beautiful
colors, the odor of flowers was discern
ible everywhere, gallant beaux strut
ted up and down, dressed in their
best Sunday so to meeting clothes and
their high, shiny silk hat polished
with even greater care than usual; bicv-
cles whirled in endless confusion over
the smooth concrete pavements
with gay colorel strcamers float
ing from the handles; horses
and turnouts whirled hither and
thither; gaily dressed soldiers were
scattered in The scene and the memo.
rable day on which the Father of his
Country saw the light of day was being
commemorated in u way that only the
city Of Washington knows how to do
him homage.
In steady volumes the sightscers and
visitors surged toward the places of in
terest throughout the city, and every
public building was besieged, while the
Capitol Building was borne down on
by thousands Of sightseers to get a
peep into the great halls where the
laws of the nation are dispensed aud
where the great men Of history walked
over its marble halls and passed under
its massive portals. The other buildings
received their share of attention
A black Cerberus guarded each en-.
trance to the Capitol and turned
the disappointed crowds away
with the simple words; CLOSED
today" and the sight-seers were
compelled to content themselves
with viewing the outside of the great
building and bringing their imagination
into play as TO what the inside looked
like
Viewed from the steps of the Capitol
building, Washington City lay stretched
out before the gaze of the sight-seers,
scene of panoramic loveliness. Gay
colored flags floated everywhere. and
away in the distance, on the Potomac
could be seen the Stars and Stripe:
floating from the very topmost trucks
of vessels as they lay anchored, and the
entire city under the gorgeous sunlight
was shimmering and animated scent
of beauty.
The morning was observed in quiet
reverent way at the Executive Mansion
a beautiful American flag floats from
the flag staff on top Of the building, bu
the house was closed to general visi
tors. Most of the employees were giver
full holiday, but Secretary HalforC
and Assistant Pruden, with few mes
sengeis and doorkeepers. remained OF
duty.
Secretaries Blaine and Window wer,
the first callers received by the Presi
dent, with whom he held a lengthy con
ference. He also entertained later At
ioIney General Miller and ex-Secretar,
Delano. Among the other callers wer
Senators Allison Hawley, Justic
Field, and Representatives Perkins
Browne, Grosvenor and Barrows.
Streams of people in holiday attire
kept up steady tramp, tramp, traml
over the smoothly paved roa1ways il
front of the Executive Mansion ant
looked in pleasure aud wonder at tn
residence of the Chief Ruler Of tn
nation. Then the stream flowed b,
the great War Department, up towar,
the mammoth Washington Monument
which looked like great gaunt spectre
silhouetted against the clear blue SIX
and towering up into the very heavens
BY the Smithsonian Institute the HI
man river suTged and chartered like
veritable Babel, and so on around pas
the other public buildings and places G
renown.
The livery stable prOprietors reape
rich harvests, and many loving coupI
took advantage of the holiday TO driv
out into the country, where they coul
whisper their little words of love I
each other without fear of being ovel
heard and be romantic; and 50 the da
wore on.
PARADING.AROUN TOWN.
Veteran old Guard and the Nations