The Washington critic., 1890-02-22

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Brilliant Costumes on tho Avenue
Oldest Inhabitants Meet ana Dine
Thousands of Visitors.
When the cordial face of Old Sol
peeped over the eastern hills and began
10 send his warm smiles down upon the
Capital of the nation this morning
there was spontaneoes 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
10 slowly ascend toward the me-
ridian, little patches Of fleecy clouds
skuTied and skinned across the great
expanse Of clear blue sky as IL ashamed
TO show themselves on the bosom
OF such perfect ornament
and dissolved into nothingness.
This is the way Washington 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 an
animated appearance. At first little
groups of men were to he seen:
then few matronly ladies ear
DucbtNS Mtub Ou
which were to eliminate in good cheer
and many thanks from their boarders,
trundled along, stopping occasionally
10 greet with n 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 til cir lungs with the early morn.
ing air, whizzed around the corner
Into Dan y, a,,tn
however, the little groups of
men and women began to swell
into crowds, and the crowds
into steady streams, until by o'clock
the Avenue was a perfect sea of gaily-
dressed humanity. The side streets re-
sembled 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 scene of kaleido-
scopic beauty. The Stars and Stripes
tioated from every flagstaff every young
lady was decked ont in some beautiful
colors, the odor of flowers was discern
ible everywhere, gallant beaux strut
ted up and down, dressed in their
best Sunday go 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 colored streamers 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 Il way that only the
city of Washington knows how to do
him homage.
In steady volumes the sightseers 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 and
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
to-day" 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
eoored flags fioated everywhere. and
away in the distance, on the Potomac
could be seen the Stars and Stripes
floating from the very topmost trucks
Of vessels as they lay anchored, and the
entire city under the gorgeous sunlight
was shimmering and animated scene
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, but
the house was closed to general visi
tors. Most of the employees were given
full holiday, but Secretary Halford
and Assistant Pruden, with few mes
sengers and doorkeepers. remained OF
duty.
Secretaries Blaine and Window were
the first callers received by the Presi
dent, with whom he held lengthy con
ference He also entertained llter At
torney General Miller and ex Secretary
Delano. Among the other callers wer,
Senators Allison, Hawley, ,Justic,
Field, and Representative Perkins
Browne, Grosvenor and Barrows.
Streams of people in holiday attir,
kept up steady tramp, tramp, tram,
over the smoothly paved roadways 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 toward
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 hu
man river surged and chartered like
veritable Babel, and so on around pas
the other public buildings and places o
TenoWn.
The livery stable proprietors reapet
rich harvests, and many a loving coupl
took advantage of the holiday to driv
out into the country, where they coulC
whisper their little words of love t
each other without fear of being over
heard and be romantic; and so the da,
wore on.
Venerable CeIebrRnts.
The venerable and gray haired mem
hers of 1.-The Oldest Inhabitants" cele
brated the day In n fitting manner Il