The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-04-09
CHILDREN OF THE RICH AND POOR.
They Came In Carriages, Horse Cars
- 4 And On Foot
To Roll Bright coIored Eggs in the
Presidents Door Yard.
Something About Washington's
Easter Monday Festivity.
Especial to the PreSs.1

lopcCidi W tuc IIeSo.I
WASHINGTON, April S.-Monday was a
most beautiful day in this city, much like a
day of early June in Maine; and it was
taken advantage of to the fullest extent by
the children of Washington for their annual
egg-rolling on the White House grounds.
This most interesting and peculiar custom,
which is said to be observed in Washington
only and had its origin here so far back in
the past that very few know just how it did
originate, belongs to Easter Modday and to
Easter Monday alone. For days ana weeks
the little folks of the city have been planning
for it, and when within two or three days of
the end of Lent they see the time approach
ing there is no peace in any household until
half dozen of the finest hens eggs obtain
able have been boiled until they are hard
and then dipped in bright colored dyes until
they are gay as Joseph's coat. With these
eggs in bag or basket the Washington
child, whether small or large. rich or poor,
white or black, sallies out on the morning of
Easter Monday to roll the eggs on the White
House grounds. To read of this seems to be
very simple .and silly game even for chill
dren. But any one who has seen the play at
its height will at once admit that it rises to
the dignity of an institution.
In old times the children of the eastern
section of Washington used to roll eggs on
the Capitol grounds, while those of the
western end rolled on the White Hnusc
grounds. But as more tnrf -:4u shrubbery
was torn up on this one day than Congress
slonal wisdom and patience could make
grow in the rest of the season, the children
were warned off by formal resolution of
Congress. The extraordinary means taken
TO drive out the invaders from the Capitol
grounds shows tie might with which they
came: LAYING been driven from the Capitol
the White House And there on every
Easter Monday the children of this great
city congregate with their mothers, sisters
or nurses, in all multitude greater than
many campmeetings, or picnics. All the
forenoon and into the afternoon the horse
cars from all parts of the city are laden with
little folks, each with a bag or basket of
brightly colored eggs. They are poured out
at the gates of the great grounds of the
Whlte House in an immense throng. But
driven up. In fine carriages, with coachmen
and outriders and all the other circum-
stances of riches. And some come ON foot,
not being able to afford both luxuries, the
colored eggs and the horse car tickets One
striking feature of the juvenile congregation
is its thorough democracy. 1t is leaf out
OF the works of one of the French or Ger
man communists. The children who are
petted by nation because they are the
of one President and the
great-great-g children of another for the
Clme are OF no more consequence than the
whose grandfather was slave,
ana their great-great grandfather a naked
plack man in Guinea. All of them own in
common the White Honse grounds for the
time being Indeed this curious custom
may be a spontaneous assertion from the
American heart in its most innocent condi
ton OF the old principle that the people of
this country own it, and that the President
is merely tenant in their house.
AND these young people use the grounds
OF the Presidents house as if firmly con-
vinced that they own them. They roll the
eggs, skip ropes, tear up the turf, do every
thing that the exigencies of sport demand.
IL requires the labor of force Of men for
several days to rearrange the grounds, pick
up the rubbish and clear up generally after
his army of children. Were ft not for tho
presence of stout policemen the invaders
would overrun the White House. Indeed,
n Andrew Johnson's time that eccentric
resident incautiously let the invaders into
he White House; but the experiment has
lever been repeated.
There must have been many thousands on
he grounds Monday and the din they made
vas deafening. A circus even could not
lraw out such crowd.