The morning times., 1896-04-05
Egg-Rolling On the White Lot
Easter Mondays Greatest
Celebration in the Capital
City-Children'S Own Day.
Copyright, 1861

Copyright, 1S96.l
The greatest IIei.-I...io''s oie being made
in washington. ana for miles thereabouts,
for the grandest event OF Easter week.
This is the ceremony OF Easter egg rolling
which takes place tomorrow, Easter Mon
day.
kaSter cgE rolling is 10 washington chill
dreu ana To those OF older gre with wEo are
sim young, what Muy parties are 10
New Workers who live around Central
Park. The difference is that egG-roliing
In Washington is attenaed with more Cere-
mony than ever u May party was, ana Is
honored with the presence Of Statesman
of ali rank, from the President down.
Egg-rolIing takes place ia the grounds
OF The White House, upon tie incline
sometimes called 1.-THE Presidents back
yard.' lis hours are from sun up until
sun down. But The most popular time TO
attend is from until 4 in the afternoon,
wnen The Maine band pla ysanu tie ,stDlneG
members find their way into the grounds
10 cake a Ioll at an egg iCr themselves
and 10 devour those they LulLen 10 break
in good, long established custom.
Preparations are LtIng nIaLe lnls year
for 10000 children. More space than
uSudL is ~ LC SihNu up ~ lINlIt buu Ills
uumoer VIII Undoubtedly be reached.
Ees-roiIng Lesan III Washington many
years ago. Ii took place on Capitol Hill.
All day The youngsters rolled their
brightly oolored spHvrvs down tie hill,
ana all next day The Senator'S and Con-
gIessmen waGed home through all stages
Of omelettc and eggs scrambled by the
winu. 1 his led 10 vigorous protests. Sen
atorS there were whose dignity would
mol admit OF Icing dragged inIo an Easter
egg-rOlling, and for a Time the skies looked
dark for the sport or the year.
But the President was appealed to. After
consultation, he decided to donate his
grounds TO the fun, aid for years Mon
day has been chi.dren's day in the White
House grounds. several times Mrs. HaT-
rison and other wives OF Pres dents de-
cided that 1t was too cold or too rainy 10
allow the children to play on the chilly
sward, and the gates were kept locked all
day lead .ng 10 the ground. And all uay lItue
faces were flatfened against the bars hoping
TO be admitted before sundown, while in
the gutter stood the little baskets, de
jected and EeGIected; for eggs rolled out
side the White House grounds lose a fla
vor that salt VIII not restore.
EasUer egg rolling this year VIII he par
tIcuIarly fine for many reasons. Ii is the
first ceremony OF the kind ever Witnessed
10y the youngest daughter OF the Cleveland
family, and the first one that Will be re-
membered by Miss Esther, who was too
little last year 10 take more than passing
interest in eggs. Miss Ruth has been out
upon the grounds rolling eggs in the after
noon for tie past three springs, and this
year Esther VIII join her.
The presence OF the Presidents children
is interesting to all tie little tots who pla y
In the grounds, for they have heard Of these
little girls as children in fairy tales, and
To see and touch them is a great pleasure.
Miss Ruth prefers to roll her eggs inCCgnita,
as she is like her mother IN an aversion to
an interview with the public II she can
steal with Ter nurse into the grounds b Y tie
usual way and join the children without
beng recognized 1t gives her much more
pleasure than when the little ones stand off.
finger in mouth. looking at her with awe
and curiosity,
The game rs pla yed annually in Wash
ington runs like this: Each child climbs
TO tue top of the grounds of the White
House with il basket or coIOred eggs hang
ing proudly upon n study arm. A good.
steep spot is selected aud the eggs are set
rolling. An egg that gets TO the loot pf
the hll whole and quickest * brought back
and rolled again. II Is a race egg" and
Is coveted by others whose eggs wobhlc
and break and have 10 toe eaten at once.
The comedians Of The day are the little
colored children who come without eggs
and who must win their gains by hard work.
They can also do so by entertainment.
Many of the little dark-skins go beauti-
fully dressed and carrying baskets OF
eggs so respIendent in color and sparkle
many of them being silvered ovcr-that
they are The envy of all neighborS But
the poor little pickaninnies are the ones
that make the fun.
In rows you see them standing a the
foot of the hill. AS the eggs come bound.
ing down they pick them up and carry
them back up the hill to the rollers. II
an egg gets cracked the little girl or
boy who has rolled 1t, and whose stomach
already begins TO feel the presence of a
dozen or so of hard-boiled eggs, gener.
ously bestows IL upon the alert little
fellow who has carried it up the hill In
this way many little bright eye who has
come without an egg manages to get thirty
or forty during the day. These he eats
as soon as he comes in possession OF them
without feeling any results whatsoever ex
cept diminishing appetite at noon He
dimes upon the egg as a general thing
decming the hours too precious to go home.
BY standing upon his head and dancing a
Jig upon his hands and doing contortioniSi
tricks with heels and head he collects a
fine stock Of whole eggs, and by picking up