The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-03-03
As II Is at Present and
Was in .BygOne Days.
Immense Crowds Gather at
the National Capital.
Walter Wellm,n Gives Interesting
Sketch of Proceedings.

wAsHINGToN, March g. Special. Am
inauguration as l sec 10 i'm 1897 and as
have seen it in years gone by: Early to
bed the night before for an early rise in
tho morning. Every body talking about the
weather The chief of the prediction de
| partment Of the weather bureau the most
important and most anxious man in town.
People thick as flies about summer kitch
en-. Hotels running over. Cots in every
room and hall. boarding house keepers In
stew with their servants lest things dc
| not run right. Guests all afraid they will
not get anything to eat. The market pco
! pie run To death TO I'll orders Seventy five
| thousand extra mouths TO feed IN this
town. The air full of flying banners and
| fluttcring flags. Electric light advertise.
ments illuminating the conspicuous cor.
ners. Houses all full Of visitors, especially
| the pretty cousins and nieccs and sisters
and aunts and other kin. Pretty girls flock
| TO Washington at Inauguration time as
naturally as they do to matinee when
| the star is a lady's hero. Beautiful scene
| all these pretty girls make as they parade
| the streets with their chaperons and es.
corts. One wonders where they all come
| from.
Eager and Buoyant.
The morning: A great rush for clothes,
| for cocktails, for morning papers, for
breakfast, Hurrying and scurrying every.
| where. Servants unmanageable because
bands are marching by. Meal late. Only
good natured people do not get out of sorts.
Men all over town spending an unusual
time upon their toilets Getting ready for
the parade. Putting on fuss and feathers.
Eager and buoyant now. How is the
weather! Where's my boots? Wonder IL
that boy will be here on time with my
horsef Moro bands. Air full Of tremor
A great event Is impending. No one ap.
pears quite natural. Wonder how Grover
Is feeling and isn't 1t shame that Mrs.
Cleveland is going awayY Horse comes.
Man mounts proudly, but hasn't been on
horse for four years. Doesn't feel com.
Portable Rides off with courtierlike sa-
lutte with his cap.
On the streets, everybody going in one
direction that is going at all 1t is TO the
capitol. On to the capitoline hill. Great
majority sore because they haven I q ticket.
-Four hundred thousand people in the Dis
trict OF ColuIpbia and only 2, 900 have tick
cts to the senate galleries and floor. Street
cars running over Cabbies In clover Col.
ored people, especially ragged boys and
spindlelike girls with grinning faces, every.
where. Where in the world DO all these
colorcd people live and howY Bands march.
ing both ways. Horsemen galloping every
way.
The last Hours Of the Senate.
People without tickets trying to get into
the capitol. Can't do it for love or money.
Dense crowd about the national statehouse,
"a sea Of humanity" the descriptive writ.
ers say. Inside the big building senate
struggling with appropriation bills, trying
TO get through before the hour strikes.
Alonzo Stewart turns back the hands OF
the clock, Flutter in the galleries. States
men look sleepy. Here and there one who
has been drinking too much Lots of bust
ness goes on at the clerk desk which no
one seems to know anything about, but
they call IL legislation.
1.-THE house of representatives, "the
supreme court of the United States, ""the
president and president elect" are an
nounced in order Floor filed with great
men. Hobart takes the oath of office.
Reads little speech. Everybody looking
isn't any president of the United States.
Growers time out and William not sworn
In yet. Twelve or fifteen new senators
como forward and are sworn in. 1t Is all
over Not much to see after all
Procession files out of the chamber TO
platform erected on east front. Lot of peo
pie Arrangements very good Hoarse cry
through the sea Of humanity as the new
president appears Golden dome of the
library shows up in the foreground. Cere
monies short and TO the point. Mckinley
takes the oath. Photographers everywhere
In sight and all excited. Mckinley deliv.
ers inaugural address-9Hly a few hear,
but applause great from those in front
Glittering of steel seen in every direction
where the troops are formed IL Is all over
here too. March to carriages. Mckinley
and Cleveland take seats Order isgiyen and
march begins. Platoon after platoon falls
In. Down Pennsylvania avenue-historc
thoroughfare. Crowds enormous, half
black. Great enthusiasm. Now Mckinley
does the courteous. Hat off nearly all the
time. Hope he won't take cold. Why will
the bands play in rivalry and run their
tunes together like the colors on the deco
rations which have been in the Iainf
A. the white House.
At the White House; Mckinley Is there
at last. Alights under the big porte CO.
chcre. Walks in the front door Wonder
what he Is tlinkingf Wonder how he will
walk outs Wonder when the prosperity is
comings They so to lunch. Must bc tired,
but this Is only Il start. Lots Of trouble
coming. The procession halts little. The
great men must cat Then Mckinley
comes out and walks down 20 the front Of
White House grounds. Takes up position
on the big stand. Great scene. People ev.
erywhore--on stands and sidewalks, roofs
of buildings, in trees. The grand review
begins. Military companies Grand mar
shal and staff Governors Snlutcs. Nc
kinley Is choercd Has his hat of most of
the time. It's fun mt first, but gets tire
some. Wishes there wasn't so much OF 10.
Stands hour after hour. sun sets low. Six