Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-03-18
AIRN6RSTER GIRL SAW IT
MSS Elsie Edwards Describes In letter IN
auaural Dau Scenes.

\ The memorable March 4th has come
and gone. The day. for wonder
was an almost perfect one. There
was not cloud in the sky and the
air was deliciously fresh and cool
without being chilly. We girls Of the
Mount Vernon Seminary had been
provided with rooms and windows in
building on the corner OF Ninth
street aud Pennsylvania avenue as a
favorable point for witnessing the pro
cession from the White House to the
Capitol. The windows and balcony
were gailv decorated in gold and
white. the school colors, and also the
republican. Our position commanded
a fine view Of the avenue both up to the
Capitol and down to the White House,
though OF course we could not see the
latter. We went to our seats about
10 O'Clock in the morning and re-
| NAMED till 6 in the afternoon. We
took our luncheon along with US and
ate it while the president was at the
capitol No professions rere pass
lng then. but the avenue as densely
packed with miscellaneous throng OF
people lar as the eye could reach in
either direction.
About II O'Clock a four-horse car
riage came from the White House
grounds. in which were seated the
outgoing president and the president
elect. They were escorted BY troop
OF mounted guards in blue and gold
uniforms with yellow-plumed helmets.
These guards had been drawn up in
the street before the White House
grounds for some time, waiting for
the carriage. in two lines, one on
/ either side of the street. 1t was a
beautiful sight to see them wheel at
pnce into line and go sparkling off
down the avenue. We thought it
took President Mckinley long time
to take his oath of office, and did not
enjoy the wait for his return very
much. He was sworn in at II O'Clock
and there was an address and some
ceremonies after that. and it was 3
O'Clock before he appeared again at
the White House. In the meantime
all sorts of interesting people were ar
irving at the Grand Reviewing Stand
opposite us. Notable among them
was the japanese minister in gold
laced uniform and cooked hat, with
his wife and son beside MIN, the latter
carrying the japanese flag. There
twas Mine Yang, the wife of the Chinese
minister. in gorgeous native costume
and face so painted that we were
startled by it at half a blocks dis
lance. Then there were COMPRESSION
al people and leading citizens. some
of whom we knew by sight. Finally
Mr. McKinley's aged mother took a
seat in the glass-covered part of the
Grand Stand, reserved for the presi-
Dental party. She was a beautiful
looking old lady in black. A little
later Mrs. Mckinley came. Some
later President Mckinley was escorted
to the stand by the guard, who pre-
coded him until he had left the car
rage for the stand. After the presi
dent, vice-president and his party had
taken their place the grand procession
passed before them in slow review.
Company after company of the regu-
lar army, detachments.of troops from
the various states, passed by. There
was one company from Georgia, | be-
lieve the first that had ever marched
at republican Inauguration. There
were republican clubs from the var
ious states. the governors of the states
riding at the head Of their respective
delegations. | cheered and clapped
wildly as the Wisconsin troop passed
by. the only one think on our part
of the stand The people about US. at
any rate, were woefully lacking
in enthusiasm. They grew much
more excited over a poor little dog
that came tearing down the avenue in
front of the procession than they did
at the appearance OF the president
himself. The dog episode was pa
thetic; the poor little thing was so
scared. I heard afterward that it
died Of fright, don't know how far
it ran pursued as it seemed to fancy
tbv furies Of some kind, the crowd
wildly cheering and yelling
TThe editor has reason to believe