The evening times., 1897-03-04


have been commenting or listening TO com
ments on the state OF the weather on like
occasions in previous years. The oId-tims
WashBgtonian will tell you that Jupiter
| Pluvius, Jack Frost, Boreas and all ths
other disagreeable divinities cheerfully
hold themselves in check for a grand festi-
yal--a sort OF elemental spree held once
every four years, with March A as the date,
except when inauguration day comes on
| Sunday.
ia that contingency j p and his friends
gladly postponed their celebration for
another twenty-four hours. in order &c
have it coincident with the inaugura
ceremonies. The memory OF the last two
| inaugu ration days was sufficient to cause
| worry to everybod with more thau a
passing interest in the success of Wash
| ington's quadrennial show, and that yes
teriay's rain caused worry goes without
saying
But there have been inaugural days that
have Come down from generations past as
| wonderfully beautiful with regard to
weather conditions Such days have been
in the minority for March is not the
| pleasantest month in the year even in
| balmy Washington. Another mark on the
| propitious side OF the column viii be
| placed there when this day passes into
| history. The weather could not have been
better suited TO the occasion. 1t rained
| yesterday, blizzard may set in tomor-
| row; but today alone concerned the par
ticipants in the inaugural ceremonies and
the great crowd OF spectators, and they
were enabled to be happy.
With the exception OF Maj Mckinley,
| the happiest man in Washington today is
| Chief Moore of the Weather Bureau.
| While a steady downpour OF rain was
| darnpening the spirits or the Mckinley en-
| thusiasts yesterday he took his profes-
| sionaI reputation in his hands, and staked
| it on a prediction that inauguration day
| will surely be clear" He did not hedge
| on the phraseoiogy OF the prognostica-
| tion. but came out squareIy with an TN
alterable flat-footed surely that gave
| hope and courage TO the bedrabbIed multi.
| tude.
IL Is reasonable to suppose that Mr..
Moore was among the old-timers who
popped out OF warm beds at the first peep
of dawn and took a look at the sky. They
have been so used on such occasions TO
SHOW and rain and wind and other Unpopu-
| lar elemental forces that it has become
a matter OF duty rather than mere graft
ficatIon of curiosity toinspect the weather
| conditions at the earliest hour possible.
This morning when they looked out of
their eastern windows toward the faint
glow OF red that extended above the horiS
zon, they saw nothing to give cause for
worry.
A few clouds were In the sky, but they
were clouds of the sort that precurse moth
ing disagreeable A mist hung over the
city, but it was natural early morning
| mist that would surely clear away. The
air was crisp and bracing, the wind from
the northwest, and everything indicated
a sueccsSruul Inauguration from weather
standpoint
The newsboys were the first to awaken
the town into activity, and they were
soon augmented by the badge fakrs,
selling gold bugs and badges, and the
gilt-caped men who sold official pro-
grams All Washington had been up
late last night, and it was comparatively
late when it rubbed its eyes to begin the
day of days. Between and { O'Clock
the ncwsboys and a few red-eyed gentle
men of convivial tendencies held Pos
session OF the streets. In the succeed
ing half hour, however. the broad streets
and avenues in the central part OF the
city became alive with human activity.
Enterprising excursionists who arrived
late Yesterday or in the small hours Of this
morning and who feared for their chances
of viewing the White House, wandered
through the grounds nding the his
toric mansion before the sun was well
above the horizon line. but these were few
in number. They saw nothing except
drawn blinds and heayy-eye ed policeman
or two The man whose term as the
Chief Magistrate of the nation was num-
bered by hours was endeavoring to snatch
a brief rest from his fatiguing labOrs OF
the closing days OF Official life-days that
had been filled with physical suffering.
The members OF his official household,
who had worked through most of the
night. had gone to their homes for little
sleep.
Private Secretary Thurber, who has been
Mr. Cleveland's S guest since his family left
washington last week TO reopen their De-
troit home, was the first of the executive
staff TO appear, and he spent the short time
atshis iisposalin sorting out the mornings
mail, and in cleaning Off his desk
Most of the people who were earliest ON
the streets were in search of something
to eat. and the eating-house did rushing
business. They lodged into the regular
and temporary lunch rooms. sleepily gave
their orders to sleepy walters, and when
appetite had been satisfied went out in
the streets to join the rapidly accommodating
crowds By O'Clock every vestige of
oil had ni ayr
before the crisp breeze that had changed
from northwest to northeast. The sun
came out full and strong and served to
temper the slight chill of the atmosphere.
Under such circumstances of weatherit was
no wonder that everybody looked happy
BY O'Clock The Avenue" as the broad
highway is best known, was pretty well
crowded People had begun to take posi-
tons along the curb and to bank up at
particular points of vantage. In the vicin-
ity of the White House and the Ebbitt House
the crowds soon grew to large numbers.
Bands playing lively airs headed the
bodies OF troops that later were to take
part in the parade, as they marched to
the positions assigned them in prepara-
ton for taking the proper positions in
the line. The Seventy-first New York
Regiment presented splenGid appear
ance as it ma rched up the Avenue from
the railroad station, where it arrived
this morning.
The regular troops who were to form
the escort OF the President and Presi-
dent-elect from the White House to the
Capitol, formed the principal attraction
for the sightseers strung along the Ave
nue. from the White House toward the
Capitol Building. They marched along
with a swinging step, that struck the