The evening times., 1897-03-03
THE AVENUE THEIR MECCA
ThrOnged Last Night With Thou
sands of Strangers.
DAZZLING ELECTRIC LIGHTS
The Fakirs, Who Were Stationed ON
Almost Every Corner, Did Rush
ing Basiness-The Salvation Army
Drewa La rye Crowd I-Fasc.natiol
for Country People.

The Avenue last night was peerless. II
was unique, splendid, attractive, magnifi
cent, glorious. OF course it was crowded
| Broadway in New York, Canal street in
New Orleans, Market street in PhilAdel-
/ phIa, state street in Chicago, fremont
street in Boston, Euclid avenue in Cleye
| land, none OF them could ever have en-
tercdint0 competition ItcUmbined all, and
then something as added. 1t was the
Avenue two nights before Inauguration.
From the Treasury bend eastward II
was two conveTRing rows OF arc Dghts
that came almost together at the foot OF
the Capitol. High above at the end of
the hig rows the single light in the come
twinkled like IOw-set star against the
dark background Of the eastern horizon.
Above, below and around the arc lights
incandescents in myTiads sent forth multi
myriads OF rays that merely added en-
phasis TO the glory OF the scene, True, they
were advertisementsf ntsfOrenteTprisingt trades
men, but they glittered and served to bring
out the glory Of the thing as though they
had been set for beauty's sake alone. Their
color, too, was myriad
Down the whole line the decorations,
flags and buntings ON the buildings flut-
tered and waved gently in the warm,
spring like breezes. Near at hand to the
observer the culors were easily distin-
guishablc. The lights enhanced their love
Tot H,t,.
became less distinGuiShable, until at last
red, white and blue looked coiOrless. un-
less they happened to nutter in a par
ticularly regal light.
But withaI tlIe splendor of art and in
gcnuity IL was not the Ii ghts or the colOrs
so much as it was the people. To the OBJ
server at the bend they swarmed at his
feet. Here they were distinguishable. Dis
tancc here, too, did its work with peculiar
effect. As it grew, individuality ceased, I'M
I'll at last the masses appeared as black,
unbrokcn streams OF humanity In the
center of the thoroughfare the cars moved
back and forth, and lost their noise as
they themselves disappeared. The inte r
secting cars darted across the Avenue at
convenient distances Cabs ami carriages
played at apparent hide and seek across
the long way, and their humble dual IAN
terms appeared as the dull eyes OF cree ping
monsters under the brilliancy about
The people were the masses. The mum
Der of strangers that has been gradually
increasing for the past ten days reached
its climax. Citizens gathered merely to
watch tie how The nnu- residents moved
The citizens gazc;l at them. Only now nd
then wouIl the latter step for a while INTO
the current, and be carried along To an
other vantage point.
AT Franklin Monument early in the even
ing the Salvation lads and lasses planted
their banner and pounded their drum
Such q crowd gathered as they have not
had in many a night. But they were not
long without rival. At the other side
OF the Statuary n crippled whistler took
his stand. He was quickly the nucleus OF
q throng. He remained quiet a moment
while the last prayer OF the Salvatiunists
was finished. Then he began his lay.
As he whistled the SaIvationists sang
and sounded their tambOurines. While
the army marched to its hall, followed by
a goOdly crowd, the warbler took up a
collection.
Throughout the historic thoroughfare
fakirs and street men waged war and scram-
bled for wealth. Official souvenirs, Off
cial badges, official canes, official songs,
official trinkets, went-to the strangers. An
industrious astronomer placed himself az
Market Space and waited for the clouds to
move from the face OF Venus and for the
crowds to gather. A man with ha.f dozen
green birds tha5 oJght To have been asleep.
~.rt that told indiSputabie fortunes, sta
toned himself at the corner VI Seyenun
street, where the throng was immense.
Ticket scalpers cried their bargains in
front of the down to wn hotels Further to-
ward the Capitol museum men, who had
taken temporary abodeSin vacant houses,
did a combined land office business. The
trinket sellers were everywhere. They
caught the fresh arrivals and captured the
sightseers.
The stranger, however, was omnipresent,
Sometimes he would come in the form OF a
gay man of the world. who had seen other
Inauguration and things He would come
fresh from the station and board car
or hail carriage and go spinning away
toward the hotel where he knew before
hand he would stop. Again the stranger
would come in delegations he would
march up the Avenue in professions to be
swallowed up in the doors of some big
hotel or to disperse himself at some street
corner to hunt his own lodging place
Again he would come with his family and
trudge up the Avenue in the lead of his
domestic procession or be met at the
station by some kind hearted friend,
whose latch key had hung out ever since
the owner went to the country and was
royalty entertained.
Still another time he would come as n
Rube. He needed no label His hat, cut
of his coat, his umbrella, his travelling bag,
would indicate it. He would grasp tightly
the latter two and walk square from the
station The exercise would require half
an hour But in the time no sight on the
block would go unnoticed. The next frac-
ton of the hour would he devoted TO the
next block By the time the minutes had
run up into the hundreds he would have
seen half dozen blocks and all they had on
them Then he would retrace his steps.
The fascination was unconquerable. Hours
later he could be seen strolling up and
down the Avenue, umbrella and grip still
in hand, without having found resting
place for his dazed head, and with no
prospect of doing so.
An enterprising American has placed a
phonograph ON the street. mother and
daughter passed. Hunting boarding house
wassecondaryto hearing6he m1sicso tempt
ingly advertised.
What is this?' asked the mother. as a
rapturous smile crossed her countenance
with the rubber sounder stuck in her ears.
THAT is selection from .Geisha, :"
replied the polite attendant.