The times., 1897-04-20
Thousands of People Crowded
the White Lot.
SCENES ABOUT THE GROUNDS
a Riotous Crowd OF Youngsters
Held High Carnival From Early
Morning Until the Band stopped
Playing President and Mrs. NJ
RiaIey Were Intero ste Spectators,

according to some good Judges, bS the
biggest crowd that has assembled on the
White Lot for a good many years. At $50
O'Clock yesterday afternoon the whole
space, from the fountain to the White
House, from the hills ON tine West to the
Fifteenth street fence on the east, was
simply covered by mass OF humanity
This was all the more remarkable by
reason of The threatening rain and the
stiff blow which came out OF The gentle
bTcczeS Of the morning The special at-
Traction OF the evening was the concert
by the Marine Band; the other equally
sl.eCial attraction being the liotous crowd
of vpuag gstegS, who held high carnivalthe
from about 10 in the morning until the
crash o: tte band was scarcely enough TO
keep their eyelids from closing
A large crowd on the grounds is about
fodr thousand people. Yesterday there
were estimates as high UP as fifteen thou
sand, perhaps ten or twelve thousand was
she correct figure. There was a long line
9f carriages on Fifteenth street and on
lhe Avenue waiting for the pets who Were
aot obliged to walk or be carried home,
and movement within the mass was very
agreeable. because 1t was SO sociable. The
srray Of Easter finery was measured by the
acre. Words could not describe the ef-
feet Of six thousand Easter beings as seen
frosn the top OF one o the hills, down which
The chiltlren rolled and frOlicked all day.
One can only see this admiXture OF the
very young and the very gay once year,
Inl in only one place, the PRESIDENT back
yard.
There was only one sad reflection on this
uniquely festive occasion The family
hen. which has been the advance agent OF
all this prosperity and Juvenile Joyance,
was not there; but everything and every
body else were there, say, about high noon.
There were others, nevertheless who went
to the White Lot at about sunrise, and, like
Moses from Mount Nebo, made q reColois-
sance OF the field.
Everybody knows that if there is any
thing that will make a child roll eggs all
night in his sweet dreams it is IN Easter
Monday hIgh-noon lunch of hard-boiled
eggs, cverripe bananas and underdone
peanuts just dash Of pickles Will also
help as an anaesthetic. This is why the
authorities of Easter Monday, whoever
they are, permit the banana men 10 be
festive occasions, to say nothing OF the
peanut men and the gentry who pour out
the five a glass But these are part Of
the institution, and, besides, very pic
turesque part Of the proceedings.
The foresight Of these folks, who lie
h welt for holiday cash is astonishing.
One hundred spectators, for instance, got
up betimes and felt that the wind was
blowing The result was that nearly all
the dandelons that were tramplel to
death were replaced by yellow and red
paper windmills Palm Sunday is Lot to
be compared with paper windmill Mon
day on the White Lot
There isn't any doubt either that the
present 4 administration has brought a
lot Of prosperous weather to this country,
and yesterday was i case in point. When
AIr Cleveland was knight was sure TO rain
on Easter Monday. The little people gen
orally ate up all their eggs before the
postponed date arrived, and the keen edge
of the DAY was rubbed off by having TO
wait until the President predicted fine
day Yesterday was q nediction by itself.
The gardens were gloriously green, the
trees were out IN spring goods, and the
wind ruffled the fountain waters or dashed
them into spray over the basins rim
There was sunshine that was really golden,
and 1T could have been predicted as early
rs sunrise that the egg rolling would have
been the largest outdoor function of this
season.
As everybody knows, there is nothing like
Il any place in the world. The crowd gath
cred soon after 10, as if by magic. 1t is
true that the Marine Band was not to be
there until in the afternoon, but it is al
ways sre.lenIbercdthat Washington weather
Is as capricious rs it is beautiful about
this season of the year. Just about $50
a IN. there were only few things In sight,
such as the basket OF eggs first mentioned,
@ baby carriage and very tired-looking
nurse who was trying to shove small rub
Der stopper on the mouth of a large white
bottle Two boys were sitting on the top
Of the mountain" each with a basket of
yariously painted eggs in good shape, mas
much as Sunday was what the artists call
vanishing day. These two boys were gam
bling with the iard-earned money OF the
hen, tine adva1ce agent a above mentioned
They Were picking as it is technically
known in the turSery. Or perhaps in the in
Cipient cigarette period.
Over against these were swain Of atout
sixteen and a swairee Of about fourteen,
and these We're playing he pastoral game
Of munllepeg, so written Ior shoIt. The
lady was playing the game with Ler left
hand On bench near by there Were
young man Of atoUt seventeen and a lady
in a blue serge skirt, most of which was
gracefully sitting on the tench beside ler
The damsel had blade Of grass in ler
oil 10 t-ac
teaching her how TO play the diatonic
scale 10y blowing the blade in unison. 1t
was harmonious and pretty. 1t took the
young lady, however, very long time
to play tune q s wei as tie gentleman.
Besides these there were . sCole or more
OF bluecoats, who had stretched ropes to
keep the madding crowd out Of the front
yard of the President, which, by the way,
is just now reserved for log-Iolling.
Everybody possibly has seen the egg
rolling game. You take the fruit to the
top OF the hill and you let her go, aud
then YOU go after her and find her, and
then YOU do it all over again Cntilthe hard
boiled egg is a missioner or somebody else
gets outside Of it II is q realization Of
the frolic of the fays, only the fays had no
lp;Ich-baslets and could get 10 the bottom
&. :, hill without beating q rolling, cracked
cg in the race. There was baseball and
s,vingng and jumping the rope and mind.
iag and maniCUring the dolls and eating
and drinking and being merry for hour
:fscr hour. until tile shells on the sea-
shore weren't in it with the debris that
covered the hills The most marvellous
performances of the day were those of
the nurses. who kept track of the lost
sheen. and there were ninety and nine