The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-05
TRIBUTE
PAID TO
SOCIETY.
Inaugural Ball the Gaping
Climax to the Days
Festivities.
P0RThL OF FhIRYLHND
Lights, Costumes, Flags and
Flowers Mingle in Sur
passing Splendor.
PORThL OF FHIRYLHND

WASHINGTON, March 4-With the night came
the croWning glory of the inauguration The residen-
ces and public buildings afame with light the
streets We're still crowded with people, the camoring
multitudes still bated dining room doors of hotels
and restaurants, demanding food drink; countless
thousands suged to and fro in front Of the monument
grounds, whence arose the chromatic fireworks that
lighted the city in ftfu CLEANS; but it was at the
brilliantly Illuminated pension building that politics
paid its tribute to society There the distinguished
guests of the occasion paid homage to President nc
knley, and the new mistress of the White house and
later treaded the mazes of the dance.
The inaugural ball is always the climax of the day.
TO the minds of many there is nothing comparable to
it. They like to see the parade they nger for sight
of the prominent men and women; they occupy their
weary places terraced stands for hours to see the
president and the Inauguration party pass; but the
hope of the most Of them, especially the ladies who
have come provided with exquisite gowns, designed
and planned months in advance is the ball.
The pension building is admirably suited fer this
spectacular display It is enormous hall surround
ing vast court supported by huge pillars Of marble
around which circle two galleries. This great court
tonight became the ballroom 1t was never SO beauti-
fuly decorated. The graceful arches trembed with
flowers and greenery; the colossal columns seemed to
grow out of bowers of flowers and supported the iron
roof, which was royal canopy of white and gold.
Hundreds of canareS in gold cages tucked away in the
greenery sang mady Tens OF thousands of electric
lights flashed amid the drlperes. The artistic effect
OF the lights was probably equalled certainly
not surpassed III this country.
The most striking feature enormous counter
part cf "Old Glory" doEe in red white and blue bulbs
arranged that it seemed to be floating in stiff
breeze.
The whole was like the portal of fairyand
with it's visions Of beautiful women, its myriads OF
cleaning lights its gorgeous massng of cOlors, it's
wealth Of blossoms, it's pulsations Of soft music and
the heavy OdOr of thousand perfumes.
The announcement of the inaugural ball declared
that the doors would be opened O'clock and that
the dance programme would begin at O. but many
visitors to the city determined to miss no part
Of the festivities and clustered about the en-
frances to the pension building before bolts were
drawn When the doors finally swung inward the
people came with a rush. and in quarter of an hour
the main floor comfortably filled with promenad-
The presidential party the notable figures Of Of
fcialdom, and the world of society which, in Washing
ton, has the diplomatic corps ard army and navy
for conspicuous factors delayed their arrival until
later and more fashionable hours The first cemers
however, repaid for their enterprise by the finest
view, for without great crowd to conceal the decor
atons, the hall to be tc the best advantage
From the two balconies encircling the hall high up
hundreds Of people looked down into arena upon
the other hundreds of stawart black-cOated and
richly gowned women who swept In continuous pro-
cession around and around the broad surface Mean
time during the first hour before the dancing was to
from the white uniformed military band that alter
mated with the orchestra high up in the south gallery
rendering operate airs stirring marches
The human element of the ball was after the build
ing had begun to fill up, it's most interesting factor
The democracy of the great social of Inaugural
ton impressed itself upon visitor. City coun-
try, society and offciadom, even black and white
touched elbows friendly terms in the great rOunda
Among the fashionably gowned were visitors
from every American city, and visitors from many
rural towns In the kaleidoscope Of costumes was a
tumble of Paris, London, New York, Oshkosh
and Kennebunkport Perhaps q tenth of the men were
not arrayed in the formal evening clothes, but
theess the sterner gave its share of brancy to
display by the outpouring of uniforms There were
the diplomats late coners all Of them. They were
silks Of the Orient with enameed orders shining from
their breasts. and cankng swords. There also
the palmer but stawart contingent of the army
and navy together with divers uniforms the crack
military regiments of many cities The silks satins,
diamonds and pearls of the ladies were Of course
chief and to their SEX the interesting features
the human show. Here and there among the promen-
aders to be coored couple, for all the
sttutonal amendments respected at an inaugural
ball.
hours and little thereafter for the floors too
much crowded to dance with comfort and most of the