The evening times., 1897-03-04
AT THE INAUGURAL STAND.
Thousands Wait for Hours the Com
ing of Presidential Procession.

Warmed into enthusiasm by the bright
sunshine, the crowds. i'm the big plaza oppo-
site the inaugural stand took their long
wait philosophically. BY the time Mr.. Nc
KinIey walked down the long diagonal ave
nue. to the elevated stands in the outside
corner cheers greeted him from a score OF
thoussnGs of throats. From those who
were crushed against the walling of the
stand back in all directions, on asphalt and
grass, to the grounds beyond the cross
avenues, the crowds were banked to wit
ness the making of their new President.
1t was a good-natured crowd, though
many had been there four and five hours.
One little blue-eyed patriot, who Wore a
hopeful smile over his undiseuisably tired
face. ciutched the corner af the stand
under the Presidents box and boast
fully announced that he had been there
since 3 O'Clock i'm the morning. But he
could see nothing of the history-making
which progressed eight feet above his
little head The selfish ones behind
him squeezed and squeezed, and he said
nothing. The only satisfaction he Tad
was the satisfaction OF proximity.
At O'Clock in the morning there were
hundreds present there, content to stand
first on one foot then on another and
wait and wait for the glorious satisfaction
of the one main moment when the days
proceedings commenced.
At IL the crowds had swelled backward
half way to the great iron lamp-pos and
almost over to the stands with the auto
matte eyes at the Grenough monument box.
An hour later the entire plaza was sea Of
faces.
The crowd behaved itself we'll 1t was
patient and good-humored. A fairly good
joke book could be made of all thes witty
bits of fun that passed the light-tongued
loiterers.
The only united demonstrations were
bursts of cheers or spontaneous choruses.
Marching clubs circulated about on the
outskirts and caught the observing eye Of
sympathetic watcher. He cheered out OF
the fraternity OF his own heart or a home
name written on the bass drum. His neigh
Dor cheered because he did and the con-
tagion caught like measles and spread over
the whole crowd. Nobody but the young
fellow fromthe home o fthe bass drum knew
what it was all for, but they were just as
happy.
The songs sung were patriotic airs for
the most part, sometimes Hail Columbia"
sometimes 1.-The Star Spangled Banner"
Enthusiastic Southerners gave Dixie
and the crowds recognizing the fine spirit
of the national song, and, perhaps out Of
fraternity for their Southern brethen,
gave it a coed chorus and lusty cheer
at the end. Maryland, Ny Maryland
was not forgotten, and MY Old Kentucky
Home, was brought to the minds of
many.
But the plaza before the Capitol was not
the only evidence OF the numerical strength
of the inauguration crowd. Like family
howl, il ran over its too narrow limita-
tions The whole region about the Capitol
was alive with strollers. Standing two and
three deep they outlined the graceful curves
of the opposite walk, they dotted the
peighboring streets and they peopled the
baiustrades of the Capitol and the marble
terraces.
The crowd was an interesting study in
its entirety from the front of the inaugural
stand II Mr.. Mckinley was observing,
or cared to have observed he might have
taken away some Interesting impressions
OF the crowd before him. Toa quick glance
it was only sea of upturned faces, young
and old, fair and dark. beautiful and wrin-
kled. Next to that or faces the impression
OF badges struck the eye One might have
supposed that the people before the Presi-
dent were a huge committee of titled off
Gals, heavy with badges of all sorts, but
all official" Al least, so they all read.