The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-03-04
SCENES AT THE CAPITOL
Oath of Omce Administered to the
New President ny Chief
Justice Fuller.

WASHINGTON, March 4, 1S97.-Inaugu-
ration Day broke bright. clear and crisp.
What this means can be appreciated best
by those who during the past few days
have been commenting or listening to
comments on the state of the weather
on like occasions in previous years. The
old-time washingtonian will tell you that
Jupiter, Pluvius, Jack Frost, Boreas and
all the other disagreeable divinities cheer
fully hold themselves in check for a
grand festival-a sort of elemental spree
held once every four years with March
as the date. except when Inauguration
day comes on Sunday. In that contin-
gency Jupiter Pluvius and his friends
postpone their celebration for another
twenty-four hours in order to have it
coincident with the inaugural ceremonies.
The memory of the last two Inauguration
days was sufficient to cause worry to
anybody with more than a passing inter-
est In the success of Washington's qua
drennial show and that yesterdays rain
caused worry goes without saying.
But there have been inaugural days
that have came down from generations
past as wonderfully beautiful days 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 will be placed there when
this day passes into history. The weather
could not have been better suited to the
occasion. It rained yesterday; blizzard
may set In tomorrow, but today alone
concerned the participants in the in
auguraI ceremonies and the great crowd
Of spectators and they were enabled to
be happy.
With the exception of Major Mckinley
the happiest man in Washington today is
Chief Moore of the Weather Bureau.
While steady down pour of rain was
dampening the spirits of the Mckinley
enthusiasts yesterday he took his pro-
fessional reputation in his hands and
staked it on prediction that Inaugural
ton Day will surely be clear" He did
not hedge ON the phraseology of the prog
nosticarion but came out squarely with
an unalterable. fat-footed surely" that
gave hope and courage to the bedraggled
multitude.
1t 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 That
is a habit of Washington people on In
auguration Day. They have been SO used
on such occasions to snow and rain and
wind and other unpopular elemental
forces that it has become a matter of
duty rather than mere qualification of
curiosity to inspect the weather condi-
tions at the earliest hour possible. This
morning when they looked out of their
eastern windows towards the faint glow
of red that entended above the horizon
they saw nothing to give cause for
worry. A few clouds were in the sky
but they were clouds of the sort that
precurse nothing disagreeable. A mist
hung over the city but it was a natural
early morning mist that would surely
clear away The air was crisp and brac-
ing. the wind from the northwest and
everything indicated a successful inaugu-
ration from a weather standpoint.
The newsboys were the first to awaken
the town into activity and they were
soon augmented by the badge fakirs, SELL
ing "goldbugs' and badges, and the gilt
capped men who sold official programmes.
All Washington had been up late last
night and 1t was comparatively late
when 1t rubbed its eyes to begin the day
of days. Between and o'clock the
newsboys and few red-eyed gentlemen
OF convivial tendencies held possession
Of the streets. In the succeeding half
hour. however. the broad streets 1anc
avenues in the central part OF the city