The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-07-05
MEMORY BRINGS SHIvERS
THAT MODIFY THE TORRIDITY OF
THE HOTTEST SUMMER
DAY.
"REMINISCENCES OF THE EVENT
Told by an Ex-Sergeant-at-Arm Arms
Some of the Noted People
Present.

commences mere long DSlOTS we are
ready for it, We begin to feel the eff
fects of the advancing season early in
April, and by the LIST Of June our ladies
commence to pay their dreSSmakerS
bills, buy new trunks and start for sea-
shore or mountain. Under the circum-
stances, and with the thermometer at
81 in the shade, it was refreshing to
listen to the conversation of a chilly
citizen this afternoon.
The weather in Washington is never
too warm for me-" said Mr.. Thomas
! Cavanaugh, late deputy sergeant-at-
arms of the house of representatives
lille others are hopping their broWs
and asking the old conundrum, is it
hot enough fer you" L have only to
think of Gen. Grants first inaugural
ball, and it always makes me shiver.
mat was probably the coolest night
ever known in this climate 1t has been
SAID that the champagne froze in the
bottles; and it is we'll authenticated
fact that several cabmen took such
colds that they afterwards died of
pneumonia.
The inaugural ball was held in the
north wing of the treasury department
building, where the treasurer's office is
now and the dancing was in the mag
innocent cash room where many mil
mons or dollars can be daily seen by
visitors from the upper portcos The
east front of the treasury building was
almost ancient, but the north wing had
just been completed, although not vet
occupied by the officials. The heating
dDDaTatIlS pithp TO
perfect, and there was a great deal Of
suffering there that night, despite the
fact that happiness and hilarity seem
ed to possess the souls of all present
The best dressed woman there was
the wife of John Morrissey, a member
OF congress from New York, but for
merly notorious prize fighter. Nor
rlsey's reputation al that time was
similar to that of Sullivan of the pres
ent day. His wife, in addition to hav-
ing the most fashionable and expen-
slVe toilet upon the occasion, was ra-
diant with diamonds estimated to be
worth over $4,000. During the ball she
lost handsome bracelet valued at
! 300, which was afterwards traced and
| discovered by me, and by me returned
| to her. The urbane and gentlemanly
prize tighter statesman gave me a
! courtly bow and the additional reward
of I thank you, sir
| AT that time John Hammock kent
the best restaurant in the city 1t was
| on pennsylvania avenue, near the
! treasury, in the building now occupied
by drug store. Quite number of
! eminent gentlemen resoi Ted to that
! place many times during the course of
the evening to warm themselves eXter-
nally beside the immense cannon coal
stove; and internally according to the
custom of that day with food and drink.
THE number of distinguished gem
tlemen present at the ball, accompanied
by their wives and lady friends, prob
! ably exceeded any other ball within
| the present generation There were
Gen. Pleasanton, the eminent cavalry
leader; Gen. Sherman, the hero of tao
ticians; Gen. Sheridan, the doughty
fighter and successful invader and raid
er; Generals Mcdowell, Garfield,
| Schenck, Banks and Pope. Among the
distinguished civilians were Roscoe
| Conkling, Allan G. Thurman Hannibal
Hamlin, Senators Salisbury, Sherman,
| Wade, Barnum, Mcdonald, Hendricks
| and Representative Lamar, Hill, Ker-
nan, Randall, Kelly and many other
great men who were leaders upon the
floor of the senate and house. 1t seems
to me but yesterday and yet nearly all
Of them have passed away forever
| There were a great many people
here from New York, Philadelphia,
| Boston, st. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburg
and other cities, all of them gentlemen
| 9 tel
standing. Mrs. Grants father, Gen.
Dent, and the entire Dent family per-
vaded the place There were also Hal
! let Kilbourn, who became famous by
reason of his refusal to show private
| papers to a congressional committee
was incarcerated and received 100000
damages by a decision of the supreme
court of the United States; Hon.
George c. Gorham, secretary of the
! senate; Hon. Nehemiah G. OrdWay
! sergeant-at- arms of the house Of rep
resentatives, and afterwards governor
! of the territory of Dakota; Hon.
! Schuyler Colfax, eX-speaker of the
| house of representatives, and the vice
! president of the United States, and all
! the members of the diplomatic corps
representing the nations of the civili-
Zed world, every one of them bedecked
with the regalia and insignia Of rank
| and accompanied by their ladies. BY
lady. in the land who could reach
! Washington was present at the ball,
| all of them in full Dress which, you
know, means very light dress, and they
all shook and shivered with the cold
| until dancing commenced and then
they babe defiance to Boreas and his
assistants.
president Grant participated in the
! first quadrille with his wife, and after
wards stood in what is now the cash
room, receiving the assembled guests.
The reception lasted over four hours,
! and the president stood there bowling
and shaking hands with the disting-
uished participants in the festivities.
| The soldier-statesman was prominent
ly the soldier, for he stood there as
stolid and square shouldered as West
| Point cadet on dress parade with but
slight indication of the enjoyment and
self-congratulation which must have
| animated his mind. Honors were COM
| ing upon him so thick and fast that
he received them as a matter Of course,
| seeming to be neither surprised nor
elated with his almost unanimous
election to the presidency of the re-
public whose unity he had done so
I much to reclaim from the chaos of re-
! bellion and almost internecine strife.
1.-THE handsomest man present and
the most attractive woman to behold
were Gen. William w. Belknap and his
Kentucky wife. No man was more
regal in appearance and bearing, and
no woman more queenly. Chief JUS
tice Salmon P. Chase was there with
his beautiful daughter, Kate Chase
Sprague. My! what beauty Kate
Chase was! Her trained diplomacy,
her splendid figure, her courtly man