The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-22
AN EARLY MORNING STIR.
Decorations Going Up and THE Crowds
Coming In.

the downtown district was beginning to
hutter with banners and bunting, and by
o'clock the business seclIon of the city was
gay with flags and decorations. Some of
the big stores had been decorated Thurs
day. and the bedraggled spots in their
showing of colors were freshened up with
dry bunting, but at most of the stores the
flags and bunting were put up yesterday
morning The city has had enough expert
ence in the decorative line during the past
six months to be able to get this part of the
work done in short order now. Innumera-
bic small flags were prominent among the
decorationss and the effect was very pretty.
1t gave an air of solidity to the general ef-
feet which the more pretentious efforts
with streamers and carefully tucked and
gathered banners did not possess. The SOL
diers' monument was decked out with flags,
while the new war group on the east side
| was practically unveiled for the occasion.
| The courthouse was gay with flags, and
the big and little stores along Washington.
| Pennsylvania, Illinois and Meridian streets
were lavishly adorned with the national
| colors.
| Along the residence streets there were
many windows in which appeared large
autographs of President McKinley-evident-
! ly mementoes of the last presidential cam
| paign. The windows of the Statehouse
offices We're frightened with flags. but the
general decorations there were confined to
| the stand from which the President spoke
Some Of the buildings in the neighborhood of
| the Statehouse had flags and bunting that
futtered in the cold breeze.
| The crowds commenced gathering early
| although it was known that the presidential
train would not arrive until 1O:9O o'clock or
/ later. The early trains brought in num-
| bers of excursionists, whose ranks were
| swelled by later arrivals. They came pour
! ing up Meridian and Illinois streets, look
| ing for "a good place. When one Of them
would find what he considered a favorable
corner for the inspection of the parade he
would call his friends and they would take
| their posts with the evident intention of
waiting for the marchers with all due pa
thence. indianapolis folks, too, came down
| town early. The advance guard appeared
soon after breakfast, and the street cars
carried hundreds Of passengers to the CEN
| ter of the city from until 10 o'clock. A
great many of them walked down. however
knowing that they had plenty of time and
| those who were familiar with the pro-
| gramme sought places on streets that would
| give them a good chance to hurry to the
| Statehouse as soon as the parade passed.
| Many proud father and mother led lit
| tie son or daughter by the hand, or carried
q still smaller heir in arms, and silenced
all childish complaints about chilly toes by
the admonition that if they didn't keep
quiet they wouldn't get to see the Pres
| ident.
Huge flags waved in the fall winds from
ropes stretched from building to building
at every street corner down town. Ten of
them were the most conspicuous features
Of the decorations between Pennsylvania
and Illinois streets on Washington.
The school children massed in University
Park, beginning to gather there as early as
$3.50 o'clock. They were as loyal as any
of the crowd of older people. Their cheeks
and noses were just as blue with cold and
their teeth chartered more, but they were
as patient as Job and as jolly as If they
were waiting for a circus parade. The boys
from the Training School Wed with the
High School lads as to who could create
the most din with their class yels. The
yells are as unintelligible and as noisy as
those of any of the most pretentious col
leges. The girls didn't indulge in any yells,
but they kept up a lively chatter all the
time and were as enthusiastic as the boys
when the time to cheer for the President
came.
There was big crowd at the Nobie-street
crossing by 10 o'clock, and from there clear
down to the Statehouse on Washington and
along the other streets of the line of march
the sidewalks were almost impossible from
that time until after the parade passed
Everybody was on the street, too. The
stores were vacated, the clerks, proprietors
and everybody else taking positions out in
front in order not to miss a sight of the
chief executive. Dry goods boxes and empty
barrels were found to make first-rate minia-
ture reviewing stands, while every fire plug
supported a committee of one. The win
dows of the business blocks and the veran-
das of the residences along the route also
held interested spectators. 1t was a wide
awake crowd, ready for anything that
might be of interest and interested in al
most everything that happened. The police
had little trouble in keeping the people back
of the ropes which were stretched to keep
the streets clear, for the crowd good
humoredly set UP a yell of get back there
whenever any one got into .orbidden terri
tory. 1t was gallant crowd All along
the very front of it, pressed tightly against
the ropes, were the ladies, who otherwise
could not have seen the parade or at least
would have seen it under difficulties And
picture no less than the flags and the bunt-
ing. Most of them had on their new fall
frocks and hats, and not few of them car
ried or wore flowers. The bicyclists, here
tofore such noticeable feature Of every
public affair of this sort, We're not so con-
spicuous The cold weather must have kept
them from riding. Many expressions of
satisfaction were heard because the six or
eight cranks who rode abreast with inter-
twined arms at the tail end of every pro-
cession last summer failed to appear this
time.
There was a wave of enthusiasm when
the blowing Of factory whistles and the
faint sound of cheering from East Wash
ington street announced the arrival of the
special train. and there was much anxious
eraning of necks and angry expostulations
because of corns being stepped upon by ex-
cited watchers until the parade swung along
and all these discomforts of corns and cold
and occasional drizzIe were then forgotten.
THE POLICEMEN's WORK.
Police Superintemdenfs ThRnks-No
PickpOckets In Crowds.
superintendent Quigley at the two roll