New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-08-20
DECORATIONS FOR THE DAY.
so MANY FLAGS OUT RECENTLY lhAi i'H
NEW DISPLAY OF BUNTING WILL
NOT RE NOVEL.

Decorations are not likely n he so conspicuous
q rort Of the celebration OF to-day as they nave
been q many previous one. There are TWO W
three reasons for this one or them Is thdt III"
time has been too short for the planning ana *
ecut,ng Of eiabrate designs and another Is that 50
much NJ ,ho CITY has been decorated for so long
that Just now e. would take an uncommon amount
Of disnlav 20 he conspicuous Decorating ~ IN TINS
respect 4 little like profanity II you swear al the
time what are you going 10 do on real occasion
And II YOU keep your buildings decorated an
through a war. what more can you DO "he" INC
triumph comcs'
The other day New-York man happened 10 y"
sitting in a cahlc-car next ~ three women. whose
interest in something that they seemed To notice
IN the appearance OF the streets was such That
he found It hard to preserve that self-contained
hearing Characteristic OF the American. ana not
IN show TINT he was wondering what they were
wondering about. But their need or enlghten-
ment was evidently greater than his. ana presently
one OF them turned 70 him and asked whe'her
there was any celebration going on 20 account for
Tho lavish dsplay OF flags everywhere on no.
he said: 'ft has been this way ever since tho war
began"
The one who had asked the question repeated the
answer to the others: "He says IT has been this
way ever since the war began"
oh" one Of the others exclaimed. II never saw
so many flags before In my life'''
you Will pardon US for asking" said the FIRST
one. 1--WE have Just come from Paris. and we only
landed this morning
And then all three together: isn't u lovely.
l. was not the gushing schoolgirls isn't y
lovely II was the fcrvent ejaculation from the
hearts Of American women who had seen little
Of their countrys flag FOR long time. and never
so much Of q all AZ once.
But n they are still In town thoy will SEQ more
OF Il today For. IN spite ~ shor'ness OF time
and all other obstacles. the decoration n the city
,or tho welcome Of the fleet Is not 20 be neglected
BY any means !; going on all yesterday after
noon all over town and q was interesting 10 note
the contrast between the flags that were pat M
for the triumph and those which had been NJ ali
along The latter have begun 20 look almost Tx"
battle flags. Many % them nrc ffayec ana mos
are more or less worn and faded and soled. u .8
Ike the confrAs. II The fresh br' shi parade nass
Of the mHihr rermcut wiki the batile-s'ained
standards OF tho vctcrang.
Ru. &, wGs decorating under difficulties The 'ac'
that no procession was 20 pass through IN" s're''s
and that tie men for whose welcome ne dispAF
was intended would never see the most % ~ was
rather darrptrer - enthusiasm. Then Their"
wore not a,-ohere near enough professional deco
rators 10 20 around and there was not anywhere
near enough time for those there were 70 get
around So the decorations are 'or the most part
amateur johs. though many ~ them are non" inc
worse for ,ha' Nor was e easy ior everybody
even 20 provide tho material IN N" short time
since the celebration was decided on
There is another element IN the celehra ton which
has never had 50 important place before. 1his
is the element Of the high buildings J. "a one
th.g 20 decorate house o: I've stories. and II a
quite another TO decorate OF twenty or twenty
i've II co@.s \ tidy sum and = Is good deal o'
work To be sure the people who have ihs oihces
could 10 the decorating In small portions but II
would then lack unity OF design. II would look
Ike patchwork and PROBABLY not good whole
patchwork at that. \ building ought 10 be deco
rated as whole. and with some definite plan
about II
The high buildings Will bear another part to-day
They will offer fine points from, which u view the
parade. There are several which command Views
OF long stretches Of the river up and down These
viii no doubt be crowded with the families and
friends Of the owners and tenants. or with those 20
whom thrifty owners and tenants have sold priv.
leees 4 man who rents whole high floor Of one OF
the high buildings said last night thai he had had
less than three chances 10 let his whole place