The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-04-17
THE ANNUAL EGG ROLLING.
4 Great Throng of Children Enjoy
the sport on the White Lot.

4 Great ThrOnG of Children Enjoy
the sport on the White Lot.
A vast army of egg rollers, composed of
the small children of Washington, ofticercd
/ by their parents and guardians, took the
field early yesterday morning and defiling
through the passes invested every inch
and corner of the White Lot. The van of the
army appeared at the gates of the White
Lot at an early hour and forced the passes
at the first charge without the loss of
single egg. The complement of the army
continued to arrive by detachments at
every hour Of the day and a long line of
ir fantry filed through the gates in con-
tinuous stream. The uniforms of the egg
rollers was as vari-colOred as their ammu
n ton.
Each detachment on its arrival pitched
its krael and taking a commanding posi-
ton on the summit Of some unoccupied
kopje the rank and file prepared for the
bombardment This bombardment. in the
vernacular of their own manual of arms,
is known as egg rolling"
BY right of precedent and time -honored
custom. on Easter Monday the White Lot
is surrendered to the large army Of small
invaders-the children of Washington-for
ever before the children swarmed yester-
day to the White House lawn to avail
themselves of their privilege. With bas
kets of many -cOlored eggs juvenile Wash
ingtOn began to assemble on the lawn at
an early hour, and before noon had gath
cred in such force that there was hardly
more than standing room for later cOmers.
The little ones found their way to the
tops of the many little mounds which are
i
al once to their game started their eggs
rolling down hill. On every slope the
bright colored eggs were seen rolling end
over end, some times wrecked on the way,
and some times escaping destruction in the
descent. The little ones, wild with the
frolic rush to recover their eggs and start
the rolling anew. So the sport continued
through the day, varied with egg picking
and such original ideas as the juvenile
mind can create Egg picking is game
in which the egg roller is well versed. 1t
consists in the endeavor of one yOungster
to break with an egg the shell of another
egg. the property of playmate, or, per-
haps OF an unknown gamester. The re-
ward of success is the transfer of the egg
to the possession of the picker" while
failure means the forfeit of one of his
own eggs. The artful ones introduce
china eggs to insure against picking"
down. on IHtlT hLttS. ltllilA5 uttlS ONtI
head clean and dirty, well dressed and
ragged. black and white, the children were
everywhere exercising their privilege. and
enjoying unrestrained the liberties of the
day.
At . o'clock the lawn was one great
Kaleidoscope. with full $4,000 gayly clad.
continually moving. persons children and
elders The lawn itself by this time, was
half grass and half yellow yolk of broken
eggs. on which the foot slipped uncOm-
fortably.
The Marine Band. under the leadership
of Lieutenant Santelmann, started in to
discourse music for the little ones at about
o'clock, and games for a time were sus-
pended while the children listened or
danced on the lawn with uncertain infan-
tile steps.
During an intermssion of the music
President and Mrs. Mckinley issued from
the White House and from the balcony
greeted the multitude with bows. Mrs.
Mckinley waved her handkerchief to the
children The President and his wife
stood and watched the little ones for
few moments and then retired.
All day long the building which is used
by the police for lost children was be-
whose relief was plainly manifested in
the Identification of some stray.
The grounds were opened until 9 o'clock
when the command to disperse was given,
and reluctantly obeyed by the tired dirty,
egg-s;ained urchins. who still were not
content to find their holiday over.